BRAINERD, Minn. – Tying a career-low with his opening-round 63 to begin the 2025 CRMC Championship presented by Northern Pacific Center on Thursday, Minnesotan Derek Hitchner did one better during his second round by shooting a 9-under 62 to take a three-stroke lead.
With just three events remaining on the 2025 PGA Tour Americas calendar, Hitchner puts himself in position for the first victory of his career and a chance to move near the top-10 of the Fortinet Cup standings, which would earn him a promotion to the Korn Ferry Tour next season.
“I feel like I’ve been gradually building a better foundation of trusting what I’m doing,” said Hitchner, who entered the week missing cuts at five of his last six starts. “It’s been a pretty long journey because I haven’t played very well this year, but feeling increasingly confident. Trying to stay as faithful as I can to what I’m working on through those disappointments. I appreciate when it starts turning around because it can happen fast.
“The primary feeling is excitement—it’s awesome to be in this position. Somewhat surprised, but golf is so fickle; there’ll be moments where I feel like I will retire soon, and others where I feel like I can actually play for a living. Those can be three swings apart.”
After carding three birdies on his front side Friday to reach 11-under for the championship, Hitchner got a boost from his putter over the final nine holes, converting six birdie chances to post a career-low 62 to take a three-stroke lead at 17-under 125 over Thomas Potter and first-round leader Grant Booth, thanks to 36 holes of bogey-free golf.
“Today felt like it was pretty steady across the board,” Hitchner said. “I didn’t necessarily feel extremely stable early on—had a few up-and-downs and chipped in on seven and that felt like that catalyzed some better play moving forward. Thankfully, the putts were going in on the back nine.”
Hitchner has made 16 cuts in 28 starts this season, with his best finish coming back in May at the Inter Rapidisimo Golf Championship, where he placed seventh. More recently, the former Pepperdine University golfer finished tied for 14th two weeks ago at the BioSteel Championship.
Entering the week ranked 61st in the Fortinet Cup standings, Hitchner could jump 50 spots, just outside the top-10 threshold for obtaining Korn Ferry status in 2026.
Carding his second consecutive round of 7-under 64 Friday, Ponder will begin his third round three shots behind Hitchner, also moving in position for his first career victory.
“Feeling good, feeling refreshed and finally starting to play some really good golf. I’m excited to have this opportunity to win a golf tournament. It’s why we’re all here,” said Ponder, who has made just one cut in his last six starts. “You test yourself every week and see what you’re made of.
“Week-to-week I’m trying to continually get better, whether I make the cut or I’m in contention. There are definitely weeks where I learn more about myself than others, this past week being one of them, and I’m stoked to build off of that.”
Potter, a former University of Alabama golfer, carded three birdies over his first nine holes Friday before finishing with a flurry, converting four birdie chances over his final five holes to earn a share of second, searching for his second top-10 finish over the past three weeks.
Booth, who carded a bogey-free 63 to take the early lead Thursday, tallied four birdies against one bogey during his front nine Friday to reach 12-under for the championship, but couldn’t sustain momentum over his inward nine, carding a pair of birdies at the 14th and 16th to post a second round 66.
Americans Chase Sienkiewicz and John Marshall Butler will begin Saturday’s third round four shots out of the lead, sharing fourth place at 13-under 129.
A 7-under 64 during Friday’s second round helped Gunnar Broin to move up 38 spots on the leaderboard into a share of 13th place with Carson Herron to lead local players at the championship this week.
Broin and Herron, both former Minnetonka High School standouts, will enter Saturday’s third round seven shots off the lead at 10-under 132.
Andrew Israelson, a Staples, Minn., native, began the championship with a round of 7-under 64 Thursday before carding a 1-under 70 during Friday’s second round to sit nine shots back of the lead at 8-under 134.
The third round of the 2025 CRMC Championship will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday at Cragun’s Legacy Courses.