Story highlights
Rory McIlroy claims clubhouse lead in the Deutsche Bank Championship
Second straight 65 at TPC Boston for the Northern Irishman
Overnight leader Seung-Yul treads water with level par 71
Tiger Woods two back after second round 68
World number one Rory McIlroy carded a second straight six-under-par 65 Saturday to take the lead at halfway in the Deutsche Bank Championship.
The Northern Ireland star made light work of the par-71 TPC Boston course, with the highlight an eagle three on par-five 18th – his ninth hole of the day – as his approach nestled close to the flag to delight the galleries.
Two bogeys in his second nine, including the par-five second where he found the water, halted his progress but successive birdies put him back on track and in the lead on 12-under 130.
The newly crowned PGA champion had predicted a low total to win the second round of the FedEX Cup playoffs and so it has proved.
“Now that I’m in the tournament, I just want to play as well as I can and maybe reassess things going into the last day,” McIlroy told the official PGA Tour website.
“But I was very happy with the two scores that I’ve got already and know that I need to go out and play just as good tomorrow to give myself a chance going into Monday.”
McIlroy entered the week in fourth place in the FedEx Cup points list, knowing a victory will elevate him to the top of the pile with a $10 million bonus at stake at the end of the four tournaments.
Overnight leader Seung-Yul Noh of South Korea could not progress with a level par 71 to follow his nine-under par opening round of 62.
It left him in a group on 133 while former British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen of South African was in second place after a 66 for 131.
Tiger Woods, who shot an opening 64, backed it up to tie fellow American Ryan Moore for third on 132.
Phil Mickelson went into the clubhouse on six-under 136, two ahead of British Open champion Ernie Els of South Africa.