Some miserable news from Wentworth, where the Rose Ladies Series Grand Final was suspended earlier today due to nearby wildfires. The organisers had hoped to pick up play again tomorrow morning, but although the fire services have got the situation under control, tomorrow’s forecast of more high temperatures constitutes an “ongoing fire risk” and “with a heavy heart” the course has to be closed tomorrow. That means the Grand Final restart is cancelled until further notice. They’re hopeful of getting this done in the next few weeks, but with the Scottish and British Opens coming up, it’ll now have to wait. Far from ideal … but at least everyone is safe and healthy.
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Justin Thomas is looking for back-to-back wins on Tour, after last week’s dramatic success over Brooks Koepka at the WGC St Jude’s. What price the same mano-a-mano battle down the stretch come Sunday? Well, you’d probably get half-decent odds, on account of Thomas’s 72 yesterday. But he’s coming out of his shell slowly, following birdie at 4 with another at 7. He’s -1, and you wouldn’t bet too much against the 2017 champ, would you.
Bogey for Schauffele at the difficult long par-four 9th. He can’t get up and down from greenside sand, and he slips back to -5.
Day finds the par-five 10th easily in two. He sends a 70-foot eagle effort shaving the right side of the cup. That’s a wonderful putt and could so easily have dropped. But he’ll have to settle for birdie and a share of the lead. He’s alongside Li at -8 again.
An extremely quiet start by Justin Rose: six pars in a row. But he’s clapped his tee shot at 7 to the edge of the green. A gentle wedge up to kick-in distance and he’ll be moving to -5. Meanwhile it’s extremely unlikely that Jordan Spieth will complete his career slam this week, but he won’t want to miss the weekend. After yesterday’s 73, that was on the cards, but he’s just birdied 5 and 7 to get back to +1. He’s just inside the cut line as things stand; the projected cut is unlikely to move back in, given the wind’s picking up and the temperature is cooling.
Alex Noren is beginning to put something together. After holing a 50-yard bunker shot at 14, he’s just raked in a big putt across 15. Back-to-back birdies, and he’s -4. Another birdie for Daniel Berger, and he joins the group at -5 … as does Tony Finau, who went close with an eagle putt from the fringe at 10 but is more than happy to make his birdie. There’s a spring in the big man’s step.
-8: Li (F)
-7: Day (9)
-6: Fleetwood (F), Schauffele (8)
-5: Champ (F), Casey (F), Todd (F), Berger (8), Koepka (7)
Day is up against the collar at the bottom of the swale down the back of 9. He flops up high, but still can’t stop his ball trundling 12 feet past the hole. He can’t make the putt coming back, always missing on the right, and it’s his first bogey of the day. But he’s still turning in 33, one off Li’s lead at -7.
Tyrrell Hatton was a hipsters’ choice coming into this tournament. Yesterday’s 72 put a stop to a lot of that chatter, though he’s doing pretty well to haul himself back into this. He’s just embarked on a run of three consecutive birdies, the latest a glorious two at the 17th, creaming his tee shot to a couple of feet. He’s level par for the tournament, and will be desperate for a good front nine ahead of Moving Day.
A huge break for Day, who sent his drive at 9 towards a fence down the left. But it’s not a course boundary, and so he’s entitled to relief. He gets line of sight relief as well, so gets a drop 15 yards back towards the hole. He doesn’t take full advantage, though, sending a hot second over the back of the green. He’ll do well to get up and down from there to save his par. Meanwhile bogey for McIlroy on 5, punishment for a wild tee shot that forced him to chip out sideways from the trees. He’s +1 and flirting with missing the cut. Another dropped shot and he’ll be in real bother.
Koepka shoves his par putt to the right, the ball never threatening to drop. He slips back to -5, looking a gift horse in the mouth, having been handed a way out of the trees after a comically wild drive.
A par for the co-leader Day on the extremely difficult par-three 8th. He’s more than happy to get through that test unscathed. Meanwhile on 6, Koepka finds a route between trees to lash an iron into the heart of the green from nowhere. This would be a grand escape … but he rushes on overly aggressive birdie putt from 30 feet eight past. A test coming back.
Slapstick shenanigans on 6, where Koepka sends a wild slice towards the trees down the right. Back on 4, Tiger and Rory both let decent birdie opportunities slip by. But up on 7, Day makes another one from ten feet, and joins Li at the top of the leaderboard.
