Merritt, 38, has only missed the cut here once in the previous five Rockets, the first year in 2019.

His 64 on Friday tied Bhatia for the low round of the tournament.

"I'm very comfortable on this golf course," Merritt said. "I mean, it's not a long course, which is nice out here. I can hit driver everywhere if I want, or you can dial it back and hit 3 woods or long irons off the tee. But it's just a place that you have to go make birdies. So you hit the driver down there, whether you're in the fairway or the rough, you can give yourself a lot of birdie looks out here with wedges.

"It's just one of those places that, even if I don't feel like I have it coming in, I know I can find it when I get in here."

Merritt made bogey on his opening hole Friday, the 10th, but got it right back with birdie at the 11th, then made eagle at the par-5 14th, where he hit a 3 wood to 21 feet and made the putt coming down the slope.

In a 10-hole stretch starting with that eagle, Merritt was 10 under, including two runs of three consecutive birdies. A bogey at the par-4 sixth stunted some momentum, but he got it right back with birdie at the par-5 seventh.

And, so, here he is, back in the hunt in Detroit again, looking for a third PGA Tour win, and first since 2018.

He's had his struggles lately, with just one top 10 and eight missed cuts this season. But as his cousin knows, fortunes can turn around here in Detroit, and quickly.

"She got me some more Detroit Mercy swag," said Merritt, an Idaho native, who met his wife when they were both at Boise State. She was a gymnast. "So we'll be rocking the Titans gear out in Idaho. We're the only ones. Gotta try to get two more followers."

Ship it

...continued

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