Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick on six under after 36 holes of the RBC Canadian Open with Wyndham Clark setting the pace still on seven under; watch the third round live via the red button on Sky Sports Golf from 12.45pm on Saturday
Saturday 11 June 2022 06:53, UK
Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick remain firmly in contention in a share of second place at the halfway stage of the RBC Canadian Open.
The pair are on six under after 36 holes at St George's Golf & Country Club in Toronto after carding scores of 68 and 70 respectively in the second round.
They sit alongside American trio Alex Smalley (67), Keith Mitchell (67) and Jim Knous (67) with Wyndham Clark remaining at the top of the leaderboard on seven under following a level-par 70.
McIlroy, the defending champion after winning the last staging of the event in 2019, was three behind Clark at the start of the day and was happy with his day's work as he mixed four birdies with two bogeys, making crucial gains at the 15th and 17th before a confidence-boosting par at the last as he scrambled home from the greenside rough.
"It felt pretty similar [to yesterday]," McIlroy, who posted a 66 in the first round, told Sky Sports Golf after completing his round.
"I think the course is playing a little tougher today. It's a little breezier and the course is drying out a little bit. It's still quite receptive, but with the stronger wind it was harder to get the ball close.
"It felt like I was scrambling for most of the day there. I had some really good up-and-downs on the back nine and when I did put myself in position to make birdies I did. I holed a couple of putts and then it was really nice to get up-and-down on the last and not give away a shot."
Fitzpatrick, one off the lead at the start of the day, was setting the pace and four under for his round when he birdied the 11th.
He recovered from a messy double-bogey at the 14th with a birdie at the 15th but then wrecked his card with three successive bogeys to finish.
American Clark, who opened with a 63, produced a mixed bag on the back nine with three bogeys and two birdies after an earlier birdie at the eighth.
He dropped shots at the 15th and 16th but managed to par the final two holes to keep his nose in front following Fitzpatrick's late collapse.
Englishman Matt Wallace is also well-placed on four under 66, while Ireland's Shane Lowry is alongside him after a 69.
Masters champion Scottie Scheffler is another player on four under following a 67 with PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas two under after a second successive 69.
A trio of Englishmen - Aaron Rai (70), Justin Rose (70) and Danny Willett (68) - are all on one under, but Tyrrell Hatton and Luke Donald missed the cut.
Watch the RBC Canadian Open over the weekend live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues on Saturday from 12.45pm via the red button on Sky Sports Golf and for free on the Sky Sports Golf YouTube channel.
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