Bud Cauley leads, Thomas Detry scuffles at Cognizant Classic - ESPN

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Bud Cauley is leading on the PGA Tour. That might not have seemed likely a few years ago.

Cauley, who was seriously injured in a 2018 car crash and is playing a tour event for only the third time in nearly 4½ years, shot a 6-under 65 on Friday at PGA National to take a one-shot lead after 36 holes of the Cognizant Classic.

Cauley has 11 birdies and no bogeys over his last 27 holes. He made a 12-footer for birdie at the par-5 18th on Friday as darkness began settling in, posting 11-under 131 and giving him his first 36-hole lead on tour since the Valero Texas Open in 2017.

«My expectation was to come out and compete, and I felt like my game was in a good spot,» Cauley said. «Saying it is one thing, doing it is another. I'm really happy with how I've played. I feel like my game has been trending in the right way. I've been hitting the ball well and just needed some scoring things to start.»

Thomas Detry wasn't as fortunate.

The Belgian shot 80 on Friday, missing the cut by 13 shots — and grabbing attention for his blowup on the par-4 6th.

Detry had a 50-footer for birdie. He knocked that putt about 6 feet past the hole, then missed the par putt, then missed a 3-footer for bogey, then missed a tap-in, then missed another 3-footer before tapping in to finally complete a six-putt, quadruple-bogey 8.

He became the fifth player with six putts on a single hole over the last 10 seasons on tour. The four others — Danny Lee at the 2020 U.S. Open, Phil Mickelson and Scott Stallings at the 2018 U.S. Open and Ernie Els at the 2016 Masters — all came in major championships. (Mickelson incurred a 2-stroke penalty, which is why he was officially listed with six putts on that hole.)

It was a misstep on a rare