QBE Shootout R2: Australian pairing Marc Leishman and Jason Day stretch lead

Australian pairing Marc Leishman and Jason Day extended their overnight lead at the QBE Shootout on the PGA Tour. 

The duo scrambled their way to an opening round of 56 with Leishman holing out twice. Then he did the same again during the second round modified alternate shot which sees them take a three-shot lead into the final round in Naples, Florida after signing for a second round 64.

Day is a great champion but has no doubt struggled over the last few years since he fell from the top of the world rankings. But perhaps he is tending back in the right direction as he looked more on top of his game. He drained a big putt at 18 to extend the lead to three.

The Australian pairing only have a slender lead and are being chased by a trio of teams that include Billy Horschel and Sam Burns, the defending champions Harris English and Matt Kuchar and Kevin Na and Jason Kokrak. 

This is a unique event on the PGA Tour which sees players competing in teams of two playing a Texas scramble, a modified alternate shot and then finally a four ball format. After 36 holes, only one team has ever overturned a margin bigger than four shots to win. 

"That was nice," said Leishman by the 18th green. Day chimed in: "It was nice to be able to contribute today but this (Leishman) is the highlight reel right here." This tournament is described as a "hit and giggle" but not to these guys. They mean business. 

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THIRD hole out in 2 days for @MarcLeish!



He and @JDayGolf take the lead. pic.twitter.com/goUn2BlOWq

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 11, 2021

Lexi Thompson is the only member of the LPGA Tour playing in this field, but perhaps she knows the greens better than anyone at Tiburon Golf Club. On day two, she teamed up with Bubba Watson well, holing an impressive eagle putt after her partner drove the green. 

Watson doesn't see straight, the commentators said, as he shaped shots both ways all day for his partner. Team Watson/Thomspon eventually signed for a second round of 66 after they scrambled their way to an impressive 59 in round one that included 13 birdies and an eagle.

Leishman, playing the tournament this year with Day instead of Cameron Smith, has had an interesting opening two days. He has holed out three times. At the 396-yard par-4 seventh, Leishman took a wedge and holed out from 96 yards. Nice shot mate, Day said.

The tournament has been on a one-year hiatus due to the pandemic, but defending champions English and Kuchar are looking in a good position to claim the win. They opened with a 57 that included 15 birdies and followed that with a second round 66. 

Na, partnered with Kokrak followed their opening round of 59 with a second round 64. Na was lunging them in during the first round and at the 18th he walked in Kokrak's closing birdie putt and are well placed, too, to make a Sunday charge in the four balls. 

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