McDowell makes a move in Hawaii
Graeme McDowell. Copyright USGA/JD Cuban)
Graeme McDowell birdied four of his last seven holes to move within six shots of halfway leader Xander Schauffele in the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii.
The 2010 US Open champion defied rain and winds gusting to 35 mph across the Plantation Course at Kapalua, carding a second-round 69 as he followed a bogey at the fourth with birdies at the fifth, 12th, 14th, 17th and 18th. Scores
If he wins, the Rathmore man (40) could move from 122nd in the world to the fringes of the top-50 and revive his hopes of challenging for a fifth Ryder Cup cap under Pádraig Harrington in September.
Tied for 26th in the 34-man field overnight, his four-under round helped him move up to tied 15th on three-under-par.
Defending champion Schauffele is the only player in the field to go bogey-free through 36 holes, adding a five-under 68 to his opening 69 to lead by a shot from Patrick Reed and first-round leader Joaquin Niemann on nine-under-par.
"I think you just never know what Hawaii's weatherman is going to give you,” Schauffele said of the testing conditions.
"We know what he's going to give us, but we never know if it's going to be true or not. Just kind of roll with the shots and see what you can do.”
Reed shot a best of the week, seven-under-par 66 to move up to tied second with Niemann, who followed his first-round 66 with a two-under 71.
"Unfortunately I didn't do the low one yesterday, but as I was playing today I felt really good,” Reed said. "I was hitting a lot of quality golf shots, started making some putts and at that point making the turn at 4-under I knew if I got going on that back nine and get a low one out there, I could get myself right back in this event.
"Mother Nature is a funny thing. You never know what you're going to get. All of a sudden we were out there and it was calm for like 10 seconds, then all of a sudden it starts blowing, and it rains sideways, and then there was no rain.
"It was all over the place. Just kind of one of those things that you knew you had to stay patient but still be aggressive at times to get yourself back into it.”
2020 Sentry Tournament of Champions (12th of 49 events in the PGA TOUR Season)
Kapalua, Maui, HI
January 2-5, 2020
Purse: $6,700,000 ($1,340,000)
The Plantation Course — Par/Yards: 36-37—73/7,596
FedExCup Points: 500 (winner)
Second-Round Notes – Friday, January 3, 2020
Weather: Heavy morning showers turning to a mixture of clouds and sunshine in the afternoon. High of 79. Wind NE 20-30 mph, with gusts to 35 mph.
Second-Round Leaderboard
1, Xander Schauffele 69-68—137 (-9)
2, Patrick Reed 72-66—138 (-8), Joaquin Niemann 66-72—138 (-8)
4, Rickie Fowler 68-71—139 (-7)
Things to Know
Defending champion and second-round leader Xander Schauffele is the only player bogey-free through two rounds
Schauffele is attempting to become the first player since 2009-10 to go back-to-back at the event
Patrick Reed has made 278' 4" of putts through two rounds this week, the most made through two rounds of an event in his PGA TOUR career
Three past champions of the event are inside the top five (Schauffele, Reed, Justin Thomas)
Due to occasional heavy downpours, preferred lies were utilised in round two
Second-Round Lead Notes
19 Second-round leaders/co-leaders at Sentry Tournament of Champions to win (since 1983)
Most recent: Justin Thomas/2017
6 Second-round leaders/co-leaders to win on TOUR in 2019-20
Most recent: Tyler Duncan/The RSM Classic
Xander Schauffele (-9/1st)
Age: 26 (October 25, 1993)
Turned Professional: 2015
Entering the week #21 FedExCup #9 OWGR
2 Starts at Sentry Tournament of Champions
1 Win at Sentry Tournament of Champions (2019)
80 PGA TOUR starts
4 PGA TOUR wins 19 Top-10s on PGA TOUR 2
PGA TOUR starts in 2019-20
2 Top-10s in 2019-20
Only player bogey-free through two rounds
Hit 14/15 fairways, 14/18 greens and required 27 putts en route to a 5-under 68
Leads the field in Strokes Gained: Tee To Green (+5.718) and Scrambling (6 of 6); tied for lead in Putts (GIR)
Making his third start at the Sentry Tournament of Champions (T22/2018, Won/2019)
Seeking to become the first repeat winner of the event since Geoff Ogilvy (2009, 2010)
Holds the second-round lead/co-lead for the second time (2018 BMW Championship/T3)
Miscellaneous Notes
Patrick Reed (T2) has made 278' 4" of putts through two rounds this week, the most made through two rounds of an event in his PGA TOUR career; this week marks the third time with 22 or more one-putts through two rounds on TOUR (24/2015 the Memorial Tournament, 22/2020 Sentry Tournament of Champions, 22/2018 Masters Tournament); leads the field in Strokes Gained: Putting (+7.085)
In his first start at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, first-round leader Joaquin Niemann (T2) qualified for the field with win at the 2019 A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier; followed opening 7-under 66 with a 1-under 72
Rickie Fowler’s 2-under 71 highlighted by three consecutive birdies on Nos. 14-16; sits in solo-fourth place
2017 Sentry Tournament of Champions winner Justin Thomas (T5) opened 67-73; made three consecutive bogeys (Nos. 2-4) for the first time at The Plantation Course at Kapalua
Two-time winner of the event (2013, 2018), Dustin Johnson (T15) made a 41’9” eagle putt on No. 5, marking his fourth putt made over 40 feet at The Plantation Course at Kapalua (tied with Rory Sabbatini for most putts made from over 40 feet at the course since 2003)
With his 66-yard hole out for eagle on the par-5 15th hole, Chez Reavie pulled within one of Jim Furyk (24) for the most hole outs for eagle from 50+ yards since 2003 (Furyk/24, Reavie/23, Chad Campbell/21, Steve Stricker/20)
Bogey-free rounds: R1: Matt Kuchar (68), Joaquin Niemann (66), Justin Thomas (67), Xander Schauffele (69)' R2: Xander Schauffele (68)
Scoring Averages
Front 9 Back 9 Total Cumulative
R1: 35.735 35.971 71.706 ---
R2: 35.765 36.324 72.088 71.897
