With another flawless round, Matti Schmid climbs to the top of the PGA Tour leaderboard at the World Wide Technology Championship.
Matti Schmid surged into the solo lead at the PGA Tour‘s World Wide Technology Championship with a stellar second round. The 27-year-old started Friday on the 10th hole at El Cardonal Golf Course and quickly found his rhythm: birdies on 10, 11, 14, 15, and 16, with steady pars in between. His game looked controlled, focused, and most importantly, stress-free. “I don’t think I chipped at all today,” Schmid said after the round. “I must’ve hit so many greens. Life out there was pretty relaxed.”
The highlight came on the 18th. After two strong shots, Schmid found the green about 30 feet from the hole, facing a tricky putt with more break than he liked. “It was a really tough putt,” he explained. “I had to play it up the ridge and let it roll down. I actually hit it a bit too hard, but the bag was in the way — I got a little lucky.” The ball dropped for eagle, capping off a front-nine score of 29 before heading to the 1st.
PGA Tour: Flawless 63 keeps Schmid bogey-free
Schmid kept the momentum going on the front nine. While the birdie pace slowed slightly, he remained error-free. Birdies on both par-5s (1 and 5) and another on the 9th completed his bogey-free 63. At 17-under-par total, he took the outright lead and made a significant move toward the FedExCup Top 60. “I actually drove it even better today than yesterday,” Schmid said. “The greens are big and very undulated. You have to hit the right sections to get good birdie chances. I felt like I did that really well today.”
Normally gusty winds in Cabo San Lucas were absent, allowing for low scoring. “It’s usually much windier here,” Schmid noted. “This year, you can get closer to the pins and make some putts.”
Chasing the Signature Events
Schmid entered the week ranked 70th in the FedExCup standings. His goal: crack the Top 60 to qualify for the first two Signature Events of the season — high-prestige, high-point tournaments. “We all know how important those events are,” he said. “You can earn a lot of points, and I want to compete against the best players on the best courses. That’s been my goal for the fall series — to earn one of those spots. You need a really good week — hopefully this is mine.” Despite feeling under the weather after returning from Japan, Schmid seems to be finding his stride. “I was a bit sick and drained,” he said. “But now I feel fresh. The