Lowry and McDowell ride rollercoaster; Power cut in Texas
Collin Morikawa of the United States reacts on the ninth green during the second round of the Workday Charity Open on July 10, 2020 at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
Shane Lowry and Graeme McDowell lost ground on a stop-start day as Collin Morikawa seized control of the weather-delayed Workday Charity Open at Muirfield Village.
Beaten in a playoff by Daniel Berger for the Charles Schwab Challenge in Texas on the PGA Tour’s return a month ago, 23-year-old Morikawa added a six-under 66 to his opening 65 to lead by three strokes in the clubhouse from Kevin Streelman (64) and Justin Thomas (66).
While Sam Burns (66) and Hideki Matsuyama (68) shared fourth place on nine-under, Norway’s Viktor Hovland was just four behind after a 67 with Ian Poulter (69) a shot further back.
McDowell and Lowry would have expected to finish the day closer to the lead but share 29th place, 10 strokes off the pace, after respective rounds of 73 and 72.
McDowell was never quite at his best during the morning weather delays, missing 10 greens in regulation but still posting a reasonable score as he made 136 feet of putts and gained 2.207 strokes on the greens, making
Out in one-over, he followed a birdie at the 11th with a bogey at the 13th by making back to back 24 footer for birdies at the 14th and 15th to get to five-under for the tournament.
But having finished strongly to open with a 68, he went the other way yesterday, dropping shots at the par-three 16th, where he went through the green, and the 18th, where he three-putted from 74 feet for a 73.
It was even more frustrating for Open champion Lowry, who made six birdies in a nine-hole stretch mid-round but signed for a 72 having bookended that purple patch with a bogey at the third, another at the 10th and a costly bogey-double bogey-bogey run from the 14th to the 16th.
Like McDowell, he lost strokes to the field off the tee, but while he hit 13 greens, he could get up and down for par just once out of five last night.
His good golf, on the other hand, was some of the best he’s played this year.
Having done well to limit the damage to a bogey at the third, where he pulled his tee shot into water and got up and down from 100 yards, he made four birdies in a five-hole stretch to turn in 33.
After a two-putt birdie at the 530-yard fifth, he made an 18-footer at the sixth, an 11 footer at the 559-yard seventh, missed a chance from 11 feet at the short eighth but then spun a lovely short iron back to just five feet at the ninth to move into the top 10.
A bogey at the 10th, where he failed to get up and down from a bunker short of the green, set him back but after picking up further shots at the 11th (10-footer) and 13th (up and down from 85 yards) and salvaged a sand save at the 12th, he undid all his hard work in three holes.
After opting to lay-up at the 318-yard 14th, he three-putted from 44 feet, missing a four-footer, then ran up a seven at the 563-yard 15th, taking four to get down from heavy rough left of the green after missing the fairway and then his lay-up.
Another shot went at the 182-yard 16th, where he fired his tee shot to the back fringe and took three to get down from 40 feet, missing a five-footer for his par.
Morikawa, who is ranked second to Matsuyama for ball-striking (total driving plus GIR) over the first two rounds, is also fourth for strokes gained putting.
“I know the rough isn't up to where it normally is for Memorial, but it's still bad,” said Morikawa, who made nine birdies and found himself six shots clear before the later starters cut into his lead.
“And the first cut out here is almost like you get flier lies, so it's almost thick enough to where you're not going to be able to spin it as much,” added Morikawa, who finds his fade a useful tool at the course built by Jack Nicklaus.
Meanwhile, Seamus Power missed the four-under-par cut by two strokes in the TPC San Antonio Challenge at the Canyons on the Korn Ferry Tour.
The West Waterford man was far better from tee to green, making four birdies and a bogey in his 69 at TPC San Antonio-AT&T Canyons.
But while he putted far better, he could not undo the damage on an opening 73 that featured 34 putts and two three-putts.
