Keegan Bradley, Denny McCarthy share lead as Rory McIlroy climbs at Travelers Championship
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Denny McCarthy (left) and Keegan Bradley are atop the leaderboard at the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship.
PHOTOS: AFP
NEW YORK – Keegan Bradley birdied five straight holes in a seven-under 63 on Friday to join Denny McCarthy atop the leaderboard at the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship, where Rory McIlroy was among those in the mix.
McCarthy, who led by two after a 10-under first-round 60, followed up with a five-under 65 at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut.
Bradley then blistered the back nine to join him on 15-under 125 – a 36-hole course record – rolling in five straight birdies from the 12th through to the 16th.
“Felt like I could make every putt I looked at,” he said. “I was just reading them really good. When you’re putting good, everything feels easy and it’s automatic.”
McCarthy shook off a bogey at the second hole, where he missed the green, carding six birdies the rest of the way.
He said it was “nice” to post the 36-hole course record, but remained focused on claiming a first PGA Tour title.
“Golf tournaments aren’t 36 holes unfortunately, so I know there is still a lot of golf left,” he insisted.
McCarthy and Bradley – who played through afternoon showers – were two strokes clear of Chez Reavie, who carded a 63 for 127. Eric Cole shot a 65 for 129 while Zac Blair (65) and Adam Scott (68) were tied at 130 as the course again yielded a bevy of low scores.
World No. 2 Jon Rahm could not take advantage, firing a one-over 71 that left him at two under, two shots outside the cutline that came at four under.
McIlroy was in a group on eight-under 132, climbing the leaderboard with an impressive display on the greens and despite a double-bogey disaster at his penultimate hole, the par-three eighth – the same hole he aced on Thursday.
“Other than that, it was a really good round of golf,” said the Northern Irishman, whose tee shot was in the water.
“It just got hit by a little bit of wind. Hit a pretty good shot. I just misjudged the wind a little bit and it came up short – the one place you couldn’t miss today on that hole.”
He had eight birdies at that point, setting the tone with a 19-foot birdie putt at the 11th.
His five birdies in his first nine holes also included a 13-footer at the 14th and a 14-footer at 17th. His three birdies coming in included a 25-footer at the third.
While low scores abounded, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler could not join the birdie fest. He had two birdies and two bogeys in an even-par 70 that left him on seven under. AFP