-8: Li (F), Day (7)
-6: Fleetwood (F), Schauffele (6), Koepka (5)
-5: Champ (F), Casey (F), Todd (F), Lorenzo-Vera (2)
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Lowry chalks up his second birdie of the day, this time at 5. The Open champ is going along nicely at -4, coming off the back of 67-67 last weekend, rounds that earned him a tie for sixth at the WGC St Jude.
Schauffele whipcracks his approach at 6 straight at the flag. It lands softly, taking one gentle bounce forward and stopping a couple of feet from the flag. If that. He’ll be making his birdie to move to -6. His near-namesake Scheffler is heading the other way, though; bogey at 9 means he’s turning in 36. He’s -3.
-8: Li (F)
-7: Day (6)
-6: Fleetwood (F), Schauffele (6), Koepka (4)
Another birdie for Brooks Koepka, who reaches the side of the Homeric par-five 4th in two easy slashes. A chip and a putt, and the defending champ is two off the lead at -6.
A bit of trouble for Rory at the par-three 3rd, as he shoves his tee shot into thick bother to the right of the green. He wants a ruling, claiming a steward … or was it a broadcaster? … stood on his ball accidentally. Yep! He’s got a chance to recreate his original lie, and the official is happy with the placement. But Rory isn’t. “I wouldn’t be comfortable hitting that, it wasn’t such a good lie initially.” What sportsmanship. He places the ball in a much worse position, and it’s one of those times when the inherent honesty golf is built on makes the heart swell. Take it away, and all is lost! Karma dictates he gets up and down as reward for his stringent morals, but having flopped to 20 feet, his par saver stops one roll short. Such a shame. He’s back to level par. And Tiger slips to -1, unable to get up and down from sand, an avoidable bogey given the relatively easy bunker shot he had.
The wind is expected to pick up during the afternoon, so players will hope to make hay while the sun shines. To this end, Shauffele’s shoulders droop a little as a birdie chance shaves the hole at 5. He remains at -5.
Birdie at 4 for one of the USA’s great young hopes Collin Morikawa. Having shot 69 yesterday, he rises to -2. “Dearest Scott,” begins Mac Millings. “Did you really (8.32pm) only have bread and water? Wot no Hamburger Helper?” Thing is, I’ve only got one box of Helper, the only food-flavored food product marketed by a talking golf glove, left. You can only fit so many into a suitcase when coming back from a Stateside trip, unless you throw away all your clothes, which believe me I’ve considered. So I’m saving it for a special occasion. Thanksgiving, perhaps. Christmas Day, maybe. Or most likely Sunday at the Masters. Raise a glass for me the next time you’re shovelling some down, will you.
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Li most certainly will not be taking the 36-hole lead for granted. Holding onto it looks unlikely right now, because it’s back-to-back birdies for Jason Day, who clips his second at 5 to six feet and tidies up with businesslike briskness. He strides off with great purpose. The 2015 champion, back in form after a long dip, appears to be in the mood to make up for lost time.
Birdie for Xander Schauffele at 4, his first of the day. The young Californian with a wonderful record in the majors already – six top-ten finishes in his first 11 starts – moves to -5. A bit of a group of afternoon starters forming near the top of the leaderboard, waiting to pounce. Li Haotong won’t be taking the 36-hole lead for granted.
-8: Li (F)
-6: Fleetwood (F), Day (4)
-5: Champ (F), Casey (F), Todd (F), Finau (5), Schauffele (4), Koepka (3)
Some belated news of Rickie Fowler, who for a wee while looked to have revived his title bid. Sadly he hacked his way up 6 en route to a double bogey. Another dropped shot at 8 meant he finished with a 69, not a disaster in and of itself but no good when coupled with yesterday’s 73. He’s +2 and may well be going home later tonight.
An ideal start for McIlroy, who knocks in his birdie putt to immediately move into credit at -1. Neither Woods nor Thomas can guide their efforts in, and they remain at -2 and +1 respectively.
Kim Si-woo already has the unofficial fifth major, the Players Championship, under his belt. He won that back in 2017 as a 21-year-old, becoming the championship’s youngest-ever winner. He’s just completed his second round, playing the front nine in 33 to sign for a 68. Filed alongside yesterday’s 69, the 25-year-old South Korean is in good nick at -3 going into the weekend.
