Co-leaders Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm struggled, but DJ righted himself a little at the end of the day.
The top-ranked Johnson sank a four-foot birdie putt on the final hole to take a one-stroke lead over Sungjae Im of South Korea midway through Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, where the tournament winner will be crowned FedEx Cup champion on Monday.
“It was a tough one, up-and-down, because I just didn’t drive the ball well,” said Johnson, who is last in the 30-man field in driving accuracy for the first two rounds. “But I’m happy with the rest if my game and shooting 70 around here considering the way I drove it is pretty good.
“It’s tough when you’re hitting out of the rough and bunkers all the time. The fairways are narrow and I think I’m trying to guide the ball rather than swinging away. It’s just poor execution. I’m going to the range to work on it right now and I’m looking forward to the last two days.”
DJ, who started the tournament at 10-under-par and had strokes over every other player in the field because he led the FedEx Cup standings, started fast with birdies on two of the first six holes but made only two more the rest of the way against four bogeys and is at 13-under.
The 22-year-old Im birdied three of the last four holes to post the low score of the day of 64 and was tied for the lead before Johnson made his closing birdie, and will play in the final twosome with DJ in the third round.
Xander Schauffele is two shots back in third after a 65 that included three birdies on each nine, followed by third-ranked Justin Thomas, the 2017 FedEx Cup champion, who is one more down in fourth after a 71.
The second-ranked Rahm, from Spain, stumbled to a 74 with only one birdie and is four behind in a tie for fifth with fifth-ranked Collin Morikawa, the PGA champion from La Canada Flintridge and Cal, who birdied the last two holes for a 65, and Tyrrell Hatton of England, who shot 66 with three birdies on the last four holes.
Fourth-ranked Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, the defending Tour Championship and FedEx Cup winner, dumped his second shot into the water en route to a closing bogey and a 71, and is five shots down in a tie for eighth with Brendon Todd, who had a 68, while Sebastian Munoz of Colombia birdied the last two holes and is one more back in 10th after a 65.
Ninth-ranked Patrick Reed is tied for 11th after a bogey-free 66, sixth-ranked Webb Simpson shot 71 and is tied for 14th, eighth-ranked Bryson DeChambeau of Clovis is tied for 20th following a 60, and 2014 FedEx Cup champion Billy Horschel totaled 73 and is tied for 29th.
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