Overnight leaders Rory McIlroy and Tom Kim joined Jordan Smith at the top of the Genesis Scottish Open leaderboard as the second Rolex Series event of the season remained wide open at The Renaissance Club.
A four-way tie after day one was reduced to three heading into the weekend but there were still 17 players within three shots of the lead at the PGA TOUR co-sanctioned event.
Hennie du Plessis and Casey Jarvis are both -4 through 36 holes. Jacques Kruyswijk and Shaun Norris both made the weekend on the number after rounds of 69 and 70 on Friday.
Both 2023 champion McIlroy and Renaissance specialist Kim followed opening rounds of 65 with a 66 but it was Englishman Smith who stole the show with a blistering 63 to get to nine under.
In-form Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick was one shot off the lead after a 65, sitting alongside 2021 winner Min Woo Lee who fired a 65.
Defending champion Chris Gotterup and local hero Robert MacIntyre, the 2024 winner, were then part of a group of seven players at seven under.
Should McIlroy lift the trophy on Sunday, he will join Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton on a record five Rolex Series victories, with his seven DP World Tour wins since 2023 coming in four Rolex Series events, two Masters Tournaments and his home open.
It would also take him a significant step closer to matching Colin Montgomerie’s record of eight Race to Dubai titles as he looks to win the Harry Vardon Trophy for the fifth consecutive season.
The Northern Irishman has seemed in confident mood all week and a deft chip set up a birdie on the first before he put a tee-shot to ten feet at the fifth, got up and down at the par-five seventh and put an approach to nine feet at the next to turn in 31 and rejoin the leading group.
A ragged tee shot at the 13th dropped him back but he responded with a drive to 18 feet at the next, although he could not make his eagle putt.
“I thought I played well again,” he said. “You know, the wind definitely got up for us in the afternoon. We got off to a really nice start. Then sort of by the turn the wind had got to its strongest and felt like it was hard to get the ball close to the pins and we were all making a lot of pars out there.
“It would have been nice to be a couple better. But you know, it’s obviously another good day and in good position.
“It’s the way you want to play links golf and the weather, you can be creative the way you play your second shots into greens and how you run into the fairway. It’s a fun way to play.”
Article Link: McIlroy maintains bid for Scottish Open