Norman Xiong, Cameron Champ prove they belong at Sanderson Farms Championship

JACKSON, Miss. – Notes and observations from the second round of the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson. LEADING LIGHTS Little more than a year ago, Cameron Champ and Norman Xiong were helping the United States dominate the Walker Cup at Los Angeles Country Club. Now they’re the co-leaders of a PGA TOUR event. Champ (65-70) and Xiong (68-67) are both 9 under par at the Country Club of Jackson. They’re one shot ahead of Shawn Stefani, Jonathan Byrd and Hudson Swafford. Champ, 23, is making his second start as a PGA TOUR member. Xiong, 19, is playing on a sponsor exemption between starts in Web.com Tour Q-School. Having a familiar face in the final group should help as they chase their first PGA TOUR title. “I would think it would help a little bit, … both of us being in this position for the first time really on the PGA TOUR,â€� Champ said. “You’re always rooting for your buddies, but at the same time you want to beat them, too.â€� Xiong has used a stellar short game to get in contention. He’s made just two bogeys despite hitting less than half his fairways and just 22 greens. He leads the field in Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green. Champ’s trademark length has helped him this week. He leads the field in driving distance, averaging 304.3 yards on all tee shots, and Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee. He made just two bogeys on his first 34 holes, then closed with consecutive bogeys to fall into a tie with Xiong. “Today was a struggle,â€� Champ said. “Off the tee, I just couldn’t find the fairways. … I just kept plugging away at it, getting up-and-down when I needed to. … I’ll take 2 under today the way I was hitting it.â€� After hitting 9 of 14 fairways in the first round, he hit four fewer on Friday. Champ turned pro almost a year ago, after advancing through the second stage of last year’s Web.com Tour Q-School. He won on the Web.com Tour this year and finished sixth on the money list. He opened his rookie season with a T25 at the Safeway Open. Xiong, college golf’s consensus player of the year in 2018, is soon headed to Q-School’s second stage. He’s scheduled to play next week in California, but that could be pushed back a week if he finishes in the top 10 and earns a start in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. He isn’t just contending for the first time. This is his first made cut in seven starts as a professional. “I guess it finally proves that I belong out here, or hopefully one day eventually can be out here permanently,â€� Xiong said. “It definitely means everything is working and I’m learning a lot.â€� They say experience is the best teacher. Champ and Xiong will surely learn a lot this weekend. They just may pick up a PGA TOUR profile in the process. OBSERVATIONS FUN AND GAMES: Jonathan Byrd didn’t feel great about his game when he arrived at the Sanderson Farms Championship. A new outlook has paid off halfway through the week, though. “On Wednesday, I just went out and had a fun pro-am group and we were just jabbing each other back and forth and just having fun,â€� Byrd said. “I made seven birdies and shot 7 under. I’m like, ‘We just have to have more fun this week and just try to relax.â€� It’s working. Byrd opened with consecutive 68s and sits two off the lead entering the weekend. “I’ve hit plenty of poor shots, but I’ve battled back and made some good up-and-downs and hit some good iron shots,â€� he said. The five-time TOUR winner is in the field based on his past champion’s status. His win at the 2017 Web.com Tour Championship was his first victory since 2011, but he missed more than half his cuts on the PGA TOUR and finished 181st in the FedExCup. MISSISSIPPI MONDAY: Last year, Scott Strohmeyer finished fourth at the Sanderson Farms Championship after Monday qualifying. Chad Ramey is trying to follow in his footsteps. Ramey, a Mississippi State alum, is in fifth place after firing 67-70. He survived a 10-for-3 playoff Monday just to get in the Sanderson Farms. He finished 80th on this year’s Web.com Tour money list. BRYAN’S STRUGGLES: Wesley Bryan’s season is off to a tough start. He finished last for the second consecutive event after shooting 78-82 at the Country Club of Jackson. He has a 78.3 scoring average in four rounds this season. Bryan finished last in both Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee (-7.3) and Strokes Gained: Putting (-8.2) this week. He hit just nine fairways in two rounds while averaging 242 yards on all tee shots. He hit half his greens. Bryan won three times on the Web.com Tour in 2016 and won the 2017 RBC Heritage but finished 163rd in last season’s FedExCup standings. He had just one top-25 in 23 starts. QUOTABLE I saw a couple guys out here with stocking caps and stuff. Kind of made me laugh.With this weather, I would much rather be deer hunting.These college guys are such good athletes and they’re aggressive. It’s fun to watch. SUPERLATIVES Low round: Ben Silverman’s 65 was a 10-shot improvement over his first round. He moved up 80 spots on the leaderboard into a tie for 31st. He made nine birdies Friday – including six in a seven-hole stretch — after failing to make one in the first round. Longest drive: Cameron Tringale had the day’s longest drive, a 369-yarder on the 14th hole. He parred the hole in his second-round 73. Tringale is T15 at 5-under 139. Longest putt: Hayden Buckley holed a 66-footer for birdie on the 18th hole. The sponsor exemption shot a bogey-free 67 to make the cut after opening with a 75. All five of Friday’s birdies came on putts outside 15 feet. Toughest hole: The 411-yard, par-4 12th hole played to a 4.31 stroke average. There were nearly as many double-bogeys (10) as birdies (11). Easiest hole: The 540-yard, par-5 third hole played to a 4.57 scoring average. There were three eagles and 60 birdies on the hole. Seven players, including Champ, eagled the par-5 11th hole Friday. CALL OF THE DAY For play-by-play coverage of the third round of the Sanderson Farms Championship, listen at PGATOUR.COM. SHOT OF THE DAY

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