Hoffmann alone in front in Utah
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Morgan Hoffmann posted a 4-under 67 on Friday to take sole possession of the lead at the midway point of the Utah Championship.
Hoffmann, a first-round co-leader, finished 36 holes at 11-under 131 and is one stroke clear at Willow Creek Country Club.
Tyrone van Aswegen fired a 9-under 62 and is tied for second place with first- round co-leader Doug LaBelle II (68) and Andres Gonzales (66). The trio came in at minus-10.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Trevor Murphy also fired a 9-under 62 on Friday. He vaulted up 91 spots on the leaderboard and now shares fifth place with Michael Putnam, who shot a 5-under 66. That pair is at 9-under par.
Hoffmann began Friday's second round on the 10th tee and promptly birdied two of his first three holes, both par 5s. He added a birdie at the par-4 14th and parred out to make the turn at 10-under par for the championship.
Hoffmann took first on his own with a birdie at the par-3 second, and two holes later, he reached 12-under par. Hoffmann parred three in a row and seemed destined to have at least a 2-shot lead, but a miscue at the eighth led to a bogey.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Hoffmann still had a one-stroke cushion and parred No. 9 to take his first second-round lead on the Nationwide Tour.
The final first-round co-leader, Brad Fritsch, only managed a 1-under 70 and is tied for seventh with Lee Williams (66), Brian Stuard (65), James Hahn (66), Michael Letzig (66), Scott Gutschewski (67) and James Love (68). The group came in at 8-under 134.
NOTES: Hoffmann is winless on the Web.com Tour, but tied for fourth two weeks ago at the United Leasing Championship...The 36-hole cut fell at 3-under 139 and Luke List, Hudson Swafford and Cameron Percy, all in the top 10 on the tour's money list, missed the cut.