[ad_1]
Rickie Fowler – as soon as known as the perfect participant to not have gained a serious – holds a one-shot lead on the midway stage of the US Open, however has a number of gamers simply behind him who can be hoping that it stays that means come Sunday evening.
Eight birdies and 6 bogeys noticed Fowler add a two-under par 68 to the day past’s 62 and transfer him to 10 below for the championship – a joint US Open report for 36 holes. The Californian holds a one-shot lead over fellow American Wyndham Clark, with Rory McIlroy only a shot additional again in third alongside Xander Schauffele.
“I’m within the lead, however we’re solely midway there,” mentioned Fowler, 34, whose final win got here on the Phoenix Open in 2019 and whose world rating slipped to 167 as not too long ago as 11 months in the past. “Being within the lead is sweet, however it actually means nothing proper now. I’m wanting ahead to persevering with to problem myself and go on the market and attempt to execute the perfect I can.”
Many anticipated the USGA to toughen up the North Course at Los Angeles Nation Membership after a day of report scoring on Thursday, however there have been nonetheless loads of birdies available on Friday and a exceptional third hole-in-one of the match. That was achieved on the quick fifteenth by defending champion Matt Fitzpatrick throughout a second spherical 71 that leaves the Yorkshireman with loads of work to do if he’s to retain his title.
Schauffele, who matched Fowler’s 62 on Thursday, didn’t convey the identical magic on Friday, however after three consecutive bogeys he completed with two birdies to signal for a level-par 70 to affix McIlroy on eight below. Scottie Scheffler shouldn’t be too distant on 5 below after a 68, with Cameron Smith rounding out the highest 10 on 4 below after a 67.
Teeing off on the tenth, issues didn’t go McIlroy’s means over his first 9 holes and he was at risk of sliding out of competition with three bogeys and a solitary birdie, however the response was emphatic. Six birdies adopted, 4 in his final 5 holes, together with coming inside inches of creating a hole-in-one on the par-three ninth, in distinction to his bogey end within the first spherical.
With the lower falling at +2, a number of huge names gained’t be round for the weekend, together with Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Phil Mickelson, Max Homa, Justin Rose and Jason Day. Thomas fared the worst of these, ending on 14 over after a nightmare second spherical 81 that featured three double bogeys. Additionally driving the bogey prepare was Dustin Johnson, however most of his dropped photographs got here in a single gap when he racked up a quadruple on the par-four second gap however managed to finish the day with a level-par 70 to sit down simply 4 off the lead on six below.
Masters champion Jon Rahm made the lower with no margin to spare with a second spherical 73 that left the Spaniard fuming after an error-strewn day that featured six bogeys and leaves him a good distance off the tempo in his search to win a second US Open title.
For all of the scores from the 123rd US Open, click on here.
[ad_2]
Source link
