RIO DE JANEIRO – Willy Pumarol holds sole possession of the lead midway through the second round at the 70th ECP Brazil Open after carding a 6-under 65 at the Rio Olympic Golf Course on Friday. Four players sit T2 at 12-under, with first-round co-leader George Markham left to finish. The second round was suspended due to darkness at 5:27 p.m., with 39 players left to finish.

Pumarol leads the field in birdies made midway through the second round with 15. The lone Dominican in the field followed up his opening round 7-under 64 with a bogey free 6-under 65.

After starting the 2024 season without status on a PGA TOUR-sanctioned circuit, Pumarol earned exempt status for the 2024 PGA TOUR Americas North America Swing. Pumarol finished No. 100 in the 2024 Fortinet Cup to retain conditional status for the 2025 Latin America Swing. In 10 starts last season, Pumarol made five cuts, highlighted by a solo 11th at the ATB Classic.

Last week, Pumarol finished 60th in the season opening 93 Abierto Telecom del Centro presentado por Zurich. This week marks PGA TOUR-sanctioned start No. 128 for Pumarol, who began his professional career in 2011 after playing collegiately at Barry University in Miami, Florida.

Second-round play will resume Saturday at 7 a.m., with the third-round tee times expected to run from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. off the Nos. 1 and 10 tees.

Charting the leader

About Willy Pumarol (first/-13)

 

• Made five cuts in 10 starts on PGA TOUR Americas in 2024, highlighted by a solo 11th finish at the ATB Classic
• Finished No. 100 in the 2024 Fortinet Cup to retain conditional membership for the 2025 Latin America Swing
• Leads the field in birdies made at the 70th ECP Brazil Open through two rounds, with 15
• Finished T32 at the 63rd ECP Brazil Open in 2016, the first year the tournament was held at the Rio Olympic Golf Course
• Best career finish came on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, at the 2019 Puerto Plata Open (T3)
• Practices out of Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando, Florida

Competition notes

Course Setup: Par 71; 7,163 yards; R2 average: 69.13

Weather: Cloudy with a high of 85, wind from the east at eight mph with gusts up to 13 mph

• Three countries are represented in the top five and ties: United States (three), Canada (one) and the Dominican Republic (one)
• Willy Pumarol (Dominican Republic) is the solo leader and low Latin after carding a 6-under 65 in the second round to get to 13-under; also leads the field in birdies made, with 15
• Making his third PGA TOUR-sanctioned start of 2025 and first career PGA TOUR Americas start, Brazil native Fred Biondi is T54 through 12 holes in the second round
• Toronto, Ontario, native Drew Nesbitt (T2/-12) is the low Canadian midway through the second round after back-to-back round of 6-under 65
• First round co-leaders Maxwell Moldovan and George Markham are T2 through Friday
• Hole No. 4, the 192-yard par 3, is playing as the toughest hole on the course midway through the second round, playing +0.340 strokes over par.