Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry both carded back-to-back 67s to remain within three shots of the halfway lead at the PGA Tour’s Cognizant Classic in Florida.
McIlroy mixed six birdies with two bogeys during his second round at PGA National’s Champion Course, while Lowry charged up the leaderboard with four consecutive birdies to also head into the weekend on eight under.
The pair are in the logjam sharing sixth spot also containing England’s David Skinns, as Bud Cauley edged ahead when a final-hole birdie closed a six-under 65 and moved him to 11 under.
Cauley is one clear of Austin Eckroat and South Africa’s Garrick Higgo, who sit tied-second, while Victor Perez shares fourth on nine under with Kevin Yu as he looks to become the second Frenchman to win on the PGA Tour this season.
McIlroy and Lowry stay in contention
McIlroy failed to get up and down from a greenside bunker to save par at the first but birdied his next two holes, then took advantage of the par-five 10th and cancelled out a three-putt bogey from long range at the par-four 12th by birdieing three of his last four holes.
Rory McIlroy was the pre-tournament favourite to win the
“Didn’t get off to the greatest starts,” McIlroy said. “I had a good bounce back and then it was pretty similar to yesterday – a bunch of pars and then I had a good finish.
“It’s one of these courses where you’ve got to stay super patient. I thought I did a good job today of staying patient until the end and that patience was rewarded.”
Lowry reached the turn at level-par after birdieing the par-five third and three-putting from 25 feet at the seventh, then started his back nine with a four-birdie run to remain in the hunt for a first victory on American soil.
Shane Lowry has fallen outside of the world’s top 50
Cauley – playing under a medical exemption and entering the week as world No 1,258 – set the pace with six birdies in a bogey-free 65, having seen Higgo and Eckroat set the initially clubhouse target with rounds of 65 and 67 respectively.
FedExCup leader Matthieu Pavon is on seven under and Matt Fitzpatrick is six back on five under, with Nick Dunlap on the same total despite a stunning hole-in-one on the par-three seventh.
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Nick Dunlap’s dream start to his professional career continues as he made a stunning hole-in-one during the second round of the PGA Tour’s Cognizant Classic in Florida.
Ten players will finish their rounds Saturday morning after play was suspended due to darkness, while Belgium’s Thomas Detry is in last position after he six-putted the 461-yard par-four sixth hole from 57 feet – including five putts from six feet – to card a quadruple-bogey eight.
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