Golf

Hideki Matsuyama finds passport to share of halfway lead

The Japanese star is tied with Denny McCarthy after two rounds of the FedEx St Jude Championship in Memphis.

Hideki Matsuyama, of Japan, hits from the 18th tee during the second round (Mark Humphrey/AP)
Hideki Matsuyama, of Japan, hits from the 18th tee during the second round (Mark Humphrey/AP) (Mark Humphrey/AP)
By PA Sport Staff

Hideki Matsuyama and Denny McCarthy found their touch on the greens as they took the halfway lead in the FedEx St Jude Championship.

Matsuyama – without his regular caddy and coach after their passports were stolen in London – recovered from finding the water on the short fourth hole to fire a 64, McCarthy going one better after holing three birdie putts from 25 feet or longer.

They moved to 11-under par at a sweltering TPC Southwind in Memphis, the opening leg of the end-of-season FedEx Cup play-offs, to sit one ahead of Sam Burns who went out in 29 en route to a 63.

FedEx rankings leader and world number one Scottie Scheffler carded three late birdies in a 65 which leaves him on nine-under-par, one ahead of Justin Rose – who shot a second successive 66 – and American Nick Dunlap.

“It’s just nice to have a clean card,” said Scheffler said. “No bogeys, did a good job of having some nice up-and-downs to kind of keep the momentum and the round going.”

With only the top 50 in the rankings reaching the second leg of the playoffs, the BMW Championship in Colorado, defending FedEx Cup champion Viktor Hovland moved into a qualifying spot as he moved to seven-under-par with a 63 after working on swing changes.

“I made a conscious effort to try to cut the ball more,” said the Norwegian. “When I did that, I ruined a relationship that happens in my swing that makes it really difficult for me to control the face coming down.

Scottie Scheffler lines up his putt on the 18th green (Mark Humphrey/AP)
Scottie Scheffler lines up his putt on the 18th green (Mark Humphrey/AP) (Mark Humphrey/AP)

“So now it’s just kind of me learning from that. I know exactly what happens because I’ve gotten myself measured, and now it’s just kind of a process of getting back to where I was.”

Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre is alongside Hovland on seven-under-par after a 66 with English duo Matt Fitzpatrick and Aaron Rai both two shots further back, one better than Tommy Fleetwood.

But Rory McIlroy failed to recover from an early double bogey as he shot a second-round 73 to sit 12 shots off the pace.

Jordan Spieth had two double bogeys on par threes in a 75 and is struggling to make the cut for the next event.