Scheffler Climbs Rankings as Gerard Takes Midpoint Lead at East Lake
Scottie Scheffler is on the road to recovery after his recent health setback and is showing promising form ahead of the FedExCup playoffs. The world’s top golfer completed the second round at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta with a 3-under 67, bringing his total to 8-under par for the tournament.
Despite his strong performance, Scheffler trails Ryan Gerard, who emerged as the frontrunner following a near-perfect day. Gerard concluded the round with a birdie at the 18th hole, finishing with a two-shot advantage at 10-under overall. He notably carded a second consecutive 65 and even made an impressive 78-foot putt during his round. Viktor Hovland is tied with Gerard after completing his round with a score of 66.
Scheffler, who dominated the FedEx St. Jude Championship by eight strokes to launch his playoff campaign, started the tournament with a bogey-free 65. He struggled during the second leg of the playoffs but reported feeling significantly better this week. “Hands are all good, totally back to normal,” Scheffler stated on Thursday. He noted that while he still has a couple of throat ulcers, he is eating and drinking without difficulty.
Facing a four-shot deficit entering the second round, Scheffler stumbled initially with consecutive bogeys on holes 3 and 4. However, he quickly rebounded, scoring five birdies in a seven-hole stretch midway through his round. A missed opportunity at the 17th, where he recorded his only bogey for the back nine, kept him from being tied for the lead. On the final hole, he attempted a long eagle putt but settled for birdie after leaving the ball just short.
“The difference in scores was just a few bogeys today,” Scheffler explained. “I had a clean card yesterday, and that’s really all there is to say.”
Meanwhile, Hovland’s 66 placed him in a tie for the lead with Gerard. Collin Morikawa and Chris Gotterup each reached 9-under, sharing third place, while Scheffler found himself tied for fifth with Young.
Young made a significant leap on Friday, beginning his round after opening with an even-par score of 70. He shot an impressive 62, including seven birdies and an eagle, elevating him back into contention. Reflecting on his experience, Young remarked, “You don’t do anything that isn’t at your own pace…in that sense, it’s pretty nice.”
On the other hand, Rory McIlroy struggled throughout Friday, attempting to recover from an early double bogey-bogey start.
With the FedExCup still up for grabs, Scheffler may not hold the lead, but his recent performances indicate he can quickly become a strong contender. “Absolutely, love playing with the lead,” Gerard stated, acknowledging the challenge that awaits him in the remaining rounds.
Scottie Scheffler is just about back to normal after his hand, foot and mouth issue, and it’s showing.
Scheffler, after his bout with the illness last week in St. Louis, is now in great position to make a run at the FedExCup and the $10 million prize that comes with it. The top-ranked golfer in the world fired a 3-under 67 on Friday at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, which has him at 8-under for the week.
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That still, though, wasn’t enough to push him into the lead at the midpoint of the final event of the season. Instead, it was Ryan Gerard who had a near-perfect day and managed a two-shot lead when he hit the clubhouse thanks to a late birdie at the 18th. Gerard, who has just a single PGA Tour win to his name, carded a second straight 65 to get to 10-under and at one point sank a 78-footer. Viktor Hovland joined him after saving birdie at the 18th.
Scheffler, who won the FedEx St. Jude Championship by an incredible eight shots to kick off the FedExCup Playoffs, posted a bogey-free 65 on Thursday to open the week. And after struggling through the second leg of the playoffs — he admitted on Sunday that a smarter version of himself would have withdrawn from the BMW Championship — Scheffler felt so much better.
“Hands are all good, totally back to normal,” Scheffler said on Thursday. “I have a couple ulcers still in my throat, but I feel way better than last week. I’m talking and eating and drinking normally.”
Scheffler entered the second round four shots back from Min Woo Lee, who took a two-shot advantage over the field on Thursday night.
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Friday didn’t start out great for Scheffler, but he quickly made up for it. After making back-to-back bogeys on holes 3 and 4, Scheffler flew into the back nine while making five birdies in a seven-hole span right around the turn.
And if it weren’t for a missed green at the 17th, where he settled for his lone bogey on the back nine, Scheffeler would have hit the clubhouse with a share of the lead. He had a 50-footer for eagle at the last, but ended up leaving it about 3 feet off for an easy birdie.
“Yesterday I had a clean card. Today I made a few bogeys,” Scheffler said plainly. “That’s pretty much the difference in the score. Yeah, I don’t really have too much to say other than that.”
Hovland posted a 66 on Friday to join Gerard at 10-under. Collin Morikawa and Chris Gotterup each got to 9-under to share third, which dropped Scheffler into a tie for fifth with Young.
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Young jumped way up the leaderboard Friday after he opened the week with an even-par 70. He made seven birdies and an eagle while posting his 8-under 62 in the second round, which has him back in the mix. He eagled the 18th and flew through his round after playing alone as the first one out.
“You don’t do anything that isn’t at your own pace,” Young said of playing alone. “You’re never waiting. You’re never rushing. In that sense, it’s pretty nice.”
Rory McIlroy, meanwhile, has just about played himself out of it. He spent most of Friday trying to recover from an early double bogey-bogey combo, which started after he did perhaps the most relatable thing around the third green.
Not great.
There is still a long way to go before the FedExCup is handed out. And Scheffler isn’t in the lead just yet. But with the way he’s been playing in recent weeks, and with his illness now essentially behind him, it’s going to take a lot for the rest of the field to successfully fend him off over the next two days.
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That is now Gerard’s task over the next 36 holes.
“Absolutely, love playing with the lead,” he said. “Way better than playing in last.”
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