Fourth-ranked Xander Schauffele fired a four-under-par 67 to seize a four-stroke lead after Friday’s second round of the PGA Tour’s Wells Fargo Championship.
The reigning Olympic champion, last year’s Wells Fargo runner-up, closed with a bogey to finish on 11-under 131 after 36 holes at rain-soaked Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina.
“Just trying to plod around the property, knowing if you hit a drive somewhere near the fairway it’s going to plug and stay in it,” said Schauffele. “Really kept each hole in front of me and it’s only Friday. Just happy to be in this position.”
World No 2 Rory McIlroy and Australia’s Jason Day shared second on seven-under 135 with South Korean Im Sung-jae and American Taylor Moore on six-under 136.
Two-time major winner Collin Morikawa closed with a bogey to stand sixth on five-under 137.
South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout shares 13th position on three-under 139 after a round of 69 that included six birdies and four bogeys.
The PGA Tour signature event, with a reduced field and no cut, is the last major tuneup for next week’s PGA Championship at Valhalla, where Schauffele hopes to win his first Major title.
Schauffele seeks his eighth career PGA Tour triumph this week. The 30-year-old American has not won since the 2022 Scottish Open.
“I’ve had a few knocks on the door here and I just keep telling myself to keep knocking,” Schauffele said.
“You’re always going to think about [winning]. The tough part is just to stay present, to recognise the situation you’re in and realise you’re playing some good golf and to get out of your own way sometimes.”
Schauffele sank birdie putts from just outside seven feet at the 5th and 8th holes around a tap-in birdie at the par-five 7th after reaching the green in two.
At 10, Schauffele dropped his approach inches from the hole and tapped in for birdie. He sank a birdie putt from just inside five feet at the par-three 13th to reach 12 under with a six-stroke edge.
But at 18, he hit his approach over the green, then chipped to 14 feet and lipped out on his par putt.
McIlroy fired a bogey-free 68 while Day made five birdies in a six-hole stretch on his way to a 67.
“Anytime you can go around this golf course bogey free it’s always going to be a decent day,” McIlroy said. “Set myself up for another good go at it this weekend.”
McIlroy, a back-nine starter, sank a five-foot birdie putt at the 10th and pitched from greenside rough to within inches of the hole to set up another birdie at the par-five 15th.
At the 8th, McIlroy’s approach landed two inches from the hole, setting up a tap-in birdie.
“It was solid,” McIlroy said. “I probably could have squeezed a couple more shots out of it but overall really pleased with my game. It has felt really under control the last two days.”
Four-time Major winner McIlroy is a three-time champion at Quail Hollow, with wins in 2010, 2015 and 2021.
“If I’m driving the ball well, I can take advantage of that at this course more than any other golf course on Tour,” McIlroy said.
“I can carry some of the doglegs, carry some of the fairway bunkers. That gives me a huge advantage into some of these par fours,” the 35-year-old Northern Ireland star said.
Day birdied all three par-fives on offer, two of them in his birdie run from the 7th through 12th holes.
Day hasn’t had a top-10 finish since February.
“It has been a bit of a struggle but I’m starting to slowly creep my way out of it, which is nice,” Day said. “The last two days is good to see.”
© Agence France-Presse
Photo: Jared C Tilton/Getty Images
