Another great day at TPC River Highlands filled with perfect weather, great play, and plenty of lead changes. Round 1 on Thursday was closed out with a tie for 1st place between Zach Johnson and defending champ Jordan Spieth at -7. Spieth came out shaky in round 2 to close the day out with a 73, dropping him to 25th place.
Brian Harman followed a back-and-forth opening nine with a flawless backside to move into the lead heading into the weekend.
Harmon fired a 4-under 66 on Friday and leads by one through 36 holes at 10 under overall. Three birdies and three bogeys on the back nine (his frontside) were followed by a closing 4-under 31 to cement his status on top.
A late bogey spoiled Rory McIlroy's second-round card as he slipped off the pace of the early clubhouse lead.
The Irishman, starting on the back nine at TPC River Highlands in Connecticut, briefly tied the lead when he got to eight under after holing a 20-foot putt for his second birdie of the day at the second hole.
His first birdie had come at the 296th-yard 15th, where he drove into a greenside bunker and splashed out to six feet, but a bogey three holes from home dropped him back to seven under - three off the lead set by Brian Harman's 66.
Defending champion Jordan Spieth, tied with Johnson after an opening 63, had a 73 to drop into a tie for 25th at 4 under.
His round, which started on the back nine, included a triple bogey on the par-5 13th hole and an eagle on par-5 sixth, when he put his second shot within 2 feet of the hole from 276 yards away.
"I don't go to the range after 63s very often, and I was there for an hour yesterday trying to figure out the golf swing," he said. "So it's not like things are on. Sometimes it can get disguised by rounds, but it's not far off. It really is close."
Zach Johnson, who started on the 10th tee, had the day's most interesting round, which included just two birdies, but one amazing par save. He hit the ball into the TPC River Highland's signature lake on No. 17, dropped across the water near the 16th tee box and then put his third shot within 8 feet of the hole from 234 yards away.
"You can't hit that shot and then not make that putt," he said. "It felt good to get away with that four. That's as good an up and down as I've ever witnessed or performed."
We have seen amazing comebacks in single rounds, so Saturday and Sunday should have some great golf in store for us. Stay tuned for more updates, and let us know who you favorite to take tomorrow's round, and the top spot chasing the $7,000,000 purse.
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