The top of the leaderboard is getting mighty congested at the Puerto Rico Open presented by SeePuertoRico.com. Kevin Stadler, Daniel Summerhays and Matt Jones are tied for the lead at 11 under through 14, 13 and 12 holes respectively. Stadler and Summerhays are each 5 under on their third rounds while Jones, the 36-hole leader, is even. One back and in the clubhouse is Scott Brown, whose 7-under 65 moved him inside the top five on the leaderboard. Also at 10 under are Henrik Stenson (through 15 holes) and George McNeill (through 12 holes). The group at 8 under includes Ryo Ishikawa (through 12), Graham DeLaet (through 15) and Ben Curtis (F).

By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM

LA QUINTA, Calif. -- Q-school has plenty of pressure all on its own. Add in winds consistently in the 20-25 mph range -- with gusts as high as 50 -- and scoring has taken on a whole new meaning here in the second round. Case in point: As of this moment, only nine players have recorded rounds in the 60s. Seven more players failed to break 80, including Brendan Pappas, who shot 86 -- currently the highest score in the books Thursday.

As for the leaderboard, there’s still a long way to go here in the second of six rounds at PGA West. Matt Jones, however, was one of those players to break 70, carding a 68 on the Stadium Course to earn a share of the lead at 9 under. Harris English and Will Claxton are also 9 under, but they are still on the golf course.

Some other notable names in the top 25 on the leaderboard: Billy Hurley III, Vaughn Taylor, Jeff Maggert, Dean Wilson, Bob Estes, Troy Merritt, Adam Hadwin and Sam Saunders.

Matt Jones came into the Frys.com Open ranked 123rd on the PGA TOUR's money list. He'll need to stay inside the top 125 through the end of the Fall Series in order to secure his TOUR card for 2012.

With that kind of motivation, maybe it's no surprise that Jones got off to a good start Thursday, shooting an opening 3-under 68 to put himself among the leaders.

After his round, though, the Australian remained cautious. After all, he started last week's event in Las Vegas with a 65 but shot 75 the next day and failed to make the cut at TPC Summerlin.

"If I do what I know I can do, it won't be any problem," Jones said about keeping his TOUR status. "It's just a matter of me putting two rounds and then four rounds together. Last week I got off to a great start and then had a tough second day, so just have to come out here tomorrow and play well and see what happens."

It's been a strange year for Jones. After finishing tied for 19th at THE PLAYERS Championship in May, he ranked 73rd on the money list and seemingly had plenty of momentum with three consecutive top-25 finishes.

But in his 10 starts since then, he's missed nine cuts. His only made cut was a tie for 25th at the Reno-Tahoe Open.

"I've played terrible after THE PLAYERS," Jones said. "I think I missed every cut, maybe made one. And to still be top 125 right now is good, but it also tells you that you shouldn't be in this situation right now either.

"But three weeks left to do well and go from there."

Before Jhonattan Vegas, William McGirt, Hunter Haas and anyone else inside the current top 10 took the course Thursday, the guys listed below were your leaders. The majority of the 10 listed below are fighting for spots inside the top 125 on the money list. Below are the players who posted scores of 65 or better in Round 1 that have afternoon tee times Friday. Track them all afternoon to see who can string together back-to-back good rounds at TPC Summerlin and regain their position near the top of the leaderboard.

Player Money rank Score Tee time Starting hole Shot Tracker Nathan Green 178th 7 under 3:17 p.m. ET No. 10 Click to follow Steve Flesch 122nd 6 under 2:39 p.m. ET No. 1 Click to follow Matt Jones 121st 6 under 2:49 p.m. ET No. 10 Click to follow Rod Pampling 119th 6 under 2:49 p.m. ET No. 1 Click to follow Harrison Frazar 64th 6 under 2:58 p.m. ET No. 10 Click to follow Nick Watney 3rd 6 under 2:58 p.m. ET No. 1 Click to follow Derek Lamely 194th 6 under 3:17 p.m. ET No. 10 Click to follow Vaughn Taylor 148th 6 under 3:17 p.m. ET No. 1 Click to follow Blake Adams 82nd 6 under 3:46 p.m. ET No. 10 Click to follow Garrett Willis 141st 6 under 3:46 p.m. ET No. 10 Click to follow

Jhonattan Vegas and William McGirt, two PGA TOUR rookies, find themselves atop the leaderboard after the first round of the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. Vegas, who won early this season at the Bob Hope Classic after finishing No. 7 on the 2010 Nationwide Tour money list, is one of six rookie winners on the PGA TOUR this season. McGirt, a 2010 q-school graduate, hit his stride late in the season as he escaped the FedExCup bubble to qualify for The Barclays and the Deutsche Bank Championship. Nathan Green, who held the lead for much of the afternoon, ended up one shot off the pace. Charlie Wi birdied two of his last three holes to get to 7 under and tie Green for third place. There are 11 golfers (including Nick Watney, Steve Flesch, Matt Jones and Tim Herron) tied at 6 under, two shots off the pace. Click below to see some of the best shots from Thursday's opening round at TPC Summerlin.

