Rory McIlroy produced one of his trademark driving performances to move through the gears and scorch into contention for the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club as Shane Lowry and Graeme McDowell missed the cut.

The world No 1 needed a birdie three at the last to match the tournament record — a nine-under 61 by Keith Clearwater (1993), Lee Janzen (1993), Greg Kraft (1999), Justin Leonard (2003), Kenny Perry (2003), Chad Campbell (2004) and Kevin Na (2018).

But while he pushed his drive into the trees and was forced to chip out, and eventually make an eight-footer for bogey, he used a simulator overnight at his rental home and with his wedges dialled in, he chipped away the 90-day ring rust that was evident in his opening 68 on Thursday when he made an eagle and six birdies in a seven-under 63.

“Actually the rental home we're staying in this week has a simulator in the basement, and I've actually hit a few balls in there last night, and that helped,” McIlroy said. “So obviously I didn't -- it's hot here; you don't want to take too much energy out of yourself. But the fact that where we're staying has a simulator and you can hit some shots into the -- I guess get some numbers, I just needed to sort of dial them in a little bit. Did that last night, and seemed to help this morning.:

Scores

It was a score that left him tied for fourth on nine-under-par with Collin Morikawa (67) and Xander Schauffele (66), just two shots behind joint overnight leader Harold Varner III, who added a 66 to his opening 63 to lead by a shot on 11-under from the bulked-up Bryson DeChambeau (65-65) a resurgent but still nervy Jordan Spieth (65-65).

“I’m really happy,” McIlroy said. “Yesterday I had opportunities to shoot a low one but I just wasn’t very efficient with my scoring - didn’t hit my wedges close enough and didn’t hole any putts. Today, it felt a little bit better, distance control was better and I holed some more putts with better greens this morning, which helped.

“Overall, a 63 out there. It’s obviously benign conditions with not much wind so the scoring opportunities are there. But you still need to go out there and hit the shots and I did that today.”

He added: “I felt like I built my score really well. I took advantage of some of the easier holes. I played conservatively on some of the tougher ones, especially 3, 4 and 5, the horrible horseshoe. I made three of my pars there and moved on and then birdied the next two holes.

“Just smart, played to my strengths, put it in play and gave myself plenty of chances. I felt pretty comfortable out there, and hopefully I can do the exact same thing over the next two days.”

Seeking his ninth win when making his debut at a venue, McIlroy is quickly adapting to the disciplined approach that’s sometimes required while also using his power to take the trees out of play.

“There are a few awkward tee shots and overhanging trees and lines off tees you need to get a little more comfortable with,” he said. “This is my fourth time seeing it today and I am definitely getting more comfortable each day.

“Growing up there I am from, you get used to playing in all sorts of conditions. It wasn’t just links courses we played, we also played parkland courses and one of the things I pride myself on these days is that fact that no matter what golf course style it is or whatever grass or conditions, I seem to be able to bring out close to my best golf and get myself into contention most weeks.”

On Colonial, he said: “Watching from afar, this is a golf course that's always let the best players rise to the top. You have to be in complete control of your game, hit fairways, hit greens, convert some putts, and yeah, the leaderboard is a who's-who of golf right now. I'm just happy to be in the mix.”

Starting on the back nine, McIlroy missed a brace of birdie chances from 12 feet on the first two greens. But he never looked back after rolling home a 16 footer for a birdie two at the 13th.

After struggling with his distance control with the wedges on day one, he hit a 100-yard approach inside six feet at the 14th and made the putt, then rifled another short iron to just three feet at the 17th to turn in 32.

He was still five shots adrift of on-course leader J=Spieth but soon closed the gap as he eagled the first from 23 feet, then birdied the second from 10 feet to get to six under for his round, then lipped out from 20 yards for a two at the fourth.

McIlroy then birdied the sixth from just five feet to go seven-under for the day and move into a tie for third, just one adrift of Spieth, who went through a strange run from the moment he four-putted the third.

The Texan was six-under for the day after 11 holes when he four-putted the third from 30 feet, taking three putts from just three feet.

He would bogey the next, then birdie the fifth and sixth to card a second successive 65, hitting 13 of 14 fairways in a round featuring 12 single putts and 107 feet holed in total.

As for McIlroy’s playing partners, Brooks Koepka shot a second successive 68 to lie seven shots off the lead as Spain’s Jon Rahm followed his 69 with a 71 to miss the cut

McDowell started the day a shot outside the projected cut mark on one-under but shot a level par 70 to miss the cut by a shot.

He was two-over early but after fighting back to the cut line with birdies at the seventh, ninth and 11th, he failed to get up and down from sand at the par-three 13th and failed to find the birdie he needed over the last five holes.

Open champion Lowry needed a 67 to make the cut after opening with a 71 but had even less luck on the greens that he did on Thursday, finishing the day with 35 putts (-3.41 strokes gained) in a three-over 73.

The Offaly man mixed two bogeys with a solitary, two-putt birdie four at the first (his 10th) before closing doube bogey six after his approach from the trees on the left came up short in the water.