Viktor Hovland of Norway and American Ryan Gerard head into the weekend tied for the lead at 10 under par after the second round of the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta, according to reports. Gerard, a 27-year-old from North Carolina, set the early clubhouse pace on Friday by carding a five-under 65, highlighted by a stunning 78-foot birdie putt that traveled the entire length of the seventh green. Hovland, who was crowned the FedEx Cup champion in 2023, responded with a four-under 66, securing his share of the 36-hole lead at 10-under 130 after sinking a birdie on the final hole.
Hovland and Gerard Share the Lead in Atlanta
Conditions at the venue remained relatively soft following rain on Thursday and overcast skies on Friday, allowing players to attack the course. Gerard noted that he has more than just the $10 million prize and a five-year PGA Tour exemption on his mind heading into the weekend. As a strong performance could influence selection for the upcoming Presidents Cup, Gerard stated that it was hard not to think about it a little bit, adding that he was very aware that a good week this week goes a long way to help his chances, and that he was playing this week for himself and to try and put up some good scores and hopefully win a trophy at the end of the week.
Chasing Pack Closes In Behind Leaders
Just one stroke behind the co-leaders are Collin Morikawa and Chris Gotterup, who are tied for second at nine under after each shooting rounds of 67. Meanwhile, world number one Scottie Scheffler overcame a shaky start that included two early bogeys, firing a 67 to reach eight under. Scheffler surged back into contention by recording five birdies in a stretch of six holes around the turn, though he lost some late momentum when his approach on the 17th green caught the wind. Scheffler said of the shot that he had watched it get in the jet stream up there and fly.
Cameron Young engineered one of the most remarkable turnarounds of the tournament, bouncing back from a round that left him tied for last place. Young fired a scintillating round of 62 containing seven birdies and an eagle on the par-five 18th hole, moving him to eight under alongside Scheffler. Young remarked that he had been in last place about three-and-half hours ago, and added that there was not much wind today, and the field seemed to be playing pretty well for even par being last place after yesterday.
Crowded Leaderboard Sets Up High-Stakes Weekend
With one-third of the field separated by just three strokes, several international contenders remain firmly in the mix to claim the lucrative $10 million prize on Sunday evening. England’s Justin Rose delivered a bogey-free 65 to sit at seven under, alongside compatriot Matt Fitzpatrick, Australia’s Adam Scott, and Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg. Rose and Fitzpatrick are three strokes adrift heading into Saturday’s action.
It proved to be a more difficult Friday for other prominent names in the 29-man field, which was shortened following J.J. Spaun’s withdrawal. Rory McIlroy endured a frustrating round that featured an early double bogey on the third hole after failing twice to chip onto the putting surface from the same spot. Although the Northern Irishman finished with two birdies in his final three holes, he sits tied for 23rd at three under par. Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre struggled heavily on the back nine, carding three consecutive bogeys followed by a double bogey on the 15th after hitting into the water, ultimately signing for a six-over 76 that left him 13 shots behind the leaders.
Leaderboard Snapshot
- Viktor Hovland & Ryan Gerard: -10
- Collin Morikawa & Chris Gotterup: -9
- Scottie Scheffler & Cameron Young: -8
- Justin Rose & Matt Fitzpatrick: -7
As noted in coverage, both the Tour Championship trophy and the FedEx Cup remain up for grabs with two days of competition left in the season.
