DETROIT _ Nate Lashley wasn't guaranteed a spot in the Rocket Mortgage Classic. As third alternate, Lashley needed positions in the field to open up, and when one did, he seized the opportunity.
Lashley, a 36-year-old Nebraska native and Arizona resident who earned didn't earn his PGA Tour card until 2017, held serve atop the leaderboard on Friday by carding a 5-under-par 67 to get to 14-under 130 at Detroit Golf Club. He leads Cameron Champ by one stroke entering the weekend.
"It's nice to have one of these weeks where you're at a course you can score on," said Lashley, who has one top-10 finish in his career. "You play well, you get rewarded."
Lashley beat up the 1916 Donald Ross course while PGA Tour stars Gary Woodland, Dustin Johnson and Bubba Watson missed the cut.
Lashley missed the Travelers Championship last week as first alternate, but expected to play at the Detroit Golf Club when he learned of multiple withdrawals early in the week, and officially found out he'd gotten into the field Wednesday morning.
His 9 under led the first day, but his Friday afternoon tee time put a few golfers ahead of him.
"I knew going into today there'd be a lot of guys past me, I knew that," Lashley said. "I just wanted to go out today and play well."
That was only momentarily, as Lashley _ starting on the back nine _ took the lead late in the day with a birdie on the par-5 seventh hole. Although the crowd following him was small, they erupted with mighty cheers.
"Playing like this, it's going to be tough not to come back," Lashley said. "I'm enjoying the course."
Ranked No. 132 in the FedEx Cup standings and No. 353 in the world, Lashley hopes to advance in the standings and garner attention for invitations to tournaments.
"The way I'm playing, I feel like I should be out here every week," Lashley said.
