LOS ANGELES — World No. 1 Jason Day powered through the fatigue lingering from last week’s Masters campaign to seize a share of the halfway lead Friday at the RBC Heritage.
Australia’s Day fired a two-under par 69 in challenging, windy conditions at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head, South Carolina.
He shared the lead on six-under par 136 with Americans Charley Hoffman and Kevin Chappell, who both posted 68s.
The top trio were one stroke in front of another three players that included overnight co-leader Luke Donald, who carded a 71, Scotland’s Russell Knox (65) and American Patton Kizzire (68).
Day, who had bogeyed the last hole Thursday to drop out of a share of the lead, said gusting winds Friday made life difficult.
“It would be 20 miles per hour and then suddenly die down,” Day said. “Very, very tough day out there. I’m glad I got it in at two-under.”
Day, who teed off on 10, finished with four birdies and two bogeys.
His bogey at the par-five fifth, his 14th hole of the day, came after he hit out of bounds trying to hit a draw around the dogleg.
It was a mental mistake, Day said, the kind that can creep in after the kind of tough major championship campaign that he slogged through at Augusta National last week.
“I felt like I went 10 rounds in a championship fight (at the Masters). It just beat us up, physically and mentally.
“I may be a little mentally fatigued but there’s no excuse. I’ve got to focus,” added Day, who went into the Masters off back-to-back wins at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the WGC Match Play.
Former world No. 1 Donald, who shared the first-round lead with South Africa’s Branden Grace, bounced back from a double-bogey at his fifth hole of the day, the par-three 14th, picking up two birdies in his last nine holes to post an even par round.
Eighty-two players made the halfway cut. That included reigning US Amateur champion Bryson DeChambeau, making his pro debut, and Jason Bohn, playing his first tournament since suffering a heart attack on Feb. 26 following the second round of the Honda Classic.
Burnett grabs Lotte lead
In Hawaii, Katie Burnett chipped in for birdie on the par-4 18th Friday for a 5-under 67 and a one-stroke lead in the Lotte Championship.
Winless in 59 career starts on the LPGA Tour, the 26-year-old Georgia player had a bogey-free round to take a 13-under 203 total into the final round at Ko Olina.
Burnett’s only top-10 finish on the LPGA Tour came in 2014 at Ko Olina when she tied for ninth. She’s ranked 195th in the world.
Su-Yeon Jang was second after a 67. Playing on a sponsor exemption, the 21-year-old South Korean player is coming off a victory last week in the Korean LPGA event sponsored by Lotte — a win that earned her a spot next year at Ko Olina.
US Women’s Open champion In Gee Chun and Moriya Jutanugarn were 10 under. Chun had a 65, and Jutanugarn shot 68.
