x

Here’s what you missed from Round 2 of the BMW Championship

August 16, 2019

We’re halfway through the second round of the FedEx Cup playoffs, and one player who has been on the Tour Championship bubble made a big move up the leaderboard on Friday.

Here’s all the Round 2 action you missed from Medinah.

Hideki Matsuyama leads by one

Hideki Matsuyama blitzed the par-72 Medinah with a sizzling bogey-free, course-record round of nine-under-par 63. He’s now 12 under par overall, and holds a one-shot lead over Patrick Cantlay and Tony Finau at 11 under.

Matsuyama launched himself 24 spots up the leaderboard, and the effect on his FedEx Cup ranking could be even better. If he could hang on to win, he’d go from No. 33 on the FedEx Cup standings all the way to No. 2 heading into the Tour Championship.

Matsuyama has five Tour victories on his resume, but is seeking his first win since the 2017 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

Hideki Matsuyama is seeking his 6th career Tour victory this week.
Hideki Matsuyama is seeking his 6th career Tour victory this week.
Getty Images

How did Tiger play?

Tiger Woods needs to make a statement this week to not only punch his ticket to the Tour Championship, but also to make a strong case for himself as a Presidents Cup captains pick.

Unfortunately, his second-round performance failed to improve upon his first, and he settled for yet another one-under-par 71.

Woods is currently T-49 at 2 under par overall, and will likely need two rounds in the mid-60s if he wants to improve upon his current FedEx Cup standing at No. 38.

How did the other big names play?

Justin Thomas is right in the mix at 10 under par overall.

Tommy Fleetwood and Rory McIlroy are 8 under, and Rickie Fowler and Jon Rahm are 7 under.

Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed are 5 under, while Jason Day, Justin Rose and Jordan Spieth are 3 under.

Dustin Johnson, Tiger Woods and Bryson DeChambeau are 2 under, and Phil Mickelson is 1 under.

Any good FedEx Cup storylines brewing?

Lucas Glover and Rory Sabbatini are two players who could earn their way into the Tour Championship if they can maintain their current momentum. Both players are currently T-5 at 9 under par overall. Glover is 41st in the FedEx Cup standings and could get to 27th, while Sabbatini is 45th and could rise to 28th.

Kevin Tway is currently T-11 at 8 under par overall, and came into the BMW Championship at No. 40 in the standings. He’s projected to get to No. 29 if he can hold on through the weekend.

Yesterday’s co-leader, Jason Kokrak, fell to 6 under par on Friday after shooting 1 over par in Round 2. He’s now T-21, but any more slipping means he’ll miss out on the Tour Championship. He’s currently on the bubble at No. 32, and holding on to his current spot would squeak him in with the No. 30 spot next week.

To receive GOLF’s all-new newsletters, subscribe for free here.