PARTIAL Second-Round Notes – Friday, July 10, 2020
Weather: Partly cloudy, with a high of 90. SW wind 10-18 mph. Due to a dangerous weather situation, play was suspended from 11:43 a.m. until 1:01 p.m. Play was again suspended due to inclement weather from 2:44 p.m. until 4 p.m. Due to darkness, round two was suspended for the day at 8:50 p.m. with 33 players yet to complete their round. Those players will be back in position at 9 a.m. Saturday. Round three will feature threesomes off Nos. 1 and 10 from approximately 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
PARTIAL Second-Round Leaderboard
Collin Morikawa 65-66—131 (-13)
Kevin Streelman 70-64—134 (-10)
Justin Thomas 68-66—134 (-10)
Sam Burns 69-66—135 (-9)
Hideki Matsuyama 67-68—135 (-9)
Things to Know
The 33 players who did not complete their second round will be back in position at 9 a.m. Saturday
Collin Morikawa overcomes three bogeys with nine birdies, including six on his last eight holes, in bid for second TOUR title
Ten second-round leaders/co-leaders have converted for the win on the PGA TOUR in 2019-20 (Most recently Webb Simpson/RBC Heritage)
Kevin Streelman posts 8-under 64, three rounds removed from a 7-under 63 at Travelers Championship
With scores of 68-66—134 (-10), Justin Thomas is the only player bogey-free through 36 holes
2017 Nicklaus Award winner Sam Burns birdies last three holes en route to a bogey-free 66
With a combined total of 251’2” of made putts through 36 holes, 44-year-old Ian Poulter seeks fourth PGA TOUR win and first since 2018.
World No. 6 Brooks Koepka birdied five of his last seven holes to move to 1-under 143; committed followed his round to next week’s the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide
About Collin Morikawa (entering the week)
Player
Collin Morikawa
Age 23
FedExCup 21
OWGR 29
PGA TOUR starts 25
PGA TOUR wins 1
Starts in 2019-20 14
Top-10s in 2019-20 4
Collin Morikawa (1st/-13)
Total of 16 combined birdies and eagles marks his career-most on TOUR through opening 36 holes (Previous-best: 13/2020 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open); second-most at Muirfield Village since 1983 (17/Adam Scott/2007)
131 total is one stroke shy of the lowest opening 36-hole score at Muirfield Village (2017/Jason Dufner)
With six birdies on his last eight holes (Nos. 2-9) in round two, is now 9-under par on the front nine at
Muirfield Village this week
Made 96’3” of putts in round one and 95’9” in round two, marking his first time to open a TOUR event with back-to-back rounds of making 95+ feet of putts
Last three starts on TOUR: P2/Charles Schwab Challenge, T64/RBC Heritage, MC/Travelers Championship
Seeking second PGA TOUR victory (2019 Barracuda Championship)
R2 statistics: 9/14 fairways, 14/18 greens, 26 putts
Additional Notes
In his first start since finishing second at the Travelers Championship on the strength of a third-round 7-under 63, Kevin Streelman posted an 8-under 64 to move to 10-under 134
With scores of 68-66—134 (-10), Justin Thomas is the only player bogey-free through 36 holes
Seeking his fifth top-10 finish of the season (14th start), Hideki Matsuyama posted a 4-under 68 to move to 9-under 135
2017 Nicklaus Award recipient Sam Burns birdied his final three holes, Nos. 7-9, to post a bogey-free 6-under 66 and move to 9-under 135; marks his 10th consecutive sub-par score in the Return to Golf
Highlighted by 11 birdies on the front nine through two rounds, including Nos. 7-9 both days,
Norway’s Viktor Hovland sits at 8-under 136 (69-67); converted for eagle after his tee shot came to rest 3’8” from the hole at the par-4 14th
England’s Ian Poulter sank 135’11” of putts in round one and 115’3” in round two (251’2”). Opened with scores of 68-69—137 (-7). Seeks fourth career PGA TOUR win and first since the 2018 Houston Open
Workday ambassador Phil Mickelson (73-69—142) made an 8-stroke improvement on Muirfield Village Golf Club’s back nine from round one (41) to round two (33)
Following a pair of even-par 72s, former Ohio State Buckeye Ryan Armour missed the cut
J.B. Holmes (shoulder injury) withdrew before the second round, while Grayson Murray (back injury), Cameron Percy (rib injury) and Bo Van Pelt withdrew during round two
