If you thought Cameron Champ was going to rest easy after winning his maiden PGA Tour event, Friday proved otherwise.
Champ shot 9-under 62 to vault to the top of the leaderboard, upon the completion of his play, at the Mayakoba Golf Classic. At 12 under par, Champ was one stroke clear of five other players from the Round 2 morning wave.
Champ won his first PGA Tour event in his second start as a card-carrying member at the Sanderson Farms Championship. His effortless power – resulting in 330-yard drives – wowed fans who weren’t familiar with his exploits at Texas A&M and on the Web.com Tour.
He tied for 28th in his next start, last week’s Shriners event in Las Vegas, but is back in the mix this week in Mexico.
Full-field scores from the Mayakoba Golf Classic/a>
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After opening in 2-under 70, Champ made eight birdies, one eagle and a lone bogey – on his closing hole, the par-4 ninth.
Despite the scoring spree, Champ said he never thought about shooting 59.
“I forgot what par was, to be honest,” he said. “I was just flowing, I just kind of felt in the zone, really. I was just trying to execute each shot at a time.”
Champ’s play – and results – on Tour are a far cry from last season. As a newly minted pro, he missed five cuts in six starts and tied for 73rd for his best result. He did, however, win on the Web.com Tour (Utah Championship) to earn his PGA Tour status.
A status he’ll have for at least two more seasons after this one.
He credits his success to “comfortability.”
“That’s one thing I struggled with when I first turned pro, in my first few events on the Web,” Champ said. “I just feel like now, I’m very comfortable out here and I’m just playing stress-free.”