Minnesota native Derek Hitcher took a three-stroke lead at the CRMC Championship presented by Northern Pacific Center after carding a 9-under 62 in the second round. Hitchner has played his first 36-holes at Cragun’s Legacy Course bogey-free and is T1 in birdies made with 17.

Thomas Ponder and first-round leader Grant Booth trail Hitchner at 14-under and sit at T2 after 36-holes.

Hitchner entered the week at No. 61 in the Fortinet Cup, and had missed five cuts in his last six starts before taking sole possession of the 36-hole lead. Hitchner’s 9-under 62 on Friday, which included a 6-under 29 on the back nine, is his new low-round of the season, and ties his career-low round from the second round of the 2023 Fortinet Cup Championship.

Hitchner is making his third start at the CRMC Championship presented by Northern Pacific Center. The Minneapolis native’s best finish in Brainerd came in 2023, where he finished T34. Hitchner played collegiately at Pepperdine University and was named the Minnesota Golf Association Player of the Year in 2021.

Eighty-one players made the cut at 6-under or better, with 111 players carding sub-70 rounds. Third round tee times are expected to run from 7:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. in twosomes off the No. 1 tee, with Hitchner and Ponder making up the final group.