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World number one Scottie Scheffler saw his lead in the race for the season-ending Tour Championship and FedEx Cup titles cut to four shots after Collin Morikawa shot a superb 63 in Friday’s second round at East Lake.
Scheffler, who began the season finale at 10 under par, an advantage reflecting his first-place finish in the FedEx Cup standings, is now at 21 under par after his 5-under 66.
The Masters champion had started the day with a seven-shot lead, but it wasn’t just Morikawa who closed the gap heading into the weekend.
Xander Schauffele recovered from his disappointing first-round 70 to shoot a 64 and move to within five shots of Scheffler.
Scheffler was as solid as ever with five birdies, his only mistake coming on the par-4 13th hole where he found two bunkers before missing a nine-foot putt for par.
The American was pleased with his performance even though he felt he had been unlucky on the greens.
“I feel like my swing is in a good position. I’ve been hitting it well the last few days. I definitely feel like I’ve been hitting a lot of lips on the greens, but I’ve been making a lot of quality putts,” he said.
“Today, the putts that weren’t holed weren’t hit – a lot of them didn’t miss the cut by much. There’s a lot of quality stuff on the course, and I’m in a good position going into the weekend,” he added.
But while the handicap system offers Scheffler protection against his rivals, Morikawa appears determined to push the favourite all the way.
The American reached the turn with a score of 4 under par and, although he made a bogey at the 11th, he bounced back with birdies at the 13th and 14th.
A late suspension of play due to a storm warning threatened to disrupt his momentum, but Morikawa came out and birdied the final two holes to send a clear message to Scheffler.
“For me, it’s just about bringing energy and staying alive. I have a game plan that I’ve set out and I’m really going to stick to it, just knowing that we have two more rounds of the season left,” he said.
Being partnered with Scheffler allowed Morikawa to see his rival up close, but he said he remained focused on his own task.
“He’s such a good player that you know he’s going to keep hitting low and making birdies. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. I’ve seen it for years. For me, it’s just a matter of keeping your foot on the gas,” he said.
Schauffele put his struggles of Thursday behind him with a bogey-free round and came back late in the evening, after the delay, to birdie the last.
“It was better. It was good to finish with two big putts. It was pretty dark out so I’m glad those two went in. It keeps the momentum going from what was a really good round,” said this year’s British Open and PGA Championship winner.
Schauffele said Scheffler’s lead meant there was no room for caution.
“Scottie has been killing everybody in this game all year. I know he’s not going to give up, so there’s only one way to get him,” he said.
Australia’s Adam Scott and Americans Sahith Theegala and Wyndham Clark are both tied for fourth on 12 under par, nine behind Scheffler.
Clark said there was no question of dropping the lawsuit.
It will be very difficult to catch him. He is not expected to play at his best and I am expected to play amazingly.
“I’m still chasing the lead, but I need some help. But if I have a good round tomorrow, if I shoot something like 6, 7, 8 under par, maybe he’ll make par and we’ll be in the mix,” he said.
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