January 22, 2017: At the end of the second round in the CareerBuilder Challenge, Anirban Lahiri was lying on the edge of the knife. But a sensational second nine 30 on Saturday helped Anirban jump from T69 overnight to T13 through 54 holes. Adam Hadwin fired a mesmerizing 59 to gain a one shot lead over Dominic Bozzelli.
The CB Challenge is played on three courses – the Stadium Course is the host this year. The other two courses are the Nicklaus Tournament Course and the La Quinta Country Club.
Anirban produces a gem
Anirban was playing his third round on the LQCC course. The Indian got off to the quiet start, firing two birdies on his first nine, starting at the 10th.
Lahiri switched on the lights without warning. The 82nd ranked golfer fired six birdies for a 64, his lowest round on the PGA TOUR. Anirban kept his sheet clean on a day that turned out to be one of his best efforts on American soil.
Lahiri also shot a 65 in the RSM Classic, last November. He finished T13 in that tournament to end his calendar year on a high. His journey to the Hawaiian Islands proved fruitless. Even though he played with discipline, scores of 70-72 proved inadequate in the low scoring mayhem of the Sony Open.
So far this week, Anirban has struck 17 birdies, 4 bogeys and a double bogey. But after enduring a couple of rainy days, Anirban made the most of a warm sunny day on the West Coast to produce a clean effort.
Adam Hadwin shows lightning can strike twice
Hadwin needed a good up and down to save par on the 18th to ensure that he shot 59. He did just that to record only the ninth score under 60 on the PGA TOUR. But it is the second 59 already this year, with Justin Thomas producing one in Hawaii ten days ago.
“I think everybody talks about kind of they were in a zone and I think that’s kind of what happened,” Hadwin said. “I was thinking about it. I knew exactly where I was. I knew exactly what I needed to do. It just didn’t seem to matter.”
“Last thing I wanted to do was miss a 3-footer for 59,” Hadwin added. “So, I was more relieved than anything walking off that green.”
