Australian golfer Jason Day shot a three-under 67 within the second spherical of the St. Jude Championship to enhance his probabilities of qualifying for subsequent week’s BMW Championship.
On Friday, the previous world No. 1 bounced again after a forgettable opening spherical in Memphis, notching three birdies to climb to tied forty second on the standings with a complete of 1 below.
Elsewhere, Adam Scott shot a two-under 68 to complete the second spherical tied for thirty third place, whereas Min Woo Lee and Cam Davis scored 68 and 69 respectively.
Lee began with two birdies and three bogeys on the entrance 9 to slide down the leaderboard earlier than recovering with three birdies.
The 26-year-old stays susceptible to lacking the lower for the subsequent spherical of the Fed-Ex Cup Playoffs, whereas Scott and Davis want a strong remaining 36 holes to guide their spot within the BMW Championship.
Davis completed the again 9 with a bogey on Gap 18, whereas Scott’s double bogey on Gap 14 ruined what was in any other case an ideal spherical.
The 4 Australians are combating to make it to the Tour Championship and a shot on the AU $151 million prize pool.
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In the meantime, American Denny McCarthy and Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama share the lead on 11-under after the second spherical.
Regardless of combating a hip harm, McCarthy posted a high quality 7-under spherical of 63 whereas Matsuyama shot 64 to go into the weekend on prime of the leaderboard.
The 31-year-old McCarthy, who has but to win on the PGA Tour however suffered playoff defeats this 12 months and final, obtained off to a high quality begin with 4 birdies in his opening six holes earlier than a bogey on the par-4 seventh.
He recovered with a birdie on the par-3 eighth and confirmed the identical resilience when he bogeyed the twelfth and instantly birdied on the subsequent gap.
“It was a very good spherical. I did every part fairly nicely,” McCarthy stated.
“I putted nicely. I hit plenty of good iron pictures. Bounced again properly after a few the bogeys I had. Every little thing felt actually strong immediately.”
McCarthy’s efficiency was much more spectacular given the hip bother he has been dealing with.
“I don’t wish to disclose an excessive amount of. It’s bothering me, and I’ve been capable of do sufficient the previous couple of days to push via it,” he stated.
“The warmth actually helps it. It actually loosens it up. However I’ve had to spend so much of time post-round, pre-round getting it free, getting it able to go to play a full spherical.”
Matsuyama began with a birdie on the par-4 first gap however then missed a brief birdie putt on the second and he bogeyed the par-3 fourth after driving into the water.
From then on although, the 2021 Masters champion was in management, bogey-free and making 5 extra birdies.
Matsuyama is in search of his tenth win on the PGA Tour and his second of this season following his victory on the Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles in February.
American Sam Burns was a stroke behind the main pair after carding a 63 with an eagle on the par-5 third gap.
Reigning Masters champion Scottie Scheffler, recent off his Olympic gold medal in Paris, leads the FedEx Cup playoff standings and is in competition but once more along with his strong bogey-free 65 placing him on nine-under, two off the leaders.
“I did a very good job of getting some good up-and-downs to type of hold the momentum and the spherical going,” Scheffler stated.
“I holed a pleasant putt for par early within the spherical on 5 after which I had a pair good chips after that getting it near the outlet making what may have been a nerve-racking par into a fairly stress-free par with some good pitches. Total it was a fairly good day.”
England’s Justin Rose was a stroke behind Scheffler after a second straight spherical of 66.
Rose ended his spherical in type with birdies on the sixteenth and seventeenth and he sits degree in fifth place with American Nick Dunlap.
It was a disappointing day for Rory McIlroy, fifth within the FedEx Cup standings, who shot a three-over 73 after making a double bogey on the par-5 third the place he drove into the water.