Matt Fitzpatrick's round included a fortunate break at the par-three 14th hole, where his ball hit a cart path and ricocheted back onto the green, then was prevented from trickling into the water by a sprinkler head. He holed a 30-foot putt for birdie there, part of a strong finish where he birdied two of his final three holes. According to BBC Sport, Matt Fitzpatrick described the break as lucky, noting it was nice to take advantage of it.
Viktor Hovland stayed close with a birdie at the 17th hole, and according to BBC Sport, he described his play as not perfect but effective in keeping the ball in front of him on the challenging course. Scottie Scheffler, the world number one golfer, shot a 67 and hit every fairway, but he trails by seven shots. Jordan Spieth struggled with a 72 that included three double bogeys, while Akshay Bhatia matched Fitzpatrick's 63 with a round featuring 11 birdies.
Yeah, it was lucky, there's no two ways about it. Sometimes you need that in a week, so it's nice to get, and then even nicer to take advantage of it.
The second round was played in sweltering heat and unpredictable wind. Fitzpatrick, the defending champion and a former US Open champion, now holds a narrow advantage in tough conditions. The exact leaderboard positions of other notable players and the cut line after the second round have not been confirmed, nor have detailed statistics like driving accuracy for the leaders.
I wouldn't say I striped it today, but at least I kind of kept the ball in front of me, and that's what you're trying to do on this golf course.