Since being staggered by a triple bogey on his 13th hole Thursday, Chris Stroud has made six birdies and nothing else higher than a par in the PGA Tour Corales Golf Club Puntacana Resort and Club championship.

As a result, the Port Neches-Groves ex signed off on a four-under-par 68 Friday to move up 12 places into a tie for 11th at the tournament’s 36-hole mark with a 138 total. He’ll enter the weekend four back of leader Sunjae Im and in excellent position to post his third top 10 of the 2018-19 season.

Stroud’s clean scorecard Friday showed birdies at the par-5 seventh, the par-4 ninth, the par-4 13th and the par-5 15th. Had he made a par-5 on the fourth hole Thursday — his 13th of the day — he’d be a single shot off the lead.

The good news is that Stroud’s ball striking seems to be rounding into form. He hit 11 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens during Friday’s round.

Stroud won’t be the only former Lamar University player sticking around for the weekend. Barbers Hill ex Shawn Stefani shot 72 Friday and is T42 at 141.
Former Dallas Cowboy QB Tony Romo, however, will be headed home after an 80 for 159.

Romo, for the second consecutive day, shot himself in the foot on his opening nine. Playing the back first, he shot 44, then got around the front in even par 36. On Thursday, he shot 42-37.

In Carlsbad, California, meanwhile, PNG ex Braden Bailey came up short in his bid for full time status on the Canadian PGA Tour. Baylor senior, needing to finish in the top 14, climbed from 26th to 15th by shooting two-under-par 34 on his first nine holes, but a 40 on the incoming nine left him on the outside looking in.

Bailey shot rounds of 74-71-72-74 in the Mackenzie Tour Q School at Carlton Oaks Golf Club. He will have conditional status on the Canadian Tour this summer, meaning there should be an opportunity to get into some of the tournaments.