2022 Visitor Championship leaderboard: Xander Schauffele leads after Rory McIlroy struggles in Round 2
There is separation at the top of the leaderboard at the 2022 Visitor Championship and while it appears momentary, two of golf’s biggest names will be responsible for this, with Xander Schauffele ultimately responsible. is the new leader. At 14th place and five strokes behind, the American will try to win her sixth on the PGA Tour and her first personal victory in more than three years.
Final win at the 2019 Champions League, Schauffele will have his job cut for him despite beating consecutive rounds with no relic by 7 under 63. The closest pursuers of he includes his good friend and Ryder Cup and President Cup teammate Patrick Cantlay as well as defending champions Harris English and Kevin Kisner bottom 9.
Right behind them on the leaderboard is Rory McIlroy, who had a pretty volatile Friday and at one point saw his name top the charts. Two loose tees to the back of McIlroy’s number 9 led to disastrous scores and as a result he was dropped 8 under for the tournament despite hitting 15 birdies in the first two innings. He will need to keep his foot on the throttle – as will the other drivers – to ban Schauffele from running away in this tournament for the final 36 holes.
Leader
1. Xander Schauffele (-14): After connecting with 18 greens in regulation on Thursday, Schauffele continued to hit the ball well into the second inning. The reward for his consistent play is a five-stroke lead and is long overdue as the 2021-22 season is an odd one for the world No 15. Having won with Cantlay in the Zurich Classic team event, Schauffele could only contest. once of his own, with this coming back in February at the WM Phoenix Open. Despite his inability to compete himself on weekends as often as he would like, Schauffele will feel more comfortable in the spotlight during the second half of the Touring Championship.
“Today is Friday. We have 36 holes left, and I need to stay positive,” Schauffele said of his thoughts moving forward. “This is a course that gives up some of the bird passion, and if you’re leading the group and you’re comfortable, people will hunt you down. It’s definitely something (caddy Austin Kaiser) and I’m going to talk about and discard what we’ve been doing. Apparently it worked fine. Sticking to the process is always a good thing. “
Other candidates
T2. Patrick Cantlay, Harris English, Nick Hardy, Cameron Davis and Kevin Kisner (-9)
T7. Rory McIlroy, KH Lee, JT Poston, Seamus Power, Sahith Theegala, Charles Howell III, Martin Laird and John Huh (-8)
Someone must have stolen McIlroy’s powers at 9 points later in the second half as he took complete control of his game in the first 27 holes of this tournament. At one point reaching under 13, the Northern Irishman opened fire at par-4 No 12 and hit a bogey double before adding a double to a drivable par-4 15. Signing an 8th under 62nd on Thursday, McIlroy waded in the water on Friday with an even performance and is now six strokes behind Schauffele.
He is in a successful protective position
In just his third week back in action, Harris English looks like his 2021 self. Having undergone hip surgery in the winter due to a torn lip, the 2021 Touring Championship winner has been forced out of the sport. This sport runs from January to June. Climbing to 10th in the Official World Golf Ranking, English is now close to the top 30 and looks set to get stronger with each additional round below. his belt.
“The hip is working better,” English said after posting in the second round of 65. “The hardest thing is walking and playing. I mean, I feel like when I come home, I can hit a lot. the ball is in range, but getting up and down these hills and standing on your feet for five or six hours is the hardest part.It just keeps getting better and better and I feel like the more rounds I play competitively here, it’s going to get even stronger. So I’m happy to have made the cut, at the end of the week for two tournaments in a row. This is my third tournament back, so I’m very excited. excited to continue playing golf.”
Niemann, Burns and Spieth among those getting the weekend
The Travelers Championship boasts a top heavyweight field that kicks off the week and unfortunately some of the top players have been sent packing early. The focal point in this group is world No. 9 Sam Burns, who failed to win anything after tasting contention at the US Open last week. Three-time winners this season are Jordan Spieth, who failed to recover from opening 5 of 75, and Joaquin Niemann, who struggled despite some short heroic bouts.
Travelers Championship Odds, Picks
Here’s a look at up-to-date odds for the Halfway Visitors’ Championship, via Caesars Sportsbook.
- Xander Schauffele: 5/6
- Patrick Cantlay: 15/2
- Rory McIlroy: 8-1
- Seamus Strength: 20-1
- Harris English: 25-1
- Cameron Davis: 25-1
- Kevin Kisner: 28-1
- Nick Hardly: 35-1
- Scottie Scheffler: 35-1
- Webb Simpson: 40-1
- KH Lee: 40-1
English was added last night concurrently with some Simpson exposure, so I didn’t mind waiting and letting Motion Day play out before making our next bet. However, if you’re looking to hit a name before the weekend begins, McIlroy is currently sitting near his pre-tournament number and has enough firepower to chase Schauffele through the final 36 holes. He overcame a five-stroke shortfall at The CJ Cup earlier this season and racked up 15 birdie cards in just two innings. If he can dodge quad and dual bogeys, he should be strong when playing from behind.
