McIlroy and McDowell 10 behind; Power moves up with 68
Rory McIlroy
PGA Tour — Rory McIlroy remains a streaky putter, even if he has found a new coach and a little confidence on the green.
While his long game cost him at times and his short iron play was below the standards he'd expect, a tally of 32 putts certainly had a lot to do with his level par 72 in the second round of the BMW Championship at Crooked Stick in Indiana.
McIlroy is looking for back to back FedExCup playoff wins that would make him the No 1 player in the standings heading to East Lake for the Tour Championship in Atlanta. But he also knows that being in the top five leaves his fate in his own hands. Scores
He'll need a solid weekend now to make sure that happens as he fell 11 place to tied 19th with Graeme McDowell (67) on four under par — 10 shots behind clubhouse leaders Roberto Castro (65 65) and Dustin Johnson (67 63).
They lead by three strokes on 14 under par from Paul Casey (67 66), who was second to McIlroy in last week's Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston.
McIlroy completed his weather delayed opening round with a 5am alarm clock call and posted a for under 68 alongside Jordan Spieth and Adam Scott.
When the returned for the second round, Mcilroy made an early birdie at the par-five 11th, his second, but then missed a four footer for birdie at the 12th.
He rolled in a 14 footer for another birdie at the par-five 15th but missed the green at the 17th and failed to make a straight-forward looking chip and putt for par.
He then got lucky off the tee at the 18th, narrowly avoiding the lake but failed to convert a stellar approach to six feet into a birdie.
Just one under for the round, he pulled his drive at the second and ended up having to chip back to the fairway from under the lip of a bunker, then failed to get up and down for par at the par-three third.
Most of his missed putts appeared to go left but while he made a four footer for his birdie at the seventh, he missed both fairway and green before missing an eight footer at the eighth.
A two putt birdie at the par-five nine got him back to level for the day but he'll need two stellar rounds now to catch the likes of Johnson on a course that rewards long-hitters who control their wedges well.
J.B. Holmes (69 65) and Chris Kirk (68 66) share fourth place on 10 under par while McDowell is back alongside McIlroy after a six birdie 67.
The Portrush native is 45th in the FedEx Cup standings and needs a top five finish in Indiana to progress to the Tour Championship for the first time.
Power rallies in DAP Championship
Web.com Tour — West Waterford's Seamus Power moved up 13 places to tied 29th when he fired a two under 68 in the second round of the weather-delayed DAP Championship in Ohio — the first event of the Web.com Tour Playoffs.
Bidding to improve his PGA Tour status for the 2016-17 season, the Irish Olympian had four birdies and two bogeys on his card at Canterbury Golf Club to get to two under par and trail lead Zack Sucher by five strokes. Scores
Sucher has two holes of his second round to complete but leads by one on seven under par from clubhouse leaders Whee Kim of Korea (67 67), Scott Harrington (67 67), Australian veteran Stuart Appleby (66 68). Cameron Percy (68 66) and former NCAA and US Amateur champion Bryson DeChambeau (64 70).
The field is peppered with familiar names who failed to finish in the top 125 on the money list. Apart from Appleby, DA Points is tied 10th with six-time PGA Tour winner Rory Sabbatini just two off the lead on five under after rounds pf 68 and 67.
After making the FedExCup Playoffs each of the first nine years of its existence, Sabbatini is making his first career Web.com Tour start in an effort to get back to the Tour for the 2016-17 season.
Mouland leads Legends
Mark Mouland shot a seven under 64 to lead the Legends Tournament in Paris where Brendan McGovern leads the Irish after a one over 72.
Philip Walton is the next best after a 74 with Des Smyth back on seven over after a 78. Scores
