Australian veteran Adam Scott, 81st within the standings, has continued to stumble after following a powerful opening-round within the Wyndham Championship with a one-over 71 that left him eight off the tempo.
Scott probably wants a top-10 end to maneuver into rivalry for the FedEx Cup, impressing early with a five-under-par 65 on day one however then struggling on Saturday.
Fellow Australian Cameron Davis, in the meantime, went three-under par within the second spherical to take a seat five-under total and tied for twenty first.
Davis wants a high 14 end to make the highest 70 and qualify for the playoffs, which is able to see a complete of $75 million (A$115m) in prize cash handed out.
Watch each spherical of the PGA Tour LIVE & Unique on Fox Sports activities, out there on Kayo. New to Kayo? Begin your free trial now >
Brian Harman wins maiden Open | 02:39
Russell Henley, in the meantime, fired a four-under par 66 to keep up his one-stroke lead as Justin Thomas boosted his bid to make the US PGA Tour playoffs.
Henley couldn’t match the fireworks of his first-round 62 at Sedgefield Nation Membership in Greensboro, North Carolina.
However his 5 birdies and one bogey gave him a 12-under par whole of 128, one away from Billy Horschel — who signed for a 62 of his personal for 129.
“I might say simply off the tee didn’t fairly get it within the fairway fairly as a lot,” Henley mentioned of the distinction in his rounds up to now this week, including that the again 9 performed “a little bit bit harder” in drizzly situations and a modified wind.
Henley, who ended a five-year title drought along with his fourth tour victory at Mayakoba, Mexico, in November, mentioned his plan for the weekend could be to “proceed the identical issues: Simply committing to my strains, committing to what I resolve to hit off the tee and simply making the very best swing that I can.”
One factor he gained’t do is get forward of himself. He was chasing a wire-to-wire victory at Sedgefield in 2021 when a birdie on the tenth gap on Sunday had him feeling “accountable for the match.”
As an alternative he missed the six-man playoff gained by Kevin Kisner.
“It’s why I’ve obtained to play all 72 holes,” Henley mentioned.
“It’s simply arduous to do, arduous to complete it off, however I’m excited hopefully for an additional good weekend.”
Day beggars perception with INSANE birdie | 00:43
Horschel squeezed previous a quartet of gamers sharing third on 10-under 130 with a spherical that included an eagle on the eighth and 7 birdies.
Horschel, hoping to salvage a disappointing season, mentioned his recreation has been bettering in current weeks.
“There’s been a variety of constructive stuff coming, much more confidence in my means to strike the golf ball, which has been the largest difficulty all 12 months,” he mentioned.
However at 116th within the FedEx Cup playoff standings, Horschel had a mountain to climb to attempt to push his means into the highest 70 that qualify, with this week the final alternative.
“I do know I’ve to win or end solo second,” he mentioned. “If it occurs, it occurs. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.”
Former world primary Justin Thomas, who can also be attempting to muscle his means into the playoffs from 79th within the standings, went the proper course with a five-under par 65 that put him at five-under 135 heading into the weekend.
Effectively forward of them the group at 10-under featured South Korean An Byeong-hun, Canadian Adam Svensson and People Lucas Glover and Brendon Todd.
Todd had eight birdies in his seven-under 63, Glover posted a 64, Svensson carded a 67 and An — coming off a bogey-free 63 — had two eagles and a double-bogey in his 67.
“Two eagles, nonetheless 4 pictures worse than yesterday,” An mentioned.
At the moment was a little bit disappointing.
A few of the sting was relieved by a 66-foot eagle putt on the fifteenth, his sixth gap of the day, and a gap out for eagle from 94 yards out within the fairway at his closing gap, the par-four ninth.