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McIlroy, Woods slip back as Schauffele leads BMW Championship

Xander Schauffele, trying to land the last Ryder Cup captain's pick, followed up an opening 63 with a six-under 64 to lead the BMW Championship.

By Opta
Tiger Woods

Pennsylvania, September 8: Xander Schauffele holds a two-shot lead at the halfway stage of the BMW Championship as Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods slipped down the leaderboard.

Reigning PGA Tour Rookie of the Year Schauffele – trying to land the last Ryder Cup captain's pick for the United States team – followed up his opening-round 63 with a six-under 64 to sit at 13 under in the final FedEx Cup Playoffs event before the Tour Championship.

McIlroy and Woods had shared top spot on the leaderboard after the first round, both players threatening to fire scores of 59 on the Aronimink course.

Yet two-time FedEx Cup champion and BMW Championship winner Woods gave back two shots on his last two holes to shoot an even-par 70, leaving him eight-under after 36 holes, with McIlroy a shot better off after signing for a 69.

Woods opened the tournament with a blistering six-under 29 on his first nine, but the American managed only a birdie and a bogey on the front nine on Friday to make the turn at even.

A bogey-bogey finish saw him drop off the pace, though he remains in contention to record his first win on the PGA Tour since the 2013 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

Among the early starters on a loaded leaderboard, Justin Rose played the back nine in three-under, with back-to-back birdies at 12 and 13, to cap a second-round 63 that puts him two shots back of Schauffele at 11 under.

Keegan Bradley and Hideki Matsuyama both carded 64s and Rickie Fowler – playing alongside Woods – posted another 65. They were joined at 10 under by Alex Noren, whose 66 ended with a dramatic chip-in eagle at the ninth, his 18th hole.

Jason Day (64) and Justin Thomas (67) are level with McIlroy on nine under, while Tony Finau matched Schauffele's score to get to eight-under. Kevin Na went low at eight under, matching Woods' and McIlroy's Thursday scores after carding an even-par 70 on the first day.

Three-time major champion Brooks Koepka (68) is 10 shots off the pace, alongside FedEx Cup play-offs leader Bryson DeChambeau (70), while world number one Dustin Johnson is a stroke further back following his 68.

The top 30 in the FedEx Cup standings after Sunday's final round advance to the Tour Championship, which takes place in Atlanta.

Story first published: Saturday, September 8, 2018, 10:33 [IST]
Other articles published on Sep 8, 2018