Great Britain's Tommy Fleetwood shares lead with defending champion Xander Schauffele and Hideki Matsuyama at halfway stage of men's Olympic golf, on 11 under par; Schauffele bogeys 13th hole after ball lands in anthill; Rory McIlroy six shots off pace on five under at Le Golf National
Friday 2 August 2024 17:47, UK
Great Britain's Tommy Fleetwood shot a seven-under 64 to move into a three-way share of the lead after round two of the men's golf at the Paris Olympics.
Fleetwood, who carded six birdies and an eagle, dropped his only shot of the day on the final hole as he ended locked together with defending champion Xander Schauffele and Hideki Matsuyama on 11 under.
Schauffele - victorious at two of the last three men's majors having won the PGA Championship in May and Open Championship in July - carded a five-under 66.
The world No 2's round included a bogey on 13 after his ball ended up in an anthill, with the American saying: "I've had burrowing animal issues but not an antpile you can't really move."
Japan's Matsuyama, who led Schauffele by two strokes after the opening round following an eight-under 63, shot a three-under 68 on Friday, which concluded with double-bogey at 18.
Jon Rahm is outright fourth on nine under, two adrift of the trio of leaders, with the Spaniard's five-under 66 including three consecutive birdies on his back nine.
Thomas Detry of Belgium produced the round of the day with his eight-under 63 moving him to the same mark for the tournament.
Great Britain's Matthew Fitzpatrick is now at five under after matching Fleetwood's seven-under round, with Rory McIlroy, representing Ireland, also at five under following a two-under second round.
On potentially winning Olympic gold, Fleetwood said: "I try to look at things through the eyes of my six-year-old son.
"I think about having a gold medal that he would take when I was gone and what an unbelievably special thing to have.
"We constantly get asked the question, 'where does the Olympics sit in golf', and I think when you look at how it's going this week, it continues to grow.
"It brings its own nerves and excitement. It's very, very special, it has its own unique feeling."
There is no cut in the golf so all 60 players have qualified for the final two rounds.
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