Golf

Australia’s Adam Scott leads BMW Championship after course record as Lowry makes gains

Rory McIlroy struggled to a round of 71, 10 shots adrift of the leader

Adam Scott plays his shot from the 18th tee during the second round of the BMW Championship at Castle Pines Golf Club. Photograph: Christian Petersen/Getty
Philip Reid
Fri Aug 23 2024 - 20:59

Adam Scott found a new lease of life at altitude in the Rockies, as a course record 63 – a flawless round of nine birdies without a bogey – moved him to the club house lead at the midpoint of the BMW Championship, the penultimate event of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup playoffs.

For the 44-year-old Australian, who hasn’t won on the US circuit since the Genesis Invitational in early-2020, his form this season – which included two top-10s in his last three appearances, including a runner-up finish in last month’s Scottish Open – has revitalised his career and put him on course to force his way into next week’s megabucks Tour Championship.

In ideal conditions at Castle Pines Golf Club, a course some 2,000 metres above sea level with players and caddies required to recalibrate yardage books to account for the thinner air, Scott’s second round for a 36-holes total of 13-under-par 131 enabled him to take control of the tournament although, others, among them Shane Lowry, also made upward momentum.

Lowry had five birdies on his scorecard without a blemish until he reached the Par 5 17th, where a drive into round was compounded by subsequent shots – another into rough, and then another, and then an untypically loose shot from the greenside rough to the fringe – which ultimately led to a bogey.

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Still, the Offaly man – already guaranteed his place for the first time in his career in the Tour Championship in Atlanta confined to the leading 30 players on the FedEx Cup standings when $100 million will be divvied up – responded to that bogey with a superb birdie on the 18th, from 25 feet, for a second round 67 to follow his disappointing opening round 75 move to two-under-par 142.

Shane Lowry plays a shot on the eighth hole during the second round of the BMW Championship at Castle Pines Golf Club. Photograph: Christian Petersen/Getty

That long putt on the closing hole was Lowry’s only birdie putt from outside 10 feet, as his iron play was generally on song in claiming birdies at the second (three feet), eighth (four feet), 10th (eight feet), 11th (nine feet) and 14th (seven feet) which rewarded his precise approach play.

Rory McIlroy struggled with his distance control and with a cool putter as the world number three posted a 71 for a midway total of three-under-par 141, to fall 10 shots adrift of Scott.

“Hopefully I’ve set myself up to have a real run at this thing on Sunday now,” said Scott, who confessed his pre-round range work hadn’t gone to plan. “Leaving the range, I just kind of wanted to keep moving in the right direction, grind out and shoot under par and keep going that way. Then by the middle of the round I was thinking of how many birdies can I make. It’s funny how that happens.

“I feel like I really don’t have anything to lose this week. I can’t go out of the top 50 (on the order of merit). I’m going to have a good schedule in the Signature Events (on the PGA Tour) next year. Of course I’d love to make it to East Lake, but now I’d love to win this event,” he added.

In the AIG Women’s Open at St Andrews where world number one Nelly Korda claimed the halfway lead with another 68 for eight-under-par 136, three shots clear of defending champion Lilia Vu and Charley Hull, only one Irish player – Leona Maguire, in tied-30th on 145 – survived the cut.

Philip Reid

Philip Reid

Philip Reid is Golf Correspondent of The Irish Times