Japan’s Kensei Hirata and American Chandler Blanchet share the clubhouse lead at 13 under par following a congested, high-scoring second round at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.
Hirata set the early standard at Port Royal with a flawless, bogey-free seven-under 64, rolling in seven birdies to surge up the leaderboard. Blanchet, who held the overnight advantage, swiftly joined him at the summit after compiling a steady four-under 67, carding five birdies against a solitary dropped shot.
A crowded chasing pack sits just one stroke adrift at 12 under. Former champion Seamus Power matched Hirata’s 64 with a bogey-free effort of his own to move firmly into contention alongside Canadian duo Corey Conners (67) and Ben Silverman (67), and American pair Eric Cole (65) and Danny Walker (67).
With the projected cut line landing at five under par, both local hopefuls missed out on the weekend rounds. Nick Jones carded an improved second-round 70 to finish level par, while fellow Bermudian Camiko Smith endured a tough afternoon, finishing with a 14-over-par round.
Bermuda Broadcasting’s coverage of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship resumes tomorrow, with a pre-match show hosted by Ian Rawlins starting at 10:AM on ZFB TV7 that will be live streamed on our website at bbc.bm and on our free Bermuda Today app.