Jason Day opens his second-round birdie account on the par-five 4th, stroking in a 15-foot putt. He’s now in a share of second with Tommy Fleetwood at -6. Meanwhile back on 1, Thomas, Woods and McIlroy pepper the flag with their approaches. Thomas is a little unlucky to see his ball bounce off at an odd angle to snag in the fringe, but he’s not far from the hole and he’ll have a good chip-in chance.
Woods is playing with Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas. McIlroy’s opening 70 could have been a hell of a lot worse, especially after that 5-5-5 run of bogeys early in the round. But he’s still very much in with a shout if he can conjure something up today. The opening drive is larruped down the track. Thomas, winner of the WGC St Jude last weekend and the new world number one, makes it three out of three, and he’ll be hoping to recover from yesterday’s post-victory hangover round of 71.
Tony Finau, having birdied the opening hole, knocks his third at the par-five 4th to a couple of feet. In goes the putt, and he’s started fast, rising in short order to -5. Meanwhile back on the 1st tee, news of another relatively well known big hitter: it’s Tiger! Yesterday’s 68 was his lowest round in a major since 2012, and he looks in the mood again today, clipping his tee shot straight down the middle, not even bothering to look where it ended up. He knew alright.
Scottie Scheffler dropped a stroke at the opening hole, but he’s bounced back to -4 with birdie at 5. The 2010 champ Martin Kaymer couldn’t recover from his errant opening tee shot, dropping a stroke at 1; he’s since parred 2 and 3 to remain at -3.
A par at 9 for Paul Casey, and he signs for an excellent 67. He goes into the weekend at -5, currently tied third. Birdie for Daniel Berger at 2; he’s -4. A steady start for Jason Day: three pars. And back on 1, after Gary Woodland makes his par to remain at -3, Lowry knocks in his short birdie putt, and Koepka follows him again. They’re -3 and -5 respectively.
-8: Li (F)
-6: Fleetwood (F)
-5: Champ (F), Casey (F), Todd (F), Day (3), Koepka (1)
The Open champ Shane Lowry smashes his opening drive 325 yards down the 1st. A gentle wedge to six feet. The defending PGA champion Brooks Koepka matches his first two shots. Big birdie chances for both players coming up.
A disappointing end to Bryson DeChambeau’s round. Bogey on 9 and he’ll have to make do with a level-par 70. Back in 37, it’s a round that offered more. He’s -2. Elsewhere, for the second day running, Brendon Todd knocks in a missable par putt on the final green, this time the 18th, and he signs for a 70 to go with yesterday’s 65. He remains at -5.
It’s a 69 for Jon Rahm too. He’s been patchy as hell so far this week, never able to get any real momentum going, but he’ll be here for Moving Day for sure. A 69 today to follow yesterday’s 70. He’s -1.
Thanks Tom. Back just in time to see Lefty … possibly … save himself from the cut. Bogeys at 6 and 8 looked to have cooked his goose, but a tramliner on the last for an absurd birdie means he’s signing for a 69 and he ends the day at +1. That’s one shot too many at the minute … but there’s plenty of time for the picture to change.
Cameron Champ isn’t far off a birdie at 18 but a par score keeps him right in contention and in the groove, matching Fleetwood’s 64.
Back at the 1st, Jason Day, who put himself nicely among the leading pack yesterday, underhits his birdie putt but gets his par. And with that I’ll hand you back to a well-nourished Scott. Bye.
-8: Li (F)
-6: Fleetwood (F*)
-5: Casey (*16), Day (1), Champ (F), Todd (17)
-4: Griffin (F*), Scheffler, Kaymer, Schauffele, Cauley, Z Johnson, Koepka, Rose, Steele, Lorenzo-Vera, Finau (1)
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Tommy Fleetwood signs for a stunning second-round 64, which is still the best round of the event so far, though Champ could yet match it. Fleetwood is looking mighty composed for a man who’s not played much competitive golf in recent months.
