Scottie Scheffler stays in pole place to safe FedExCup victory regardless of seeing his lead diminished to 4 pictures throughout a weather-disrupted second spherical on the Tour Championship.
The world No 1 got here into the occasion on 10 beneath and with a two-stroke benefit, having topped the season-long standings after six PGA Tour wins in 2024, then elevated his result in seven strokes after an opening-round 65.
Scheffler added a five-under 66 at East Lake on Friday to move into the weekend on 21 beneath, as Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa closed on their compatriot within the race to be topped FedExCup champion and declare the $25m [£19m] jackpot.
Morikawa fired a round-of-the-day 63 to assert second and guarantee he’ll play within the remaining group once more with Scheffler within the third spherical, with Schauffele an additional stroke again after a second-round 64.
How Schauffele and Morikawa closed on Scheffler
Scheffler holed from 20 ft to avoid wasting par on the first and keep away from opening with a bogey for the second successive day, with the world No 1 retaining his seven-shot cushion after changing from 10 ft to match Morikawa’s birdie on the third.
Scheffler birdied two of his final three holes after the climate delay
Schauffele – taking part in within the group forward – adopted back-to-back birdies from the third by making the most of the par-five sixth, the place each Scheffler and Morikawa picked up pictures to go two beneath for his or her rounds.
Morikawa added one other from close-range on the seventh to maneuver alongside Schauffele, with each gamers attending to 13 beneath after birdieing the par-four eighth, as Scheffler obtained up and down from a greenside bunker to make his birdie and attain the flip six forward.
Xander Schauffele birdied 4 of his opening eight holes on Friday
Schauffele made par on the Tenth and birdied the eleventh to quickly minimize the hole to 5, just for Morikawa to rejoin him in a tie for second when he matched Scheffler in beginning the again 9 with a birdie.
Scheffler scrambled a sensational par on the eleventh, as Morikawa carded his first bogey of the day, earlier than a two-shot swing from the ultimate group on the thirteenth noticed Scheffler fail to rise up and down from the bunker to avoid wasting par and Morikawa chip-in for birdie.
Morikawa joined Schauffele in birdieing the 14th to climb to fifteen beneath and inside 4 of Scheffler, who needed to accept a par on the identical par-five, whereas Schauffele squandered a possibility from eight ft on the fifteenth simply earlier than a 90-minute suspension because of the risk of lightning.
Scheffler resumed on the sixteenth fairway and instantly flicked a wedge to 10 ft, organising a birdie to reclaim a five-shot cushion, just for Morikawa to chop the hole once more with an eight-foot birdie on the seventeenth.
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Schauffele adopted a formidable save on the seventeenth by birdieing the final to get to 16 beneath, extending his run of under-par rounds at East Lake, as Morikawa edged again into solo second by getting up and down from off the ultimate inexperienced to set a brand new course file.
Morikawa’s closing birdie was matched by Scheffler, beginning the week prime of the season-long standings for the third successive yr, who tidied up from inside two ft and stays agency favorite to win the FedExCup for the primary time.
Morikawa is with out a win on the PGA Tour this season
“I feel like my swing is in a good spot,” Scheffler stated. “I’ve hit it nice the last couple days. Really felt like I’ve hit a lot of lips on the greens, but hitting a lot quality putts. A lot of quality stuff out there and in a good spot going into the weekend.”
Wyndham Clark, Adam Scott and Sahith Theegala share fourth spot on 12 beneath and Sam Burns is an additional stroke again, whereas three-time FedExCup champion Rory McIlroy is in tied-Tenth and within the group on eight beneath after back-to-back 69s.
Who will the FedExCup? Watch the season-ending Tour Championship reside all week on Sky Sports activities. Early protection from East Lake continues on Saturday from 4pm on Sky Sports activities+, forward of full protection from 5.30pm on Sky Sports activities Golf. Stream the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and extra with NOW.
