Brooks Koepka yet to hit top form at East Lake

Tour Championship leader Brooks Koepka said he was getting close to his best form.

Published : Aug 24, 2019 11:24 IST

Brooks Koepka feels he is close to his best despite moving into the lead at the Tour Championship.
Brooks Koepka feels he is close to his best despite moving into the lead at the Tour Championship.
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Brooks Koepka feels he is close to his best despite moving into the lead at the Tour Championship.

Brooks Koepka insisted he was not yet at his best despite moving into the Tour Championship lead at the halfway mark.

The American world number one carded a three-under 67 in the second round at East Lake to push into a one-stroke lead on Friday.

Koepka, who birdied the final hole to take the outright lead, said he was getting close to his best.

"I feel better. I don't feel like I'm clicking 100 per cent, but it's definitely close," he told reporters after his round.

"There are shots where it's like, 'how did I just do that?' And there are some shots where I'm like, 'man, why can't I do that every time?' Like on 18.

"I feel good. I feel very confident. I've got no problem where I'm at. I feel very confident with the putter, which is most important."

Play was delayed for 90 minutes during the second round due to inclement weather before Koepka finished the day at 13 under – a shot ahead of Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy.

Koepka was one of only five players to manage a round of 67 or better and the American was satisfied with his performance.

"The lead's always nice, so I'll take that. I played good today. I putted really good. Short game was pretty solid," he said.

"The rain delay kind of killed any momentum I had. I didn't feel like I had any good golf shots after the rain delay, but that's part of golf.

"Everybody's got to deal with the same thing, just didn't execute."

-Koepka edges into lead at Tour Championship-

Brooks Koepka pushed into a one-stroke lead at the halfway mark of the Tour Championship on Friday.

The world number one carded a three-under 67 during the second round at East Lake, getting to 13 under and into the lead ahead of Justin Thomas (68) and Rory McIlroy (67).

Scoring was very difficult as only five players managed rounds of 67 or better, highlighted by Chez Reavie's six-under 64.

Koepka finished his round with a birdie at 18 to move one shot clear, having picked up shots from holes six through eight before bogeying the 13th.

Read: Lahiri edges closer to ensuring PGA Tour card

Thomas, who was first in the standings to begin the FedEx Cup tournament, has struggled to find a rhythm through the first two rounds and has seen his two-shot lead disappear through 36 holes.

His bogey at the 17th dropped him out of the lead on his own but he was able to go into the clubhouse tied with McIlroy and Koepka.

However, the world number one's birdie at 18 was enough to get him out in front for the tournament.

McIlroy followed up his opening-round 66 with a three-under 67, which included a birdie despite ending up in the trees off the tee at 18.

Xander Schauffele (69) is fourth at 11 under, two shots ahead of Paul Casey (67) and four clear of Patrick Cantlay (71) as the top five threaten to pull clear.

Reavie is at six under alongside Patrick Reed (70) and Matt Kuchar (72) and produced a brilliant ace on the par-three ninth.

-Blistering back nine gives Fitzpatrick lead as Stenson surges-

Matthew Fitzpatrick recovered from a first-hole bogey to take a two-shot lead at the midway point of the Scandinavian Invitation.

The world number 30 posted a six-under-par 64 in round one but made a disappointing start to his second round as he immediately dropped a shot on a par four.

However, he made up that stroke at the fourth and, after making the turn in a level-par 36, rediscovered his Thursday form with a blistering back-nine display.

He birdied the par-three 10th before further gains at 13 and 15 after putts from 30 and 35 feet. Fitzpatrick sent his approach at 16 to three feet for another gain before finishing with a birdie on the last.

Fitzpatrick's 36-hole total of 129 marks the lowest of his career, but he will be looking over his shoulder at the home hope who heads the chasing pack, as Henrik Stenson delighted the Gothenburg crowd with a superb 62.

Stenson also bogeyed the first but responded with back-to-back gains and then produced a run of six successive birdies starting at the eighth.

The 2016 Open champion replicated Fitzpatrick in birdieing the 18th to put himself firmly within striking distance. Wu Ashun is level with him on nine under after a 64.

Joakim Lagergren and Jason Scrivener are three shots off the pace. Wade Ormsby, who led through 18 holes after his 62, is in a group of four players on seven under after a 71.

Alex Noren made the cut in thrilling fashion, carding four straight birdies to close the round in 67 and take him to one under for the tournament.

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