Ghim holes out from fairway again, Thompson hones in
For the first time in his six years on the tour, he holds the 36-hole lead.
Defending champion Davis Thompson (63) and Max Homa (68) were among the five players within one shot of him going into the weekend.
Doug Ghim pulls ahead of the rest @JDCLASSIC 👏1. Doug Ghim (-12)T2. Davis Thompson (-11)T2. Brian CampbellT2. David LipskyT2. Max HomaT2. Kevin Yu pic.twitter.com/8qoIuwYQdT
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 4, 2025
Ghim holed out on the short par-4 sixth in the opening round. This time it was from 179 yards away on the par-4 15th.
"I guess holing out two days in a row is always nice," Ghim said. "It's been a couple years since I holed out from the fairway. To get two back-to-back days is great."
Ghim had a two-shot lead until hitting left into the trees and down a cart path, punching out through the green and chipping to 18 feet, missing the putt to make his second bogey of the round. He was at 12-under 130.
Mexico Open winner Brian Campbell (66), David Lipsky (67) and Emiliano Grillo (66) were tied for second
Ghim still feels a long way off from a chance to win for the first time at a tournament that has produced more first-time winners than any PGA Tour event since 1970.
"The person that's going to win this tournament will be in the 20-under par area, so last time I checked I'm not there yet," Ghim said. "I don't feel like I'm in the lead, and I'm just happy that I get to be teeing off late tomorrow in contention."
Homa was tied with Ghim late in the afternoon, when the greens were getting dry and crusty. But on the 18th hole, he pulled his tee shot into a bunker, missing the green to the right and wound up missing a 12-foot par putt to fall one back.
He's still in good shape going into the weekend as he tries to get his game turned around.
"You're going to have to shoot really low. Somebody can go out there and shoot 11 under out there and jump everybody. So just go do what we did today and play another round of golf.
354-yard drive OVER the trees for @MaxHoma 😳 pic.twitter.com/c1COBND05V
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 4, 2025
"Just keep waiting until the back nine on Sunday basically."
Thompson played in the morning and was the first to reach 11-under 131 as he tries to become the first repeat winner of the John Deere Classic since Steve Stricker won three in a row from 2009 through 2011.
Former world No 1 Jason Day fired a five-under 66 for a two-under total, but it came too late after his opening 74 left him three outside the cut.
Compatriot Karl Vilips was also brilliant with a 65, but his 77 on Thursday ruined any chance he had.
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