England’s Tommy Fleetwood took a commanding four-shot lead at the weather-hit St Jude Championship after a superb six-under-par 64 in the second round at TPC Southwind in Memphis.
Fleetwood, chasing a first PGA Tour title, moved to 13-under 127 with birdie runs early and late in his round. He led overnight leader Akshay Bhatia, Collin Morikawa and Justin Rose when play was suspended because of thunderstorms.
Morikawa carded a 65 to join Bhatia (69) on nine under in the clubhouse. Rose was also nine under with two holes remaining when the sirens sounded, with play called off for the day two hours later.
Fleetwood, a seven-time winner on the DP World Tour, has finished runner-up six times on the PGA Tour, including a playoff defeat to Keegan Bradley at the Travelers Championship in June.
“Maybe this weekend is the weekend,” Fleetwood said. “It hasn’t happened for me yet on the PGA Tour, but I’d much rather be up there and not quite get it done than not be there at all.”
Starting the day one behind, he birdied the 2nd, 3rd and 4th holes before adding four in a row from the 13th, rolling in putts of 28 and 16 feet along the way. A closing bogey at 18, after finding a fairway bunker, did little to dent his advantage.
Morikawa’s round featured an eagle hole-out from 127 yards at the 9th.
“Tried to land it 125. Came off a bit weird, but it just looked like it was diving out of the air,” he said.
For Bhatia, who opened with a career-best 62, it was a quieter day – two birdies and a bogey in his first four holes followed by 14 straight pars.
World No 1 Scottie Scheffler posted a 66 with eight birdies and four bogeys, leaving him six shots off the lead.
The reigning FedExCup champion, already a four-time winner this season including two Majors, is assured of advancing to next week’s BMW Championship regardless of his finish.
South Africa’s Aldrich Potgieter is in a share of 61st on three over par after opening rounds of 71 and 72.
<span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"> </span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"> </span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"> </span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"> </span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"> </span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"> </span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"> </span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"> </span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"> </span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"> </span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"> </span>Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Article Link: Fleetwood surges clear at St Jude Championship