And he’s just shared his thoughts on Sky. “The conditions were easier to start with today, yesterday I had a bad couple of holes on 12 and 13 and that halted progress but today I got all my shots away, I hit a lot of fairways and that clearly makes it easier. I’ve learnt a lot from going away and coming back and you don’t realise how sharp you are sometimes when you’re playing 30 times a year. I’m not gonna say I’m playing the best I’ve ever played or am the sharpest I’ve ever been but it’s coming back.”
Fleetwood pushes his birdie putt on the 9th just too far to the left – and misses a chance for the outright lowest round of the week so far. Fowler, at the ninth and two over, needs a birdie and gives himself a chance with a clean straight drive from the tee. Back at the start, Kaymer hacks his first tee shot too far out wide – an inauspicious start for the 2010 champion who was in good nick yesterday.
-8: Li (F)
-6: Fleetwood (17*)
-5: Casey (*15), Day, Champ (17)
-4: Griffin (F*), Todd (15), Scheffler, Kaymer, Schauffele, Cauley, Z Johnson, Koepka, Rose, Steele, Lorenzo-Vera
Ouch. Casey sends a presentable birdie just wide of the flag on the sixth – he knows he should have done better with that, while Cameron Champ records back to birdies to move onto five-under overall with two holes to play. One to watch on moving day. Inevitably, attention is on Tiger who’s just strode out to the practice area – he’s due out in about an hour.
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Fleetwood deftly chips from some tricky thicker stuff onto the green to stay on course for par, which he makes, while De Chambeau, facing a tricky approach betwixt bunkers to the green on the 7th, chips a tremendous shot to the foot of the green and puts himself within reach of the pin before sending a flawless uphill putt into the hole for birdie.
-8: Li (F)
-6: Fleetwood (17*)
-5: Casey (*14), Day
-4: Griffin (F*), Todd (14), Scheffler, Kaymer, Schauffele, Cauley, Z Johnson, Koepka, Rose, Steele, Lorenzo-Vera
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Thanks Scott. Evening/afternoon everyone. And I join you as Rickie Fowler delicately has to remove a bee from his ball and after that display of respect for his natural surroundings sends his second shot on the 7th to the edge of the green. The on-song Fleetwood, on the par-three 8th, pushes his first drive slightly out left but should be good for par at least.
A second bogey in four holes for DeChambeau, the result of hoicking a drive towards the trees again. He’s back where he started the day at -2. Meanwhile Fleetwood sends his drive to the side of the short par-four 7th. A chip and a putt, and he’s two off the lead!
-8: Li (F)
-6: Fleetwood (16*)
-5: Casey (12*), Day
-4: Griffin (F), Todd (13), Scheffler, Kaymer, Schauffele, Cauley, Z Johnson, Koepka, Rose, Steele, Lorenzo-Vera
And with that, I’m off for a delicious repast of bread and water. While I’m munching down that treat, Tom Davies will show you the way. See you in an hour!
Harold Varner III, in the final pairing on Sunday at Bethpage Black last year, may have another PGA tilt in mind. He was going nowhere in particular, +2 overall through 13 today. But he’s just finished with four birdies in the last five holes, the last thanks to a 25-footer on 18, and he’s signing for a 66. He’s -2, and after yesterday’s average 72, right back in this!
Todd gives himself a great chance of escaping from 13 with par, sending a wedge from 100 yards over the flag and spinning back to ten feet. That’s a marvellous effort. But he stabs with uncharacteristic uncertainty at the par saver, and it’s a bogey that topples him back to -4. Meanwhile on 6, Fleetwood takes two putts from 70 feet for his par. He stays at -5. And word of Rickie Fowler, who is playing with DeChambeau and was faffing around in the trees at the same time. Having left his drive up against the base of a trunk, he was forced to bash back out onto the fairway, but only managed it after hitting the trunk with his backswing. A fortunate one, or great improvisation on the downswing, take your pick. He escaped with par, anyway, and remains at -1.
DeChambeau lashes his drive up a tree at 5. For a second, it doesn’t look as though the ball’s going to drop. But fall it does, and he manages to scramble his par, though he requires a nerveless 12-footer to make it. He stays at -3. Meanwhile up on 13, Todd flays his drive into thick oomska down the left, and is only able to hack back out on the fairway. He’ll require an up-and-down from distance to save his par.
Lanto Griffin also reaches the clubhouse in high spirits. He’s signing for his second 68 of the week, and will go into Moving Day nicely placed at -4. More putting woes for Patrick Reed, meanwhile, as a short birdie effort lips out on 7. He remains at -3, and has the fume on.
