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The Sports Network
Honolulu, HI (Sports Network) - Matt Every fired a six-under 64 Friday to grab
a two-stroke lead after two rounds of the Sony Open in Hawaii.
Every, who is starting his second season on the PGA Tour, completed 36 holes
at 10-under-par 130.
Two years ago, Every was a rookie on the PGA Tour when he was arrested in a
marijuana related incident. The charges were eventually dropped, but he was
suspended by the tour for three months. He also missed six weeks that season
due to a broken finger.
"I honestly kind of feel like a rookie out here this year, because I was doing
just fine until I got to Hilton Head," Every said of where he broke his finger
in 2010. "I (missed) six weeks there, then I get back and I was out for like
two weeks, then got in trouble, there's three months. I still almost kept my
status and played half the tournaments that everybody else played."
Every's lone professional win was at the 2009 Nationwide Tour Championship.
This is second time he will sleep on a lead on the PGA Tour. Every was the
first-round leader at the 2010 Greenbrier Classic.
David Hearn (66) and Carl Pettersson (67) are tied for second place at minus-
eight. Brendon de Jonge fired the low round of the week with his eight-under
62. He soared into a share of fourth place at seven-under 133. He was joined
there by Pat Perez and Doug La Belle II, who both shot 67 on Friday.
PGA Champion Keegan Bradley (67) and Sean O'Hair (67) in round two, are among
10 players tied for seventh at six-under-par 134.
Every had a kick-in birdie on the par-four 12th. He parred the other eight
holes on his opening nine at Waialae Country Club.
The 28-year-old started to make his move up the leaderboard with a 24-foot
birdie putt on the par-four third. He made it two in a row with a short birdie
effort on the fourth.
Every parred two in a row before catching fire at the end of his round. He
drained a 22-footer for birdie on No. 7. Every converted a 15-foot birdie
chance at eight, then closed with a two-putt birdie at the ninth, his last.
"I just didn't make many mistakes and made some putts, hit some good irons,
just kind of normal stuff," Every said.
He went on to add, "I'm not saying I'm going to be on top of the leaderboard
every week, but it's not a surprise to me. I know that I can, you know? It's
only two rounds, though, so it's not that big a deal."
Every has just one career top-10 finish, a share of eighth at the 2010 Phoenix
Open, in 29 previous PGA Tour starts.
Hearn rebounded from bogeys on two and three to shoot 66. He did so with three
birdies in a four-hole span from the fifth. He made the turn at minus-seven
after making eagle on the par-five ninth. Hearn parred his next eight holes
before closing with a birdie at the last.
Pettersson, a four-time winner on the PGA Tour, had a birdie and a bogey on
the back nine, his opening nine Friday. Around the turn, Pettersson had
birdies on four and five. He finished his round with a birdie at the ninth to
share second place.
"I started on the back nine. I played really solid on the back nine," said
Pettersson. "Could have made a few more, missed a couple of short ones. Then I
made a few longish putts for birdies on four and five and a nice save on
eight. It was a solid round."
NOTES: First-round leader Graham DeLaet struggled to two-over 72, which
dropped him into a share of 17th at minus-five. He was joined there by among
others last week's winner Steve Stricker (69)...The cut line fell at one-
under-par 139 with 80 players advancing to the weekend...Among those that
missed the cut were 2011 champion Mark Wilson, 2006 winner David Toms, Rocco
Mediate, Ryo Ishikawa and U.S. Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III.
The Sports Network