By Chris Dunham, PGATOUR.COM His putter may have still been asleep for the early parts of Matt Jones’ opening round at TPC Summerlin but the rest of his game was on from start to finish. Jones teed off at 7:19 local time and pared his first eight holes, missing a number of birdie looks including two inside 10 feet, before rolling to a 6-under 65 at TPC Summerlin. That mark places him in a nine-way tie for second, one shot behind leader Nathan Green. “First nine, score-wise, I hit it unbelievably but didn’t make a putt on the front nine,” Jones said. “I hit it the same on the back nine, made a few putts and ended up with a good score.” Jones was bogey free in his opening round, only needing to scramble on two holes. One of those was a highly unlikely par save. The 31-year old Aussie got up-and-down from 99 yards out (making a 3-foot putt) on the par-4 3rd to stay at even par early in his round. How well was Jones striking it Thursday? His six birdie putts totaled less than 50 feet in length (around 8 ft. per putt). “I hit it very good today,” Jones said. “Been working hard with my coach. Actually went back home to Australia for three weeks and it was probably the hardest I've worked on my game for a long time. (I) brought him back over here and it’s starting to pay off.” Jones has made nine cuts in 21 starts this season with his best finish a tie for 6th at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. He’s missed eight of nine cuts entering the Fall Series. Jones, a 2007 Nationwide Tour graduate, has the dubious honor of being the only player to be knocked out of the top 125 on the TOUR’s money list in two Fall Series (2008, 2009). Entering this Fall Series at No. 121 this season, he must play well to avoid the same fate a third time. “It’s not where I want to be,” he said. “But I have four events to get a win and then we’ll go from there.”

At first it looked like Steve Flesch would go low at TPC Summerlin. Then, if only for a brief couple holes, Billy Mayfair was on 59 watch. With much of the morning wave on its back nine now, the leaderboard is shaping up much like a 2010 Thursday leaderboard that featured five players tied for the 18-hole lead at 7 under and five others one shot off the pace. Currently, there are eight players -- Flesch, John Merrick, Matt Jones, Rod Pampling, Nick Watney, Robert Garrigus, Nathan Green and Paul Stankowski -- tied atop the leaderboard at 5 under with six checking in one shot off the pace at 4 under. Much can, and will, change between now and tonight’s conclusion of play but early indications are that tonight’s leaderboard may be just as packed, if not more crowded, than last year’s.

On Friday afternoon at the Wyndham Championship, the suspense isn’t as much at the top of the leaderboard as it is on the cut line.

Tommy Gainey hasn’t moved from the top spot all day after his morning 65, which moved him to 12 under for the week. Ernie Els is making a late run, at 10 under with one hole to play, but more than likely “Two Gloves” will lead going into Saturday.

But it’s who might not play at all Saturday that is interesting. The cut has been fluctuating between 3 under and 2 under, and if 3 under wins out some players’ hopes for the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup will be dashed. Take Matt Jones – he was No. 122 coming into the week but is currently projected at No. 127. Missing the cut, of course, won’t allow him to gain any ground so he’d be out of the Playoffs (the top 125 qualify for The Barclays, the first Playoffs event).

Billy Mayfair is also at 2 under and projects to No. 119, down from the No. 113 spot he claimed before the Wyndham began. He may turn out to be safe for the Playoffs, but it would make for a nervous weekend if all he can do is watch the scoreboard and not play.

Vaughn Taylor is always happy to be back in Reno. The two-time Reno-Tahoe Open champion (2004, ‘05) is off to another good start at Montreux Golf and Country Club, sitting at 4 under through 14 holes in a bogey-free round so far.

The pace is being set at 5 under right now, with Nick O’Hern, Chris Riley and Dean Wilson at that mark. Wilson, in particular, could use a good week to solidify his date with the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup. He’s 123rd in points.

If you’re wondering about the cutoff man at No. 125, that’s Australian Matt Jones. He’s 1 over through 10 holes in Reno.

By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Before the horn blew Saturday afternoon, six players were fortunate to finish the third round. Of course they were only able to do so because they were well off the lead and had an early tee time.

Of those already in the clubhouse, Aussie Matt Jones had the best round, a 3-under 69, to jump 22 spots on the leaderboard and into a tie for 38th at the moment.

Zach Johnson also finished his round, shooting a second straight 70, while Scott Verplank and Carl Pettersson each shot 71.

Last year’s Kodak Challenge winner Troy Merritt shot 73, while Kevin Chappell, who got into the tournament when Jeff Maggert withdrew with an injury, struggled to an 80.