Live leaderboard: WGC-HSBC Champions

SILVIS, Ill. — Roberto Diaz shot a 9-under 62 on Thursday to take the first-round lead in the John Deere Classic. Playing in the final group of the day off the first tee, the 32-year-old Mexican player birdied four of the first five holes, eagled the par-5 10th and birdied three of the last five in the bogey-free round at TPC Deere Run. He took the lead with a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-3 16th. Diaz is winless on the PGA TOUR. Adam Long and Russell Henley were two strokes back. Martin Laird was another stroke back at 65 with Ryan Palmer, Andrew Landry, Vaughn Taylor, Zack Sucher and Ryan Blaum.

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Here are nine tidbits from the second round of the Wells Fargo Championship that gamers can use tomorrow, this weekend or down the road. Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte has been the host since the creation of the event in 2003 and plays 7,544 yards to a Par-71. The 2017 WFC was played at Eagle Point Golf Club in Wilmington, NC. PAIN OR GAIN These were the top-10 picked golfers in the PGA TOUR Fantasy One & Done presented by SERVPRO: The top eight are through to the weekend but it’s Day (-6) who is five-shots clear of his closest competitor, Rickie Fowler (-1). Finau fans that were holding their breath can exhale now as three-over made it on the number. At least they have a chance to get after it early and get back into the mix. I doubt it will be worse than his 76 today. With 87 players making the cut at +3, there will be another cut (MDF) after Round 3. People’s Choice My faith in the gaming community has been restored in the One & Done format! It’s too bad in a non-substitution format that your faith is not being repaid by Rory McIlroy (68-76). Yet. He sat on the cut line in 2010 before he eviscerated Quail Hollow Club for 66-62 on the weekend to win by four shots. He turned 21 the night he won. This year he’s nine shots back after limping home in 40. He’ll have an early tee time tomorrow that should enable him to get right back into the mix. Illu-Malnati He might not know everything but Peter Malnati is leading the field after 36 holes. He backed up his opening round 67 with 68 and leads on seven-under-par 135. He’s cashing in on greens as he leads the field in SG: putting and must enjoy the new Champion Bermuda. His best result on the previous surface was 73 in four tries. He’s a great putter this season (15th SG: putting) but it’s his ball-striking (201 total driving, 188 GIR) this week that is punching above its weight. Tiger Trap Greens are running at 12 feet on the Stimpmeter but Tiger Woods believes they are running slowly. Sigh. This is the only course where he’s MC twice. Think about that stat for a minute. He checked in at No. 119 in SG: putting after Round 1 and No. 144 after Round 2. He made a birdie on his final hole today to finish two-over and T48. He made three birdies. Proper grinding. Wise Guy This is just the fifth time in 17 starts in rookie Aaron Wise’s season that he posted his first two rounds in red figures. Of the previous four, three went for T17 or better and T32 at the Houston Open. His only top-10 finish in 22 starts as a pro was last season (T10) in Las Vegas. He’s tied with major champion Jason Day on six-under-par 136 with Charl Schwartzel and Paul Casey one further shot adrift. The breath on the neck will be real on Saturday. Moving On Up Nick Watney’s streak of made cuts is now at 11 after his classy, bogey-free 67 vaulted him into the top 10 (T7). The oddest part of Watney’s streak is that his best finish is T20. He’s now made 10 of 12 cuts at QHC as is looking rack up his third top-10 payday. … The biggest cheerleader of the Bryson DeChambeau Fan Club, ME, was ecstatic to see him post the round of the day as he’s my choice in One & Done. His 65 was 10 shots better than his opening round and not only did he make the cut, he moved up 101 spots into contention at T13. Whew. … German Martin Kaymer, the 2015 PLAYERS champion, is tuning up for next week. His 67 in Round 2 saw him leap 66 spots to T13 after opening with 73. His best finish on TOUR this season is six previous starts is 48th. Achtung! Recession First-round leader John Peterson backed up his 65 with 77 in Round 2. The good news is his 65 was so good that he’ll begin the weekend T28 and just seven shots back. … Geoff Ogilvy drew plenty attention after his opening round 68 (T7) but his 81 in Round 2 saw him MC easily. He’s now MC nine times in 12 events this season. … Keegan Bradley dropped 62 spots after 77 in Round 2. Bradley (68) was one of two players who posted a bogey-free Round 1. The other was Sam Burns who is currently T7. MC HOF Louis Oosthuizen (+4) and Kevin Kisner (+5) were major One & Done casualties. Oosthuizen was two-over entering “The Green Mile” and four-over (MC) when he was done. Kisner was four-under through his first six holes and played his last 30 holes in nine-over. I wondered if the memories came flowing back after the PGA Championship last year. Study Hall Friday’s scoring average was 72.500 versus 73.833 in Round 1. Both rounds conceded 65 as the low round of the day. …. Joining Watney with bogey-free rounds were Vaughn Taylor (68), Shawn Stefani (69) and Nick Taylor (70, MC). … Bob Estes (allergies) and Davis Love III (back injury) WD before their tee times in Round 2. Steve Marino played nine holes and also WD.

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