Adam Scott fired off a 9-under-par 63 Friday and leapt into the lead after two rounds on the BMW Championship in Citadel Rock, Colo.
The 44-year-old Australian, who hasn’t received on tour since February 2020, is an unlikely chief of the FedEx Cup playoffs’ second leg. Scott made the sphere by rating forty first in factors after final week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship — solely the highest 50 made it to Citadel Pines Golf Membership.
Now Scott stands at 13-under 131, three forward of Keegan Bradley, the first-round chief who certified for the BMW on the quantity at No. 50. Bradley got here up one gap in need of a second straight bogey-free spherical, making short-game errors on the par-4 18th gap earlier than settling for a 68.
“I didn’t assume I performed aggressively, as a result of like I stated, I used to be going to the course not feeling like I used to be on as we speak. It’s most likely one thing to consider, as nicely. I performed inside myself. I picked pretty conservative targets. But it surely was day to be aggressive once you had the best quantity,” Scott stated.
Scott shared the low spherical of the day with Swedish phenom Ludvig Aberg, whose 63 propelled him into third place at 9 below. Alex Noren, additionally of Sweden, posted his second consecutive 68 to take over fourth place at 8 below, and Canada’s Taylor Pendrith (65) is alone in fifth at 7 below.
Scott had 4 birdies on the entrance 9 earlier than catching a second wind beginning on the twelfth gap. He rolled in three straight birdie putts from 11, 26 and 15 toes, and later caught his tee shot on the par-3 sixteenth simply 4 toes from the opening to arrange one other birdie.
“I feel the 6-iron into 16 was my greatest shot of the day. It was quantity for me, however I hit a very nice shot. That’s one of many ones that got here out just about the way you drew it up in your head. That was a pleasant solution to shut out the spherical,” Scott stated.
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The 2013 Masters champion completed his scoring by getting out of a bunker on the par-5 seventeenth and changing birdie.
Bradley had 5 birdies, together with three straight at Nos. 13-15, earlier than his closing misstep.
“While you’ve received a participant like Adam within the lead, it means extra when he’s up by three,” Bradley stated. “I’ll must play my absolute best to catch him, for positive.”
Aberg had eight birdies, one bogey and one eagle on his card, the latter coming on the par-5 14th, the place he nestled his second shot simply 6 toes from the pin. The 24-year-old is enjoying in his first FedEx Cup playoffs after a profitable, although winless, season.
“I feel it’s enjoyable to be on this state of affairs,” Aberg stated. “It’s enjoyable to play good golf. I’m going to maintain being aggressive regardless that I shot even par (Thursday). I used to be nonetheless very aggressive, which I like. Yeah, I’m going to maintain doing that and attempt to sustain and make a number of birdies to catch Adam.”
Patrick Cantlay (5 below), Collin Morikawa (4 below) and Northern Eire’s Rory McIlroy (3 below) are among the many names lurking outdoors the highest 5. Xander Schauffele struggled to a 1-over 73 on Friday to fall to 2 below, and Scottie Scheffler shot an even-par 72 to face at 1 below by means of two rounds. Scheffler and Schauffele are Nos. 1 and a couple of within the factors race.
Early within the day, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama withdrew from the match as a consequence of “decrease again discomfort” that he stated made it “not possible to play.” Matsuyama received final week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship and was in second place Thursday, one behind Bradley, after opening with a 67.