Horschel Leads and Rory Looms

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Rory McIlroy's second-round 65 left him two behind halfway leader Billy Horschel at the Tour Championship.

The World No 1 McIlroy overcame a bizarre incident when his tee shot at the 14th bounced into a spectator's pocket and went on to produce a birdie-birdie finish on a steamy day at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.

The Northern Irishman's five-under effort was the best of the day and moved him through the field into a share of second place alongside Australia's Jason Day (67) and American Chris Kirk (68) at six-under overall.

Horschel, who won last week's BMW Championship, remains out in front at eight under after a second straight round of 66.

Along with Horschel, Kirk, Bubba Watson and Hunter Mahan, McIlroy knows victory on Sunday would also secure the overall FedEx Cup title - and with it a bonus of $10 million.

And with Mahan languishing 14 shots off the lead and Watson eight adrift, the battle for the richest prize in golf looks to be down to three players.

McIlroy insists the title means more to him than the money, the 25-year-old keen to end a brilliant season on a high note after four victories, including two major titles in the Open and US PGA Championship.

The four-time major winner holed from 11 feet for his first birdie of the day on the second but bogeyed the fourth for the second day in succession after his drive plugged in the face of a fairway bunker.

McIlroy had been frustrated by taking one step forward and one step back on Thursday, but this time took two steps forward with birdies from close range on the sixth and seventh, although another birdie chance did go begging on the par-five ninth.

He never threatened to hole birdie putts on the 10th or 11th, but very nearly holed his approach to the 12th, his ball clattering into the pin.

Fortunately for McIlroy it finished just eight feet away and he holed the putt, before his round took a bizarre turn on the 14th, where his wayward drive clipped a tree and somehow dropped straight into a spectator's shorts pocket.

"I got really lucky," McIlroy told Sky Sports. "It ricocheted off a tree and went straight into his pocket somehow. That ball could have went anywhere and luckily I was able to take a drop and hit it on the green and make par.

"The guy probably deserved more than just the handshake that I gave him."

For the second day running McIlroy birdied the 17th and then put the icing on the cake by holing from 25 feet on the last, adding: "To finish like that with two birdies puts me in a great position going into the weekend."

Justin Rose carded five birdies and one bogey in a round of 66 to move to two under par overall, one ahead of Ryder Cup team-mate Sergio Garcia, who bogeyed the last for a 71.

Germany's Martin Kaymer complained of fatigue in his "marathon" effort of playing six tournaments in the last seven weeks, the US Open champion recording a 69 to lie two over par.

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Wonderbar McIlroy Hits 64

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Rory McIlroy stormed up the third-round leaderboard at the Deutsche Bank Championship with a flawless seven-under 64 on Sunday.

The in-form McIlroy collected seven birdies to reach 10-under-par overall, two behind leader Russell Henley.

Henley came home in 31 shots for a 65 and is one ahead of his fellow American Billy Horschel (67) heading into Monday's final round at TPC Boston in the second event of the FedEx Cup play-off series.

American Chris Kirk (64) and Australia's Jason Day (69) sit a stroke further back, alongside McIlroy, on a packed leaderboard featuring 14 players within five of the lead.

McIlroy made an excellent start with birdies at two and three before driving a 132-yard approach to nine feet at the seventh, with a nerveless putt moving him to three under for his round.

Two more excellent up and downs at the 13th and 15th left him with simple putts, while he was inches away from acing the 16th, consoling himself by tapping in for his seventh birdie of the day.

He passed up a chance to close his round with a flourish after finding the rough with his approach on his final hole, but he saved par and will now fancy his chances heading into Monday's final round.

McIlroy has won three of his last four tournaments heading into Boston, having triumphed at the Open Championship, the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and the US PGA Championship in recent weeks.

Speaking after his round, he said on Sky Sports 4: "I converted some more of the chances that I gave myself today. I was pretty frustrated coming off the golf course in the last couple of days because I felt like I left a lot of shots out there.

"Even today, I felt like I might have left a couple out there, especially on the last. But I'm happy with how I converted those chances and I'm going to need to do the same tomorrow if I'm going to win."

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McIlroy's Labor Day in Boston

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Rory McIlroy continued second round of the Deutsche Bank Championship showing some inconsistency as Australian Jason Day continued his form to tie American Ryan Palmer for the lead in Boston.

