IVINS, Utah – Defending champion Matt McCarty found another gear on Friday morning at the Bank of Utah Championship, firing a bogey-free, 7-under 28 to kick off his second round at Black Desert Resort.

The 27-year-old, who teed off on No. 10, opened with back-to-back birdies and a par before unleashing four straight birdies and moving into the lead. He finished the nine with a par and one more birdie to make the turn at 9-under for the tournament and briefly held a three-shot lead. McCarty lost steam coming in with a 1-over 37. He signed for a second-round 65, good for an 8-under and T2 position when he walked off the course.

His Friday morning performance marked the second time in 12 days that McCarty has broken 30 for nine holes: He posted a 29 on his back nine on the final day of the Baycurrent Classic on Oct. 12, making eight straight birdies on Nos. 10-17 before a bogey on 18. His final-round 60 marked the low round of the day and vaulted him to a T14 finish.

So, how does it feel to go that low?

"It feels really easy honestly," said McCarty regarding his two recent sub-30 performances. "Golf doesn't feel that easy all the time. Yeah, just flowing and just kind of not really thinking about much. Just playing golf, and the ball just seemed to find the bottom of the hole a little bit easier."

McCarty, currently ranked No. 58 in the OWGR and 84th in the FedExCup Fall, has made 16 cuts in 25 starts this season with two top-10 finishes, including a season-best T4 at the RBC Canadian Open. The Arizona native opened his title defense with a 69 on Thursday, four shots behind the first-round leaders.