Rory McIlroy charged against the dispute, but American Wyndham Clark fired a level 70 pair to maintain a one-off lead after Friday’s second round of the Canadian Open of the US PGA Tour.
World No. 293 Clark, who led once after the first day, made bogeys in two of the last four holes to place in seven under 133 after 36 holes at St George’s Golf and Country Club in the suburbs of Toronto.
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“In general, I played very well. I felt very confident with my game, “Clark said.” I had some small setbacks, but other than that I played great golf for 36 holes. If I do it again, I will have a great chance on Sunday. ”
McIlroy, eighth-ranked Northern Ireland winner of 2019 and defending champion after the Covid-19 caused a two-year hiatus, made birds in two of the last four holes to shoot 68 and share second with 134 with the Englishman Matthew Fitzpatrick and Americans Keith Mitchell. Jim Knous and Alex Smalley.
McIlroy upset over Saudi Gulf ‘fracture’ | 01:15
Australian Cameron Smith looked set to lose the cut after a disastrous first round of six, but returned to the fight with a 65-point par of five below to get to eight shots on pace.
It included an impressive eagle pierced in the fifth.
Four-time main winner McIlroy sank an eight-foot bird putt on par-5 15 and rolled into a 23-foot bird putt at 17 before stopping the last with a four-foot clutch putt. feet.
“Overall it was a good score,” McIlroy said. “I shuffled well when I needed to. I didn’t really take advantage of how well I got out of the shirt. But overall, I felt like a couple underneath was a good reflection of how the day went.” Fitzpatrick, 17th ranked, led by two but made double bogey in the 14th and bogeys in the last three holes.
“I didn’t do the putts I needed in the last three,” Fitzpatrick said. “It’s just pathetic. Yes, it’s just pathetic to really end the putter.
“Disappointing ending, but definitely not out of it.”
The seven-time DP World Tour winner is looking for his first PGA victory after sharing fifth place in last month’s PGA Championship for his best major result.
Clark, 28, is also pursuing his first U.S. PGA victory, his best result in a runner-up effort at the 2020 Bermuda Championships.
McIlroy upset over Saudi Gulf ‘fracture’ | 01:15
Clark hit just eight greens in regulation, but backed up his “big” short, putting game.
– “Pretty awesome” finish –
Fitzpatrick got three birdies in a row thanks to five-foot putts in the ninth par-5 and 11th par-5 interspersed around a 15-foot putt in the 10th par-4, reaching 10 under par.
But Fitzpatrick needed four shots to get to the strip at par-4 14 on the way to a double bogey, then followed by an 11-foot birdie putt at par-5 15 with three bogeys.
His problems left Clark in the lead, who made bird putts from within five feet at par-3 eighth and 11th, but lost the green at 12 and made his first bogey of the week.
Clark hit a new foot from the strip to make a birdie on the 14th par-4, but then fell back with backed bogeys, sinking a nine-foot bogey putt at 15, but lost a half-length par putt to the par. -3 16th.
At 18, Clark had a “semi-covered” bunker lie, but came out up to four feet and saved the pair to maintain the lead.
“I’d love to say I was trying to do what I did,” Clark said. “It simply came to our notice then. It was pretty amazing