Saturday 8 June 2019 08:06, UK
Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell and Shane Lowry are in good position heading into the weekend of the RBC Canadian Open as Matt Kuchar claimed a share of the halfway lead.
Brandt Snedeker provided the early fireworks on day two as he narrowly missed out on his second 59 in less than a year, while the star trio of Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas all fought back from poor first rounds to make the cut with plenty to spare.
Kuchar was the star of the show at the back end of the day, making birdies at each of the final three holes to cap a 63 and jump into a tie at the top with Scott Brown, who was also seven under for the day after one eagle and five consecutive birdies.
The American duo lead the way on 12 under just ahead of a red-hot Snedeker, who got to nine under for the day with three holes still remaining when he followed an eagle at the fourth with birdies at five and six.
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But his chances of emulating the 59 he fired at last season's Wyndham Championship were scuppered by a poor approach to the seventh which left him scrambling to make par, and he also did well to avoid a bogey at the eighth before converting from six feet on the ninth green to card a superb 60.
Hopes of a first home winner since 1954 Nick Taylor were led by Nick Taylor, who finished his 65 with three birdies in four holes to join Snedeker on 11 under, while former US Open champion Webb Simpson outshone playing-partner McIlroy as a six-birdie 64 lifted him to within two of the leaders.
Taylor's fellow Canadian's Adam Hadwin and Mackenzie Hughes both fired 66s to breach the top 10 at the halfway stage, while McDowell's hopes of gaining one of the three Open places on offer were enhanced by a solid 67 which got him to eight under alongside 2016 Open champion Henrik Stenson.
McDowell, who grew up close to Royal Portrush and predicts he had played the Open venue close to 500 times, made no secret of his desire to make the field in his homeland but admitted it had become a distraction in recent weeks.
"I feel like I've had three or four months wrestling with the Portrush dilemma," he said. "Thinking of putting a statement out on Twitter and saying I appreciate everyone's concern. The people that think I should get an invite and the people that think I shouldn't, I hear them.
"But I'm pretty much come to terms with the fact that if I play well between now and Portrush I will play. If I don't play well between now and Portrush I won't and I'll deserve not to play.
"I'm okay with that. The R&A don't have a precedent where they've invited guys before and that's fine. At least I know my fate. I'm going out here trying to win the RBC Canadian Open this week. I could care less about Portrush. I would rather win this week and not play Portrush. That's the bottom line. Yes, it will be a special week, but it's not instance success.
"I could be there and miss a cut and think, Well, what was all the fuss about? It's like, I would rather play well on this weekend and let Portrush take care of itself. I really don't care."
Lowry also goes into the third round on eight under, although he was left to rue a poor finish after an eagle at the fourth - his 13th - had earned him a share of the lead.
The Irishman bogeyed the fifth and then scrapped his way to a double-bogey six at the seventh after two hacks in the thick rough down the left, while another shot went at the next before he lifted his spirits with a comeback birdie at the ninth which salvaged a 68.
McIlroy is one stroke further back after he recovered from a bogey at the first with four birdies in five holes from the ninth, and he picked up two more at the 11th and 17th before ending the day as he started - a bogey at 18 taking some gloss off a 66.
Defending champion Johnson bounced back from his opening 71 with an impressive 65 which lifted him to four under alongside Koepka (66), but Luke Donald and Sergio Garcia will head to Pebble Beach for next week's US Open on the back of a missed cut.