Todd tidies up without fuss or nerves. He’ll take some beating this week if he keeps putting like this. Two putts from 70 feet was hardly a shoo-in. He remains at -5. Meanwhile Li’s outside chance of a birdie on 18 slides by the left of the cup and he’ll happily take a par that seals a superb 65. He’ll go into the weekend in fine fettle; he may well be still leading if nobody in the afternoon launches a charge. Brilliant from the young Chinese star!
-8: Li (F)
-5: Fleetwood (14*), Casey (12*), Todd (12), Day
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Another birdie for Cameron Champ, who continues to barge his way up the leaderboard. This one comes at 12, and he’s -3 overall. Brendon Todd only just gets onto the front of the long par-four 12th, and leaves himself a 70-foot two-putt for par. The first stops three feet wide right, and will be a knee-knocker. And on 18, Li whips his approach over the flag and onto the top tier of the green, from where he’ll have an outside chance of birdie from 20 feet.
Li appears happy to keep hold of what he’s got. His tee shot at 17 safely finds the heart of the green, but a good 30 feet from the flag. He bundles the putt up to kick-in distance, and remains three clear at -8. Meanwhile DeChambeau makes par at the long par-five 4th, and looks slightly disappointed, having belted his drive into deep filth, a shot that nixed his birdie bid from the get-go. He stays at -3. And a clumsy three-putt bogey for Reed on 6. He drops back to -3.
Todd sends his tee shot at 11 over the back of the green. His chip is heavy handed, and he’s left with a tricky five-footer coming back. You’ve seen these missed. But he tidies up to save his par. He’s made a couple of those shaky ones this week, not least on the 9th last night, when it would have been so easy to shed a shot from 12 feet. Precious putts, and he remains at -5 … alongside Fleetwood, who bounces back from his bogey at 2 with birdie at 4!
-8: Li (16)
-5: Fleetwood (13*), Casey (10*), Todd (10), Day
The leader Li sends his tee shot at the short par-four 16th into thick nonsense down the right. But he wedges from 80 yards to 15 feet, and nearly curls in the putt. However the birdies seem to have dried up. Just a par, though that’s his sixth in a row, and there’s still no blemish on his card today. He’ll take two more for a 65 to go alongside his opening round of 67.
Paul Casey rolls in a 35-foot birdie putt on 1 to grab a share of second place. He’s -5, alongside Brendon Todd, who makes a slightly disappointing par on the inviting par-five 10th, the result of pulling his second, a hybrid, into thick stuff down the left. That’s almost like giving a shot to the field.
Who’s this coming up quietly on the rail? Why it’s 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed, who shot a relatively uneventful 68 yesterday, and is on track to post something similar today. Having played the back nine in 34, he’s just birdied 4 to move menacingly to -4. He doesn’t seem to be using up too much emotional energy, certainly when compared with the more knockabout rounds being put together by your Fleetwoods and DeChambeaus. That might stand him in good stead come the weekend, when the ability to dig deep comes at a premium.
A wild tee shot down the left of 6 costs Griffin a shot. He slips out of a share of second, back to -4. Meanwhile huge-hitting US youngster Cameron Champ, having played the front nine in 33 strokes, birdies 10 to move to -2 overall. Champ is second on the list for driving distance this season, trailing only a certain Bryson DeChambeau. No wonder the two are doing so well, on a course that, despite its tight nature, seems to be fertile ground for the big boomers.
Apologies to Tommy Fleetwood for mentioning the dream of a major-championship 61. Fate having been thus tempted, he drops a stroke at 2, the result of leaving his second stroke short of the green. He slips back to -4. That’s his first bogey of the day. Bah. Li Haotong avoids that particular fate by getting up and down from greenside rough at 15. He’d been in trouble after playing it safe off the tee with an iron, only to find a fairway bunker. A delicate bump and run from 50 feet, followed by a staunch four-foot putt, saved his par.
-8: Li (15)
-5: Griffin (14*), Todd (9), Day
-4: Fleetwood (11*), DeChambeau (10*), Casey (9*), Scheffler, Kaymer, Schauffele, Cauley, Z Johnson, Koepka, Rose, Steele, Lorenzo-Vera