Despite an unexpected bogey on his final hole, Day carded a three-under-par 68 in fluctuating afternoon winds while Palmer shot a 71 in the morning at the TPC Boston.

They finished level at eight-under 134, one stroke ahead of Americans Matt Kuchar (66) and Billy Horschel (66) on a tightly-bunched leaderboard.

McIlroy, slowed by a double-bogey at the par-four 14th where his approach shot bounded 30 yards over the green into a hazard, fired a 69 to trail the leaders by five shots.

Day, the world number seven whose quest this year to win a first Major title was ruined by a thumb injury, maintained the red-hot form he displayed last week to tie for second in the first of the PGA Tour’s four FedExCup play-off events.

“To be in contention last week and (again) this week goes to show the hard work I’ve put in the last four or five weeks is definitely paying off,” Day told reporters.

Day’s round was a tale of two halves. He was five under on the front nine but two over coming home as the swirling wind made it difficult to judge club selection.

The Australian had visions of a birdie at the par-five 18th when he had an iron in his hands for his second shot, only to drop a stroke after firing his approach over the green and taking four more shots to hole out.

“I made the front nine look very easy today (and) made the back nine look very hard, but overall I’m very happy with how I’ve played the last couple of days,” Day said.

Palmer, meanwhile, says his goal over the final two rounds was to play well enough to “make it hard on Tom Watson”.

He was referring to the US Ryder Cup captain, who on Tuesday will announce his three wildcard selections to complete the 12-man team to take on holders Europe at Gleneagles in Scotland next month.

“I’m proud of the way I hung in today. I had to grind it out,” said Palmer. “It could have got away pretty fast (but I) stayed patient, stayed calm and salvaged even par.”

A total of 80 players made the cut, which fell at three-over 145, and several Americans with hopes of earning a late Ryder Cup spot bowed out early, including Brendon Todd,Kevin Na and 2012 FedExCup champion Brandt Snedeker.

The top 70 players on the FedExCup points list after the Deutsche Bank Championship advance to next week’s BMW Championship in Englewood, Colorado where the leading 30 will qualify for the Tour Championship finale in Atlanta.

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GMAC Plans Moving Day

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Graeme McDowell is confident he will make a fourth consecutive Ryder Cup appearance one way or the other at Gleneagles next month.

A run of three top-10-finishes after a successful title defence at the French Open lifted McDowell into the automatic qualifying places at the start of the US PGA Championship.

But with less than three points separating McDowell, Jamie Donaldson and Luke Donald in eighth, ninth and 10th in the standings respectively, the former US Open champion could still need to rely on a wild card from European captain Paul McGinley.

“I want to be in the automatic spots if I possibly can,” said McDowell, who has just one qualifying event left on his schedule, the first FedEx Cup event in a fortnight’s time.

“I will be going out there tomorrow all guns blazing and trying to shoot a low number to finish the week. Ryder Cup is very, very important to me.

“I’m not uncomfortable. I’m optimisitic about the way I’m playing, I’m optimisitc about my chances of finishing in the automatic spots and I’d be farily optimistic of the chances of a pick. I am not really too worried about it.

“My form the last couple of months has certainly shown the captain that I’m playing well. I will take a week off then get ready for the play-offs, keep some energy in the tank.

“I think I am pretty much guaranteed (to qualify for) the first three play-offs, but we are having our baby the second week so I will spend that week at home and experience that next chapter in my life.”

McDowell, who secured the winning point at Celtic Manor in 2010, was in the first group out in the third round at Valhalla and finished play before tournament officials were ready to record his score and that of playing partner Brendon Todd.

In McDowell’s case it was a level-par 71 which featured four birdies but a quadruple-bogey eight on the 13th, where he hit two approach shots into water surrounding the green.

“I played beautifully this morning, it’s so disappointing to make an elementary quadruple bogey, a card-wrecker, tournament-wrecker, weekend-wrecker, all of the above really,” McDowell added. “I think there might have been mud on the first ball but my second attempt was a bad shot.

“This was not really a course I was going to be able to compete on. I’m 71st in driving distance this week out of the 74 players who made the cut. The damage was done Thursday, I didn’t really feel myself. My lower back was in bad shape on Friday and this morning was the only day I felt ready for it.

“It’s a slog out there when you are only moving it 280 (yards) off the tee. You say ‘only’ 280 but it really is in this day and age when Jason Day is flying it 320, Rory is flying it 330. I am four shots behind these guys before I tee it up each day so I have to play very well elsewhere which I just haven’t done.

