BROUSSARD – Roberto Diaz and Peter Uihlein are tied for the lead at the Chitimacha Louisiana Open presented by MISTRAS.
Even with chilly and windy conditions at Le Triomphe Golf & Country Club, Diaz began the second round by carding birdies on six of his first seven holes to finish with a 6-under 65.
“At the John Deere Classic a couple of years ago I shot 62 on Thursday and it was kind of like that, one of those rounds that the hole looks big,” Diaz said. “You keep hitting it on the green and keep making putts and all of a sudden you’re 8-, 9-, 7-under. It was one of those days that the hole looks big, you just have to keep doing that because these guys are very, very good.”
In 112 career starts on the Korn Ferry Tour, Diaz has three runner-up finishes including at the 2020 Panama Championship.
Uihlein followed up his 4-under first round with a matching 67 in Friday’s second round. Uihlein carded a bogey-free round – one of only five on the course on Friday – and had a relatively uneventful day and then came his 18th hole — the par-4 ninth.
Uihlein hooked his tee shot through a grove of trees where it came to rest behind a line of staged carts. Instead of opting for the free relief, Uihlein hit his approach shot directly over the carts to 50 yards short of the green before making a five-foot par save.
“My relief would have been basically behind the tree on the right, but I figured the lie was okay and I had a line on it,” laughed Uihlein. “I pulled it a bit, I was trying to hit it a little further right than where it ended up, but I figured as long as I got it airborne I was going to carry it…I’d be lying if I said I’d never done it, I’m sure I’ve done it through the years. I’ll scare an odd ball every now and then and hit in some weird spots.”
Diaz and Uihlein lead three players by two strokes entering Saturday’s third round. Tee times will run from 7:40 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. on Saturday off of the first tee.