CROMWELL, Conn. -- Jordan Spieth played well enough in the second round of the Travelers Championship to stay in the lead. Rory McIlroy played just well enough to stay in the tournament.
Spieth shot a 1-under 69 on Friday morning, then watched as a windy afternoon kept anyone from overtaking him.
The conditions also kept fourth-ranked Jason Day from making the cut for a second consecutive week. He bogeyed the 18th for a 70 to finish at 2 over. No. 3 McIlroy shot a 73, also closing with a bogey, but managed to just sneak into the weekend at even par.
Spieth, who began the day one shot ahead after a first-round 63, started on the back nine. The 23-year-old Texan had to recover from a double bogey on the par-5 13th hole after hitting his tee shot left and out-of-bounds. He also had four birdies and a bogey to reach 8 under.
"We've been kind of far behind in a lot of the events in making comeback runs," said Spieth, the two-time major champion who tied for 35th last week in the U.S. Open. "But being able to be toward the front of the pack on a Saturday afternoon is a beautiful position to be in and one that we'll certainly embrace. I'm going to try to have a lot of fun this weekend."
Patrick Reed (66) and Troy Merritt (68) were tied for second. Both fought off wind gusts that exceeded 20 mph to hit 11 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens.
"A golf course like this, even when the wind is blowing, if you're hitting your tee shots straight, you're going to have some wedges into the greens," Reed said.
Wesley Bryan (67), Daniel Summerhays (68) and Boo Weekley (68) also were 5 under.
Graham DeLaet led briefly during the afternoon, but had a double bogey on 18 for a 70 to drop into the group at 5 under.
David Lingmerth (Arkansas Razorbacks) shot a 70 and is 3 under. Bryce Molder (Conway) shot a 70 and is even after two rounds.
Two-time champion Bubba Watson, who missed the cut at the U.S. Open, will have another weekend off. He followed up a 75 in the first round with a 67 and finished at 2 over.
Ken Duke (Arkadelphia, Henderson State) and Tag Ridings (Razorbacks) did not make the cut.
Weather could also affect the scoring today. A forecast of rain led tournament officials to move the start of the third round back to 10 a.m. Central, with the players going out in threesomes off the first and 10th tees.
WEB.COM TOUR
Whitney ahead by 2
Tom Whitney shot his second consecutive 65 on Friday at the Web.com's Lincoln Land Charity Championship in Springfield, Ill., giving him a 12-under 133 and a 2-stroke lead over Kyle Thompson.
Eleven players are tied for third place at 9 under.
Taylor Moore (Arkansas Razorbacks) had a 69 and is 6 under. Andrew Landry (Razorbacks) shot a 66 and also is 6 under.
Matt Atkins (Henderson State) had a 67 and is 5 under. Ethan Tracy (Razorbacks) shot an even-par 71 and is 3 under.
Austin Cook (Jonesboro, Razorbacks) and Zack Fischer (Little Rock) did not make the cut.
CHAMPIONS TOUR
Broadhurst in front
MADISON, Wis. -- Paul Broadhurst shot a 9-under 63 on Friday to take a two-stroke lead in the PGA Tour Champions' American Family Insurance Open.
The Englishman had an eagle and seven birdies -- three on his final four holes -- at University Ridge. He won the Senior British Open and PURE Insurance Championship last year.
Brian Henninger had a 65, and tournament host Steve Stricker joined Kenny Perry and Billy Andrade at 66. Stricker is making his first start in his hometown event after turning 50 in February. He tied for 16th last week in the U.S. at Erin Hills.
Fred Couples was another stroke back along with Kevin Sutherland, Corey Pavin, Stephen Ames, Brandt Jobe, Jeff Maggert and Phillip Price.
Madison player Jerry Kelly opened with a 68, defending champion Kirk Triplett had a 69, and Nick Faldo shot 71. Faldo is making his first PGA Tour Champions start since 2015.
Glen Day (Little Rock) shot 70.
EUROPEAN TOUR
Pair leads BMW
MUNICH -- Joakim Lagergren and Joel Stalter took the lead at the BMW International Open at 9 under at the midway point Friday, one stroke ahead of former champions Sergio Garcia and Henrik Stenson.
Lagergren (66) had eight birdies and two bogeys for a 6 under in the second round. Stalter (68) soon joined him for a share of the lead. Both are bidding for their first European Tour title.
Garcia (70) was on course for the lead but bogeys on the 14th and 17th set the Masters champion back before he finished with his fourth birdie.
Stenson, the defending champion, went one better with a 69 as he joined Garcia, Richard Bland, Rikard Karlberg and Thomas Detry at 8 under.
Sports on 06/24/2017