Rory McIlroy and JT Poston handed over the leader’s chair to an impressive Xander Schauffele on Friday. Eighteen players stand in 2 shots and at the very end of the day, Paul Barjon managed to climb on the right side of the cut.
In Olympic form since Zurich Classic, Xander Schauffele goes it alone after two days in this Travelers Championship 2022 edition.
The only player without a bogey after 36 holes, the third time this has happened to him in his career, the Californian has never seemed in trouble. Since the start of the tournament, he has hit 33 of the 36 greens in regulation and his only little alert, he experienced it on 16. On this tricky par 3, he saw his ball end up in the rough behind the bunker.
“Since the start of the week it’s been one of the few blows I haven’t really felt with the wind swirling around. I’m glad I was able to putt out,” said Schauffele after signing a second consecutive 63 (-7). He is 5 moves ahead of his closest pursuers.
A group of five men at -9 (131) consisting of Patrick Cantlaylong leader before the afternoon departures, from Harris Englishdefinitively recovered from his injury which kept him out of the race for a long time, Nick Hardydefector from Korn Ferry Tourwho signed a 64 (-6), from the Australian Cameron Davislooking for a fourth top-10 this season, and Kevin Kisneralways at ease on these relatively short routes (less than 6,500m).
Rory’s setbacks
At one length (-8) points another group in which we find the two leaders of the day before and in particular Rory McIlroy who had a terrible endgame after a remarkable 31 first leg.
While pointing at -13 at the start of the 12th, the Northern Irishman sent his face-off out of bounds. After two more big approximations around the green, he couldn’t do better than quadruple bogey.
Golf. Is. Hard.
Quadruple bogey for Rory McIlroy on 12. pic.twitter.com/n8cwaZXHh9
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 24, 2022
Still stunned by this misadventure, the world number 2 conceded a double bogey on the 15th. On an almost harmless chip, McIlroy’s ball crossed the entire green and ended its course in the penalty area.
Pain.
Rory McIlroy makes double bogey on 15 after chipping his third shot into the water. pic.twitter.com/vUqjc0Hgst
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 24, 2022
In terms of stats, Rory is the first player since Gary Nicklaus in 2001 to have made 7 birdies or more on the course of the TPC River Highlands without managing to return a card under par!
May his fans be reassured, he won the CJ Cup last October despite a triple bogey on the first day.
The latest winner with a quadruple bogey is Australian Adam Scott at the Honda Classic in 2016 and the worst score recorded by a tournament winner is a 9. It was in 1983 when David Graham had established itself in the Houston Open still 5 moves ahead!
JT Poston also ended his day in par (70). The sparkling Irish Seamus Power is part of this group at -8 (132) alongside Sahith Theegala, Charles Howell III et Martin Lairdsecond Thursday evening.
Barjon on raise
Party in the penultimate group, Paul Barjon never panicked and it was halfway through that the Frenchman’s business turned in his favor. Author of 4 birdies in 7 holes, the player of the Texas Christian University erased his disappointment of the day before.
His 67 of the day allows him to jump 34 places in the standings and cross his 4th cut in 5 tournaments. All that remains is to make this qualification bear fruit for the weekend by getting closer to the lead in the next two rounds, relying on his regained putting (11th in SG during the 2nd round) but also on the quality of its face-offs (11 out of 14 fairways).
Without a bogey on the last hole like the day before, Paul Barjon would have avoided setting off alone on the first tee on Saturday.
Morgan Hoffmann maintains hope
In the following section, we will also carefully follow the result of Morgan Hoffmannthis great American hopeful suffering from a rare disease and left to live in the jungle to be cured. An incredible story that we told you about.
Hoffmann is trying to save a right to play with a medical exemption which dates from 2018. Ranked 59th on Friday evening, he must finish 4th alone to win at least a partial category.
.@Morgan_Hoffmann is hanging tough @TravelersChamp ????
After two birdies in a row he’s right on the cut line (2-under) with 7 to play. https://t.co/dO1AhdBPlr pic.twitter.com/CVtDwR6onf
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 24, 2022
No cut for Spieth Burns and Niemann
Despite a very good day without the slightest bogey concluded with a 66 (-4), Jordan Spieth fails three moves from the cut set at -2. He finished this Travelers Championship at +1 (141) and stalled for the third time in a tournament this season.
Sam Burns ends up in total par after 36 holes (140). Number 2 in the ranking FedEx Cup thus missing his 6th cut of the season.
Joaquin Niemann will never have managed to beat the course of TPC River Highlands in two days and loop 5 strokes from the cut. The addition is salty for the Chilean who ends the tournament with a total score of +3 (143).
Video summary of the 2nd round
Leaderboard
©AFP/GETTY/PGA Tour
