Tour Championship: Viktor Hovland, Collin Morikawa share halfway lead in FedExCup season finale | Golf News

Scottie Scheffler heads into the weekend two again and Keegan Bradley is three behind, with Jon Rahm sharing fourth spot with Xander Schauffele; Rory McIlroy is six again as he chases successive FedExCup titles; Watch the Tour Championship stay on Saturday from 6pm on Sky Sports Golf

Viktor Hovland is on the lookout for a second victory in as many weeks on the PGA Tour

Viktor Hovland produced a back-nine birdie burst to share the halfway lead with Collin Morikawa on the PGA Tour’s season-ending Tour Championship.

Hovland, beginning the week second in the standings after Sunday’s beautiful BMW Championship victory, made 5 birdies in a six-hole stretch on his technique to a superb second-round 64 at East Lake Golf Club.

The Norweigan set the clubhouse goal at 16 underneath, earlier than Morikawa joined him by following his opening-round 61 by signing off a bogey-free 64 with back-to-back birdies to proceed his blemish-free begin to the match.

Collin Morikawa birdied his remaining two holes and is the one participant bogey-free after 36 holes

Scheffler sits in third place after a bogey-free 65 and Keegan Bradley is in fourth spot on 14 underneath, whereas Xander Schauffele lies an additional stroke again alongside Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy heads into the weekend six off the lead.

Stars proceed to impress at East Lake

Scheffler – enjoying in the penultimate group – birdied the primary to briefly make it a four-way tie on the high, just for Morikawa edge again forward after following his opening-round 61 by beginning with a birdie.

Scottie Scheffler will exit in the penultimate group once more on Saturday

Hovland opened with three straight pars and holed from 10 ft on the fourth to match the birdie of Scheffler, with each gamers benefiting from the par-five sixth to maneuver to 12 underneath.

Morikawa additionally birdied the sixth and added one other from 12 ft on the eighth to succeed in the flip one forward of Scheffler, with Hovland an additional shot again after failing to stand up and down from off the inexperienced to avoid wasting par on the seventh.

Scheffler pulled stage with a birdie on the twelfth, the place Hovland additionally picked up a shot to start out his birdie burst, whereas Morikawa missed from inside 4 ft on the earlier gap for the prospect to revive his one-shot benefit.

Morikawa responded by birdieing the twelfth to reclaim high spot, just for Hovland to transform from 10 ft on the thirteenth and match Scheffler’s birdie on the subsequent to make it a three-way tie at high on 14 underneath.

Viktor Hovland combined seven birdies with a lone bogey in his second spherical

Hovland made a fourth straight birdie on the fifteenth and added one other on the seventeenth to briefly double his lead, earlier than laying up on the par-five final and signing off with a par, as Morikawa adopted a birdie on the seventeenth with a two-putt achieve on the 18th to go away the pair tied on the high.

McIlroy: “I’m limited in what I can do”

McIlroy continued to be anxious by again spasms throughout his second spherical, however the defending champion – trying to develop into the primary back-to-back winner of the FedExCup – constructed on his opening-round 70 by carding a three-under 67 on Friday.

Rory McIlroy heads into the weekend in seventh spot

“I’m limited in what I can do, but I’m here grinding away, battling away,” McIlroy stated. “So happy to be through 36 holes. I felt like I had a little more speed. I was probably half a club off my numbers than maybe a full club yesterday. But still it’s just hard to get my right side through the ball.

“It truly feels higher with the longer golf equipment as a result of I’m extra upright in my posture. When I kind of get right down to the shorter stuff, making an attempt to remain in my posture is a wrestle.”

Rory McIlroy will play alongside US Open champion Wyndham Clark on Saturday

McIlroy is set to return to Europe after the FedExCup Playoffs and play back-to-back DP World Tour events, starting at the Horizon Irish Open from September 7-10 before the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth a week later. The Ryder Cup then takes place in Italy from September 29-October 1.

“I might somewhat it [injury] pop up now than in three or 4 weeks’ time,” McIlroy added. “I’ve managed it effectively and I believe I did effectively to get by way of yesterday. I’ve bought by way of one other day, so hopefully it feels a bit higher over the weekend. Not nice timing, however on the identical time, it may very well be worse!”

Who can move ahead at the Tour Championship? Watch the PGA Tour’s season finale and the race for the FedExCup throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues Saturday from 6pm on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the PGA Tour and more for £26 a month for 12 months with NOW.

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