Saturday 14 April 2018 23:25, UK
Ian Poulter raced into contention for his second win in three weeks after firing a flawless 64 on the second day of the RBC Heritage in South Carolina.
Poulter, whose dramatic play-off win at the Houston Open earned him the final place in the Masters field last week, will go into the weekend just one stroke behind halfway leader Bryson DeChambeau at Harbour Town Golf Links.
The Englishman enjoyed the excellent early conditions and got his second round off to the ideal start as he rolled in a 15-foot putt for birdie at the 10th.
Poulter then made significant strides up the leaderboard with three birdies in four holes to cap a back-nine 31, and his pure ball-striking set up another gain at the first following a delightful approach to three feet.
He did well to save par from 15 feet at the fourth and got back on the birdie trail at the par-five next before he nailed another confident putt for birdie at the seventh to get to nine-under par.
The 42-year-old missed another great chance to improve his score from inside 10 feet at his final hole, but he had done enough to earn the early clubhouse lead alongside Si Woo Kim, who held off Poulter in a final-round duel at The Players Championship last year.
Kim carded nine birdies in his 65, which could have been much better had he not made a mess of the short 14th and run up a triple-bogey six, although he did get all three shots back over the next three holes.
Both Poulter and Kim were later surpassed by DeChambeau, who reeled off four birdies in five holes before scrambling an excellent par at the last to close out a 64 - his lowest round on the PGA Tour.
Brandt Snedeker, the 2011 champion, also carded a 64 with five birdies in seven holes on the front nine as he jumped to eight under alongside Luke List, Chesson Hadley and overnight leader Rory Sabbatini, whose birdie at the last salvaged a 70.
Martin Laird is just four off the pace after adding a four-birdie 69 to his opening 67, and the powerful Scot is alongside 2014 winner Matt Kuchar as the American slipped down the leaderboard with a scrappy double-bogey five on the 17th.
World No 1 Dustin Johnson made the cut for the first time in three appearances on Hilton Head Island, firing a second straight 69 which included a remarkable par save on the seventh when he came within inches of holing a left-handed chip from next to a tree.
England's Matt Fitzpatrick is safely through to the weekend on two under despite a disappointing bogey, double-bogey finish to his 71, but Luke Donald played one shot too many to make the cut.
Donald, a five-time runner-up in the tournament, produced a valiant response to his damaging, opening 76 as he clawed his way back to one-over par, but missing a birdie putt from five feet at his final hole cost him the chance to play another 36 holes.