“I’m literally wearing the grooves off my 5-wood, 3-hybrid and my four and five irons.”

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McDowell Challenge Fades

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Graeme McDowell bowed out of the WGC Match Play in Arizona after Frenchman Victor Dubuisson beat him one up.

The Northern Irishman was seeking to reach the semi-finals for the first time but crucially lost the 16th hole.

In Sunday's semi-final Dubuisson will play veteran Ernie Els, who beat 20-year-old American Jordan Spieth 4&2.

Rickie Fowler lost four successive holes to Jim Furyk but recorded a 2&1 victory and he will now face Jason Day, who beat Louis Oosthuizen one up.

McDowell, who won the European Tour's Match Play tournament in Bulgaria last year, had staged remarkable recoveries in all three of his matches this week, needing to hole from 20 feet on the 20th hole to avoid defeat by Hunter Mahan on Friday, before beating the American at the 21st.

The 34-year-old world number 17 had played 58 holes to reach the quarter-final and had never stood on any tee with the lead but was two ahead after only three holes against Dubuisson, courtesy of an eagle and a birdie.

However, Dubuisson, ranked 30, picked up two birdies to level the match and then went ahead at the ninth after chipping in for another birdie.

It was all square after Dubuisson took six at the par-five 13th but McDowell went behind ahead again after three-putting the 16th.

McDowell had a birdie putt of 20 feet to take the match into extra holes but this time it drifted by on the left.

Els, 44, remains on course to become the oldest winner of the tournament, a distinction currently held by David Toms, who was 38when he triumphed in 2005.

The big South African, four times a major champion and winner of seven Match Play titles at Wentworth, had three birdies in taking a one-hole lead at the turn against an increasingly exasperated Spieth.

As Spieth imploded, Els needed only pars to win three holes on the inward nine, and said afterwards: "I wouldn't say I'm at my career best but I made some key putts."

Oosthuizen received lengthy treatment on his back from his physio before play started but carved his opening tee shot into the desert.

After attempting to hack clear from a bush, the 2010 Open championquickly conceded the hole to Day and seemed likely to fall two down after another errant drive on the second.

However, this time Oosthuizen took a penalty drop and then hit a superb third shot with a fairway wood on to the green, holing the putt from 20 feet for an unlikely winning birdie.

But Day won the next two holes, went two ahead at the turn and remained in control.

"It got better - the last four or five holes I felt I could get through the ball better," Oosthuizen said of his injury. "It's a bit painful that it always happens when I'm playing well and I need to address it big time and get it sorted.

"I felt I played really well but you can't give away holes to a guy like Jason."

Fowler, who has missed his first three cuts of the year in strokeplay events, had three birdies in winning three of the first four holes against Furyk but three successive birdies from his veteran opponent levelled the match at the 15th.

Furyk went ahead with a par at the next but then dropped a shot at the 17th.

At the last the 43-year-old former US Open champion fluffed a chip, which rolled back to his feet short of the green and Fowler progressed with a par.

Quarter-final results:

Bobby Jones Group:

J Day (Aus) bt L Oosthuizen (SA) 2&1

Ben Hogan Group:

R Fowler (US) bt J Furyk (US) 1up

Gary Player Group:

E Els (SA) bt J Spieth (US) 4&2

Sam Snead Group:

V Dubuisson (Fr) bt G McDowell (NI) 1up

Sunday's semi-final line-up

J Day (Aus) v R Fowler (US)

E Els (SA) v V Dubuisson (Fr)

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Scott 62 Ends McIlroy Hopes

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Rory McIlroy, trying to win for the first time this year, shot 69, seven behind Scott at the Emirates Australian Open at Royal Sydney Golf Club in Rose Bay. 

The Northern Irishman made the turn at two-under, bogeyed 11 and 12 but had three birdies in his final seven holes, including on the 18th. But it all needed 29 putts and afterwards Rory admitted he was disappointed at his return.

"I drove the ball pretty well off the tee but just didn't get any reward on the greens," he said. "I missed three short ones and that was just wasteful as I felt it could have been a lot lower, given that I am driving the ball the best I feel I ever had.

"It's just a matter of being more efficient and putting better, and that's really it as I only played the par fives in one under par, and the way I am driving it, I should be playing those in four under."

Adam Scott fired a course record 62 to take the lead after the first round of the Australian Open in Sydney.

