Golfweek

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – With the way Emiliano Grillo hit the ball on Friday, it was only a matter of time before he reached the top of the leaderboard at the Junior Players Championship.

Grillo, who was paired with Jordan Spieth and Jim Liu in the first round at TPC Sawgrass, put on a ballstriking clinic in Round 1, but was unable to sink many of the resulting 7-10-footers, leaving him with an opening even-par 72.

Whatever kinks he had in his putting stroke must have been fixed Saturday morning, as Grillo birdied four of the first six holes to claim the solo lead at 4 under, one shot ahead of Billy Kennerly and Wyndham Clark. Michael Johnson, the overnight leader at the Stadium Course, bogeyed two of his opening four holes to slip back to 2 under for the tournament.

Also moving up the leaderboard was Gavin Hall and Patrick Rodgers. Hall, who was penalized a stroke for slow play in the opening round, quickly made up that deficit by making five birdies on the front side – three in his first four holes. After a bogey at No. 9, Hall rebounded with a birdie at the 10th to move to 1 under for the tournament and into a tie for sixth.

Rodgers, whose four-putt at the 16th on Friday led to an opening 78, also sits 4 under on the day and 2 over for the event. Rodgers started the day T-42, and now sits at T-11.