U.S. Open winner J.J. Spaun is contending at Charles Schwab Challenge

FORT WORTH — No Jordan Spieth at the 80th Charles Schwab Challenge, but there is a Jordan Smith, and the 33-year-old from England surged into the second-round lead on a humid Friday afternoon at Colonial Country Club.

Spieth and Scottie Scheffler are taking a break from a highly congested PGA Tour spring schedule. They are missing a Colonial course that is yielding low scores at a historic rate.

The cut at 2 under ties the record set in 2010. 

Smith had a blistering start, eagling the par-5 No. 1 by knocking a 258-yard 5-wood to within 6 feet.

“I thought it was going to come up short in the bunker, but just covered it and got a nice bounce,’’ Smith said. “You need that luck.’’

A birdie at the par-3 No. 16 gave Smith the solo lead for the second time after his lone bogey of the tournament on No. 14 when mud on his ball produced a missed approach to the right.

“Right of that pin and green is just dead,’’ Smith said.

 “It’s going to be a new experience for us out here leading for the first time,’’ said Smith, who is playing often with the goal of keeping his card. “ I’m excited. Just going to stick to what I’ve been doing the last two days and enjoy it.’’

Four players are tied for second, headed by former Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama.  He is joined at 9 under by Michael Thorbjornsen, Brian Harman and Ryan Gerard.

 “Once I’m in the fairway, I feel like I can score,’’ said Matsuyama, who has two top-10 finishes in 2026. “It hasn’t been that good recently but today it was, so everything came together.’’

 The 24-year-old Thorbjornsen, nicknamed Thunder Cub, attended Stanford and lives in Wellesley, Mass.

After missing some crucial putts in his second round at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson last week that could have helped him avoid the cut, Thorbjornsen decided it was time for a new flat stick.

“I needed something different. It’s a new grip, it’s a new kind of hosel and it’s a new face as well. It’s the putter that I basically used in college. I feel like I have more feel just being a smaller grip. I feel like that helps a lot just with pace and speed, especially on those 8-footers.’’

 J.J. Spaun can identify. The relationship with his putter is not always a happy one, either. The 2025 U.S. Open champion said he found himself “resenting’’ his putter in the middle of a round.

“That’s been my only issue all year,’’ he said after following up an opening round 64 on Thursday with a 68 on Friday and a tie for sixth at 8 under.

“My ball striking’s been pretty solid. The weeks that I putt slightly better than average, I contend.’’

Spaun’s answer was a putter change.

“It’s nice to see the switch was a good change these first two rounds and hopefully keep it going this week, next week and into the U.S. Open.’’

In Friday’s round, Spaun turned in 4 under on his opening nine but his threesome was put on the clock early on his second nine.

“Just kind of lost focus and tried to rush a lot.’’ The result was two shots lost to par.”

Spaun finished sixth last year at the Challenge and was part of a six-way tie for first after a 6-under 64 in the  opening round.

Akshay Bhatia is in a group of five at 8 under with a second-round 65, but afterward the 24-year-old, three-time PGA Tour winner was lamenting a lack of accuracy with his driver. He hit six of 14 fairways and is at 54% for 36 holes.

“I worked so hard last week, I probably hit 300 drivers just trying to get it dialed in or what feels like a better miss,” he said. “On the range I can hit it very solid and hit the same shape. Then once I’m on the course I’m struggling with it. I don’t feel I’m scared or anything. Subconsciously something is going on.’’

Notable: Dallas’ Mac Meissner birdied his final two holes Friday to climb into a tie for 11th at 7 under. … Rickie Fowler moved into contention after carding a 4-under 31 on holes 10-18. But it was a different story on his final nine. Fowler made five bogeys and a double bogey on his finishing hole, No. 9, to miss the cut at 3 over. … TCU alum Tom Hoge advanced to 5 under with a volatile round of 67 that included seven birdies and four bogeys. … Plano’s Pierceson Coody holed an 89-yard approach shot for an eagle at No. 15 and made the cut on the number. … Dallas’ Tom Kim, tied for the lead after Day 1, slid to a 72 on Friday and is 4 under, tied with former SMU product Austin Smotherman and defending champion Ben Griffin.