Brendon de Jonge matches Rory McIlroy’s course-record 62 after 80 at Quail Hollow

Brendon de Jonge figured he would need a tee time elsewhere in town this weekend after shooting an opening-round 8-over 80 at Quail Hollow on Thursday. Turns out, however, the Charlotte resident will be playing Saturday in the Wells Fargo Championship after all, following his course-record-matching 62 on Friday.

“I had absolutely nothing to lose starting out this morning,” de Jonge told Randall Mell after firing a flawless round that included eight birdies and an eagle-2 on the 14th hole. “I knew it was going to take a wonderful round just to play the weekend, so it was a little bit easier to relax and be a little bit more aggressive out there.”

His change of strategy certainly worked, as de Jonge tied the final-round number Rory McIlroy put up on his way to winning the 2010 tournament.

“I wish I could go into every round with that kind of a mind set,” he told Helen Ross, “but it’s easier said than done.”

It was quite a turn-around from a day earlier, when de Jonge posted no score under par.

The 18-stroke discrepancy put the 33-year-old from Zimbabwe at 2-under and just seven shots back of 36-hole co-leaders Martin Flores and Angel Cabrera. It was also the largest improvement from round one to round two since Kevin Stadler fired a 61 after an 81 at the 2008 Frys.com Open, according to Ross.

In the round he’ll delight in remembering, De Jonge hit 11 of 14 fairways, 13 greens, and needed just 22 putts, according to Mell.

As for the guy who now shares the course record with de Jonge, well, it was a different McIlroy from the one who shot a 69 on Thursday. Three birdies were not enough to overcome three bogeys and two doubles for the Ulsterman, who scuffled in with a 76 to sit directly on the projected cut line at 1-over.