Australian Adam Scott has surged to the top of the leaderboard at the BMW Championship and fourth in the FedEx Cup standings after a stunning course-record 63 on Saturday.
Scott was faultless on a bogey-free second round, mixing in nine birdies on his way to matching the lowest round (nine-under) in the FedEx Cup playoffs.
It continued what has been a strong recent run of form for Scott, who has recorded a pair of top-10 finishes in his last three appearances and is on the right track to secure a spot in the Tour Championship.
BMW CHAMPIONSHIP LEADERBOARD: Where every player stands after Round 2
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“Hopefully I’ve set myself up to have a real run at this thing,” Scott said after Saturday’s second round.
“Leaving the range, I just kind of wanted to keep moving in the right direction, grind out and shoot under par and keep going that way. Then by the middle of the round I was thinking of how many birdies can I make. It’s funny how that happens.
“I feel like I really don’t have anything to lose this week. I can’t go out of the top 50 (on the order of merit). I’m going to have a good schedule in the Signature Events (on the PGA Tour) next year. Of course I’d love to make it to East Lake, but now I’d love to win this event.”
Scott entered the weekend sitting in 41st in the FedEx Cup points after the St. Jude Championship and, as it stands, has jumped 37 spots into fourth.
“It’s a big deal for anybody to make it through to the top 50 on Tour, and I think that was a relief last week,’’ Scott said, having come into the event in 46th position.
“I have to say playing the back nine last week was quite stressful. I knew I was a shot here or there from being in or out, and getting through that was good.
“I felt like I’ve been kind of a bubble boy all year for things, and now it doesn’t really matter. It’s more about getting out there and playing. My game is in a good place, and that freedom is helpful.’’
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Elsewhere, Scott also opened up on how equipment changes had helped spark his turnaround in recent weeks, specifically pointing to his iron play as a weakness that prevented him from having more success.
“It’s really my iron play has been atrocious for two years, and that’s why I’ve been moving stuff around, because I figured if I leave it the same, I’ll keep getting atrocious,’’ Scott added.
“But before the Scottish, we managed to really, like, sort my irons out, in what I’m using to shaft to grip to lofts to lie angles and club, the whole thing, complete working over, and as soon as we did that, it started feeling better.’’
Keegan Bradley is Scott’s closest competitor at this point, sitting just two shots behind the Australian with a few holes still left to play.
Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, one of the contenders for the FedEx Cup playoffs on the PGA Tour, was also one of the other major threats but he has since pulled out of the BMW Championship with back pain.
Matsuyama was one shot behind Bradley after the first round at the event in Colorado.
“I am disappointed to have to withdraw from the BMW Championship after experiencing lower back discomfort while warming up this morning, which made it impossible to play today,” Matsuyama said in a statement.
Matsuyama came into the tournament at Castle Pines, ranked third in the FedEx Cup standings after winning on Sunday at the St Jude Championship in Memphis.
Given his ranking, Matsuyama would still qualify to play in the final event of the playoffs next week, The Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club near Atlanta.
The 32-year-old, the 2021 Masters winner, recently claimed the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics.
Meanwhile, it has been a tricky day for a few bigger names, with Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy both having moments to forget.
Scheffler, playing the par-4 10th, sent his second shot into the water and then on his fourth from the drop zone, the ball one-hopped over the green.
Scheffler then turned to his caddie, Ted Scott, and said, “Is that not enough club? Seriously?
“How is that possible? I thought we were pin high. How? How? How is that possible?” he added, going on to record a double bogey.
Scheffler was not the only one to be overcome by frustration, with McIlroy throwing his club into the water after sending his tee shot on the par-5 17th into the right rough.
