Denny McCarthy remained atop the leaderboard early within the second spherical of the US PGA Tour Vacationers Championship, the place Rory McIlroy put himself within the combine with a season-best six-under-par 64 on Friday and a number of Aussies impressed.
McCarthy, who led by two after a 10-under-par first-round 60, adopted up with a five-under-par 65 to take a snug clubhouse lead at 15-under 125.
However Keegan Bradley backed up his first-round 62 with one other sensational 63 to earn a share of the lead, selecting up five-straight birdies from the twelfth gap in a scorching again 9.
The ninth and last PGA Tour ‘designated’ occasion on the TPC River Highlands course in Cromwell, Connecticut, is value $20m USD / $30m AUD.
Chez Reavie is third on 13-under after additionally carding a 63, with Eric Cole fourth on 11-under after a 65.
Watch each spherical of the PGA Tour LIVE & Unique on Fox Sports activities, accessible on Kayo. New to Kayo? Begin your free trial now >
However it was a robust day for Australia’s contenders, with Adam Scott (68) on 10-under total regardless of struggling to again up his equal career-low spherical of 62 from the primary day.
He sits tied for fifth with American Zac Blair (65).
However in a tie for seventh on nine-under total are two extra Aussies, Lucas Herbert (64) and Min Woo Lee (65), the latter nailing an eagle on the par-five thirteenth and backing up with a birdie on the 14th. The pair are degree with Chesson Hadley of America (65).
One shot additional again is a famous person line-up together with McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, Corey Conners, and Sungjae Im.
So spectacular was the play in Cromwell that world primary Jon Rahm and world quantity three Max Homa each missed the reduce two-under and three-under respectively.
MCCARTHY SHINES
McCarthy shook off a bogey on the second gap, the place he missed the inexperienced, carding six birdies the remainder of the best way.
That included a 43-foot birdie putt on the tenth and one other from simply inside 20 toes at 18.
His 125 whole was a 36-hole course document, however McCarthy was extra centered on the weekend and difficult for a primary PGA Tour title.
“It’s good, however golf tournaments aren’t 36 holes sadly, so I do know there’s nonetheless lots of golf left. I’m taking part in some very nice golf, so I’m wanting ahead to having enjoyable this weekend and I’m wanting ahead to the problem.”
RORY ON FIRE
McIlroy was in a gaggle on eight-under-par 132, climbing the leaderboard with a formidable show on the greens and regardless of a double-bogey catastrophe at his penultimate gap, the par-three eighth — the identical gap he aced on Thursday.
“Apart from that, it was a extremely good spherical of golf,” mentioned McIlroy, whose tee shot was within the water.
“It simply acquired hit by slightly little bit of wind,” McIlroy mentioned. “Hit a fairly good shot. I simply misjudged the wind slightly bit and it got here up brief — the one place you couldn’t miss at present on that gap.”
McIlroy sinks first profession hole-in-one! | 00:36
The Northern Eire star, coming off a runner-up end to Wyndham Clark on the US Open at Los Angeles Nation Membership on Sunday, had eight birdies at that time, setting the tone with a 19-foot birdie putt on the eleventh.
His 5 birdies in his first 9 holes additionally included a 13-footer on the 14th and a 14-footer at 17. His three birdies coming in included a 25-footer on the third.
“Means higher on the greens,” McIlroy mentioned after his lowest PGA Tour spherical this season. “I feel when you will get out within the morning right here the greens are so significantly better. You is usually a little extra aggressive together with your putts, and that paid off for me this morning and holed fairly a number of.”
Whereas low scores abounded, world primary Scottie Scheffler couldn’t be a part of the birdie fest. He had two birdies and two bogeys in an even-par 70 that left him on seven-under 133.
Second-ranked Jon Rahm carded a one-over 71 and at two-under was one stroke exterior the projected cutline of three-under par when he walked off the course.
Watch each spherical of the PGA Tour LIVE & Unique on Fox Sports activities, accessible on Kayo. New to Kayo? Begin your free trial now >
Scott comes near document spherical | 01:23