MJ Daffue, Anders Albertson share 36-hole lead at Visit Knoxville Open

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee – MJ Daffue, a native of Pretoria, South Africa, joined Anders Albertson atop the leaderboard Friday evening upon suspension of the second round of the Visit Knoxville Open. Albertson followed Thursday’s 8-under 62 with a 3-under 67 Friday, while Daffue followed a 6-under 64 with a 5-under 65. The co-leaders hold a two-stroke edge over a trio of players at 9-under par.

The second round was suspended for just under two hours (4:26 p.m. through 6:25 p.m.) due to lightning before its suspension for the day due to darkness at 8:42 p.m. With five players still playing their second round, the 36-hole cut will be made Saturday morning. The second round will resume at 7:45 a.m. ET, with the cut line and third-round groupings being determined upon its conclusion.

Both Albertson and Daffue only had one bogey apiece in the second round, as both bogeyed the par-3 11th. The co-leaders both have 12 birdies through two rounds, tied for most in the field among those who completed their second round, with the only other player boasting a dozen birdies being Akshay Bhatia, who won the season-opening The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay.

Albertson, a 28-year-old who plays from Atlanta, Georgia, opened his second round with consecutive birdies at the par-4 first and second and closed with two more at the par-4 15th and par-5 18th. Albertson also birdied Nos. 1, 2, and 15 in Thursday’s opening round.

"I played consistently today,” Albertson said. “I think the biggest difference is that the greens were so fast yesterday afternoon, and then today I struggled with the speed to make putts. I hit 16 or 17 greens, so I had a lot of looks but I just didn't make as many putts, but that's going to happen sometimes. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be playing in the afternoon, because I had it dialed in yesterday and would like to fall back on that speed."

Albertson is back with the Korn Ferry Tour for the second consecutive season after he played the 2018-19 campaign on the PGA TOUR. The Georgia Tech alum finished No. 8 on the 2018 Korn Ferry Tour Regular Season Points List and earned his first PGA TOUR card, but finished 172nd the 2018-19 FedExCup Standings and fell back to the Korn Ferry Tour. In the combined 2020-21 season, Albertson finished No. 64 on the Korn Ferry Tour Regular Season Points List, granting him fully exempt status for the 2022 season.

In eight Korn Ferry Tour starts this year, Albertson has six made cuts, highlighted by a T4 at the inaugural Lake Charles Championship.

“If I win a tournament, I win, and if I don't, I don't,” said Albertson, whose only previous 36-hole lead on the Korn Ferry Tour was at the 2021 Veritex Bank Championship, where he was T1 through the second round and finished T20. “In the past I've thought in a way that made it difficult for me to play my best, and I think now I'm getting out of my own way because I'm not feeling all the extra stuff that comes with what every shot means.

“I just play the shot in front of me as freely as I can and stay kind to myself afterwards if it doesn't go well."

Daffue entered the day two strokes behind Albertson and pulled even with the 18-hole leader as he played his last six holes at 5-under par, highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 fifth.

“I've been hitting the ball really well this week and my proximity has been really close,” stated Daffue, who also made birdies at Nos. 18, 4, 6, and 9. “I put a lot of work into my short game and doing certain drills to work speed with my putter. I'm putting it together with eight birdies yesterday, then four birdies and an eagle today. I'm trying to not get ahead of myself and hit the middle of the green then move forward."

Daffue turned professional out of Lamar University in 2012, but struggled to obtain status for the first seven years of his career. Daffue finished T138 at Final Stage of the 2017 Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament, leaving him buried in the priority ranking and for the 2018 season. His first Korn Ferry Tour start came in 2019 after he successfully Monday qualified. Daffue Monday qualified into five of his 10 career Korn Ferry Tour starts prior to the 2022 season, while another three were via top-25s following a successful Monday qualifier.

Daffue returned to Final Stage of the 2021 Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament last November, but he finished T50 and missed the top 40 – which left him without guaranteed starts for the 2022 season – by a single stroke. After a battle with COVID in January, Daffue was the seventh-to-last player in the field at the season-opening The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay, where he finished T15 and positioned himself to climb the priority ranking following the reorder.

In 10 starts this season, Daffue has three top-10s, including a T2 at the LECOM Suncoast Classic back in February. If the clubhouse lead stands, it will mark Daffue’s first 36-hole lead or co-lead, and his second lead in a Korn Ferry Tour event, as he held the outright 18-hole lead at last month’s Veritex Bank Championship.

"This isn't the first time that I'm tied for the lead this season, I've been in this position quite a few times so I'm getting used to it,” Daffue said. “I'm trying to learn from my past experiences, I've seen myself be patient and today is a great example. I've learned over the past tournaments this season where I was in contention that I don't have to do anything special to win. I need to stick to my routines and stay committed and then trust in my ability."

Third-round tee times will begin at 8:45 a.m. off the first and 10th tees.