Updated at 12.15
THE IRISH CONTINGENT are going well at the BMW Championship in Wilmington, with Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry in contention.
McIlroy’s second consecutive round of 68 has him two off the lead, which is held by Australia’s Adam Scott. Scott is eight-under, having followed up a sizzling 65 with a round of 69 today.
McIlroy is among those on six-under, tied for sixth after two birdies and five birdies today. The blots on his copybook came on the second and 14th, going low on holes number three, six, eight, 15 and 18.
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Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay, Cam Davis and Scott Stallings are tied with the Holywood man after the second round.
Lowry is a shot back, tied for 11th after a strong putting even-par round.
The Offaly man got off the mark with a superb 66 yesterday, and a bogey on the second and birdie on the third cancelled one another out today.
Seamus Power isn’t far off: his round of 68 means he’s three-under, tied for 23.
Scott, the 2013 Masters champion, said: “I’m in great shape going into the weekend. I don’t even know when the last time I led a tournament was.”
World number one Scottie Scheffler, the reigning Masters champion, and fellow Americans Cameron Young and Jordan Spieth shared second on 135 with Canada’s Corey Conners.
The event is the second of three FedEx Cup playoff tournaments with the top 30 on season points after Sunday advancing to next week’s season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta.
Scott, who has qualified for all 16 editions of the playoffs, is set to jump into to third in points from 45th and reach Atlanta for the first time since 2019.
“As much as I want to make it to the Tour Championship I’d love to win the BMW Championship first,” he said.
The Aussie sank a birdie putt at the opening hole from just inside nine feet and added 22-foot birdie putts at the fourth and sixth holes.
Scott, whose most recent PGA triumph came in 2020 at Riviera, added a birdie putt from just outside five feet at the par-5 12th but his tee shot at 17 landed behind a tree. He blasted into nearby rough then missed the green on his way to a double bogey.
“A poor shot on 17 was quite costly,” Scott said. “It’s a good reminder for the weekend that I’ve really got to keep it under control.
“But I kept it in position really well all day, had so many good looks and was cruising there for a while.”
Spieth matched Scott with an 18-foot biride putt at the 17th before missing the 18th green and closing with his lone bogey to shoot 67.
“Managed my way around the golf course really well,” Spieth said. “Two bogeys for the two rounds allows me to settle in and not feel like I have to force anything.”
Scheffler opened with three birdies, all on putts inside five feet, on his way to a 67.
“I got off to a really good start. After that it was pretty mediocre,” Scheffler said. “Overall, I’m pleased with the round.”
Young had seven birdies and four bogeys to shoot 68.
“It was a little bit messy,” Young said. “There was a lot of potential to shoot something a lot lower, but just was a little bit clumsy around the greens.”
Conners answered his lone bogey at 16 with a closing nine-foot birdie putt to shoot 67.
“I’m striking the ball well,” said Conners. “Feel good about the game going into the weekend.”
- McIlroy’s revenge at 15 -
McIlroy dropped his tee shot within four feet of the cup to set up a birdie at the par-3 15th, the same hole where he suffered a nightmare triple bogey on Thursday.
“Coming off the golf course a lot happier than I was last night. Really happy with how I played. I bounced back well,” McIlroy said.
“That was nice to make two there (at 15). The chip in on the last was really nice too.”
American Keegan Bradley, the 18-hole leader and 2018 BMW winner, fired a 74 to stand on 138.
Cup points leader Will Zalatoris, this year’s PGA Championship and US Open runner-up, was on 139 after a 69.
Additional reporting by AFP