Scott is looking to become only the second player to land the Australian PGA, Masters and Open title in the same season, and at three shots clear is bang on course for the hat-trick.

The US Masters champion had a strange round, birdieing the first six holes, parring the next eight, before finishing strongly with four more birdies.

"It was a beautiful day for golf, I came out hitting great shots and didn't have much work to do to clean them up in the first five holes and had a nice putt on my sixth hole and I was really rolling at that stage," he said.

"But I think I've gone through a rollercoaster of emotion out there today from cruising after six holes to having to work pretty hard.

"Nothing much was going my way, I missed a green, felt like my swing was leaving me again, it's just amazing how in 18 holes you can do a 360 degrees of emotion and mood swings and everything."

Canadian Ryan Yip shot 65 to tie the previous record and was in second place. David McKenzie had a 66 while two-time champion Aaron Baddeley was in a group with 67s tied for fourth.

Kevin Streelman, who played with Matt Kuchar on the runner-up American team in last week's World Cup at Royal Melbourne, shot 70 playing in the same group as Scott and Jason Day, who also carded 70.

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GMAC Lowry Team 11th

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Graeme McDowell carded a level par second round at the ISPS Handa World Cup of Golf in Australia with team mate Shane Lowry signing for one stroke more for a 72.

Ireland are in 11th ahead of the weekend on +6 and thirteen strokes off the leader Thomas Bjorn.

On day two Bjorn continued his love affair with the Royal Melbourne Golf Course shooting a a 3-under 68 to take a one stroke lead into the weekend.

Bjorn leads the tournament at 8-under par, one ahead of American Kevin Streelman.

Portugal’s Ricardo Santos shot a third round of 4-under 67 to sit in a tie for third alongside Australia’s Jason Day, the Australians fighting hard in both the team and individual components of the tournament with help from a revitalised Adam Scott.

Despite being tested on numerous occasions by the course, leader Bjorn’s affection for Royal Melbourne continued to shine.

“I love this course,” said Bjorn who leads despite three putting the first.

“There were a couple of things that happened on the golf course today that really tested me.”

“I just want to play 72 holes, stay focussed, stay concentrated, knowing that this is a golf course that a lot of people are going to find difficult.”

Bjorn’s admiration also extended to local hero Adam Scott.

“You have got the greatest ambassador in golf, the nicest guy you will ever meet and what he is doing for Australian golf at the moment is just remarkable. Most other golfers would have chased a bit of cash around the world and done other things and, you know, Australia should be proud of what he does these four weeks that’s for sure.”

Out this morning Streelman got out to an early lead over the field of 60, the 35-year-old starting with four consecutive birdies.

However disaster struck towards the end of the American’s front nine, Streelman carding a bogey and double bogey on holes eight and nine.

“I just hit it in the wrong part of the golf course, No.8 and No.9, and Royal Melbourne will bite you when you do that which is what makes it such an awesome golf course,” he said.

Signing for a 1-under 70 an unlucky Jason Day was rueing a round that saw a number of putts lip out.

“I had three lip outs, pretty harsh ones, but I’m definitely happy with shooting one under today, especially being out here at Royal Melbourne with how hard and fast the greens are - it can definitely go south pretty quick.”

Finishing at 4-under for the tournament, Day said he was motivated by the home-crowd support around Royal Melbourne that included a number of The Fanatics in full sing.

“It just kind of takes your mind away from what has happened. When you are play in a different sport like football and you are not kicking that great, you can kind of take your aggression out on someone else.”

“We can’t really go and tackle someone across the green so to have the fanatics there to take our minds of mental errors is a good thing.”

Starting at the opposite end of the leaderboard fellow Aussie Adam Scott wasted no time in trying to make amends for yesterday’s disappointing round.

The Queenslander birdied both the first and second hole on his way to a second round 3-under par 68 total.

“I needed to have a decent score today and it was hard out there. I do not think there were too many great scores to be had because Royal Melbourne is playing tricky so it felt like a hard working 68,” said Scott.

“It would be nice if I could play my way up there to the top few individually tomorrow and tee off around Jason as well. We both just have to play well over the weekend but the teams competition is well within our reach and six shots between two people can change very quickly so I think we are looking in good shape for a good weekend.”

In the teams component, the United States leads at 247 (-10), followed by Denmark at 277(-7) with Japan and Australia tied for third at 281 (-3).

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