LOS CABOS, Mexico — Marty Schmid holed a 30-foot eagle putt from about 6 feet at 6-under on Friday at the World Skills Championship, giving the German a 9-under 63 and a one-shot lead.
Nick Dunlap, who tied the course record with a first-round 61, kept pace and was one shot ahead of Schmid until his tee shot went out of bounds on the 16th hole, the par-4 seventh, resulting in a double bogey. He finished with a two-par 67, one shot behind.
Finland’s Sami Välimäki, who also shot a 61 in the first round, birdied three of his final five holes for a 67 and joined Dunlap one shot behind at El Cardonal in Diamante.
There are just three races left in the season, including one in the southern tip of Baja California. The top 100 players in the FedExCup (down from 125 in previous years) will retain full PGA Tour eligibility for next season.
That’s not a problem for Schmid, who is ranked 70th this week. His hope is to finish in the top 60 and earn a spot in two $20 million signature events starting next year.
“We all know how big these courts are and the extra points you can get on them, and I want to play on the best courts against the best players,” Schmid said. “Obviously, that’s the goal for the fall season. You need to have a really good week and hopefully that’s mine.”
Schmid, a 27-year-old German who played college golf at Louisville, is at least in good position heading into the weekend.
He started on No. 10, and a curling eagle putt on the par-5 18th left him out at 29. He had just two birdies on the front nine, both on par 5s, and shot 63.
His score was 17-under 127.
Dunlap is well outside the top 100, but two of his wins from last year will be exempt in 2026, including the American Express he won as an amateur while still at Alabama. After shooting 61, he made three consecutive birdies and finally exited with 30 shots.
But he missed a brief birdie opportunity and then a wild shot cost him two shots on the seventh hole.
“I just hit it right and it was the only bad swing I had off the tee all week,” Dunlap said. “This place gives you a lot of room to tee off, but if you miss it, you’re going to pay for it.”
Valimaki entered the week ranked 103rd, although he has at least a spot on next year’s European Tour. He would rather get more money and ranking points on the PGA Tour, so this is a big month for him.
Chad Ramey, No. 123 in the FedEx Cup, shot a 64 and was alone in fourth place. He was followed by Victor Perez (No. 107), who shot another 65 to finish at 14-under 130, tied with Ryder Cup rookie Ben Griffin, who opened with a 65-65 record.
Making the cut at 5-under 139, Will Gordon made sure he entered the weekend in spectacular fashion. After a triple bogey on the 13th hole, he was off the tangent line, responded with a birdie on the 14th hole, and holed out from the fairway for an eagle on the 17th hole. He made it with two shots left after shooting 69.
