Denny McCarthy and Keegan Bradley tied for the lead of the Travellers Championship on Friday with scores of 15 under par.
McCarthy shot a 65 in the morning at TPC River Highlands after shooting a 60 in the previous round. A short while later, Bradley added a 63 to his initial 62.
The 2019 winner, Chez Reavie, was two strokes back after shooting a 63. Eric Cole’s 65 helped him reach 11 under.
McCarthy and Bradley beat Xander Schauffele’s winning 36-hole total of 14 under, which was set by Justin Rose in 2010 and matched the previous year.
“Golf competitions don’t typically consist of 36 holes, which is regrettable. I’m looking forward to having a good time this weekend because I know there is still a lot of golf to play and I’m playing some very nice golf,” said Mccarthy.
Beginning cautiously, the 30-year-old Marylander bogeyed the second hole. However, that was the only negative aspect of a round that had six birdies, including five on the back nine.
McCarthy is attempting to become the 18th golfer to win his first PGA TOUR match in Connecticut after losing in a playoff at the Memorial Tournament earlier this month. In 2013, Ken Duke was the last.
“We merely pay respects. We’ll do whatever it takes to keep the putter running if it’s working. We simply salute and say, “Thank you.”‘ mentioned the Vermont Golfer, who scored a 60-footer on hole No. 3 for his number 1 birdie.
Cole is the son of Bobby Cole and Laura Baugh, both of whom played professionally. He didn’t get to attend his father’s one and only professional performance at River Highlands, where he placed 50th in 1987.
“It was before me because I was born in 1988.” said the Younger Cole.
After a 64, Rory McIlroy was tied for tenth at 8 under. On the eighth par-3, the hole he aced on Thursday for his first hole-in-one on the PGA TOUR, he made a double bogey. McIlroy’s tee shot landed in the water this time.
“I struck a fairly decent shot, but I slightly underestimated the wind, and it missed the one spot you couldn’t miss today. However, aside from that, it was a really enjoyable round of golf,” he said.
On the ninth hole, McIlroy’s tee shot fell in a cable ditch behind a tree, giving him a break on his final play. A tournament referee relieved him, but his approach shot hit a tree and still dropped just short of the green, where he was able to get up and down for par.
After a 64, Schauffele was also 8 under. Scottie Scheffler, who is ranked first, shot a 70 to go to 7 under.
The U.S. Open champion from Sunday in Los Angeles who arrived here on Wednesday, Wyndham Clark, shot a 67 to reach 5 under. He spent the week’s first half in New York, where he made multiple appearances on talk shows.
Because of the soft greens caused by light rain, the scores were kept low. Jon Rahm, the Masters champion, withdrew after posting rounds of 67 and 71, which was below the cut line.
The players will begin playing in threesomes off both Nos. 1 and 10 at 10:45 a.m. on Saturday due to the likelihood of significant morning rain.
