Late flurry helps Patrick Cantlay keep nose ahead

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FedExCup leader Patrick Cantlay goes into the weekend of the Tour Championship with a two-shot lead at East Lake. Photo: nytimes.com
FedExCup leader Patrick Cantlay goes into the weekend of the Tour Championship with a two-shot lead at East Lake. Photo: nytimes.com

FedExCup leader Patrick Cantlay (-17) took his sixth career 36-hole lead/co-lead with a bogey-free 66 in the PGA Tour’s season-ending Tour Championship.

He birdied the final two holes for a 66 to maintain his lead, and it marked his first bogey-free round at the TOUR Championship in his 14th career round.

 

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Jon Rahm birdied five of his last seven holes, including his final three, to record his second consecutive 65.

Bryson DeChambeau hit 15 of 18 greens and birdied his final two holes to remain within six strokes.

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Cantlay took his sixth career 36-hole lead/co-lead on Tour; but is yet to convert a 36-hole lead/co-lead. He entered the TOUR Championship with a cumulative 10-over total at East Lake in three previous appearances.

 

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He is making his fourth appearance at TOUR Championship (T21/2019, T21/2018, T20/2017) and seeks the fourth title this season, his first season with more than one victory.

At -16, World No. 1 Rahm birdied five of his last seven holes, including the last three, to record his- second consecutive 65. He is  seeking to become the second consecutive FedExCup champion to win while ranked No. 1 in the world.

 

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Five of his six career Tour titles have come when trailing after 36 holes. The 36-hole total of 130 (65-65) tied the second-lowest opening 36 holes in tournament history (127, Tiger Woods, 2007).

Rahm is making fifth appearance at the TOUR Championship (4th/2020, T12/2019, T11/2018, T7/2017) and notched top-10 results at first two FedExCup Playoffs events (T3/THE NORTHERN TRUST, T9/BMW Championship).

Dechambeau (3rd/-11) hit 15 of 18 greens in round two and birdied his final two holes, including a chip-in on the par-4 17th hole for a 67 to sit solo third and six strokes back.

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His largest come-from-behind win on TOUR after 36 holes is seven strokes (2018 Dell Technologies Championship). A two-time winner this season, he owns one top-10 finish in the FedExCup in four previous Tour seasons (3rd, 2018).

2021 PLAYERS Champion Justin Thomas (4th/-10) eagled the par-5 sixth hole en route his second consecutive 67. He is the only player inside the top 10 after any round of the TOUR Championship since 2016 (22 of 22 rounds).

 

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Thomas has finished no lower than T7 in five previous TOUR Championship appearances, including a runner-up finish in 2020.

Making his eighth career TOUR Championship appearance, Kevin Na (T5/-9) turned in a bogey-free 67; recorded his second consecutive sub-70 score at East Lake Golf Club for the first time since 2010.

Rory McIlroy (T10/-8) closed with a back-nine 30 that included six birdies for a 66; 2016 and 2019 FedExCup is tied for the second-most total birdies through two rounds (12)

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