Matthew Fitzpatrick of England has won five times on the European Tour and has put himself in position to perhaps break through for his first title on the PGA Tour this week.
The 25-year-old Fitzpatrick carded a bogey-free, 5-under-par 67 to take a one-stroke lead over tournament favorite Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland midway through the WGC-HSBC Champions at Sheshan International Golf Club www.sheshangolf.com/en/ in Shanghai.
“It’s where you want to be, at the top after two rounds,” said Fitzpatrick, who finished second in the 2019 Arnold Palmer Invitational and was runner-up on the Euro Tour three times last season. “Obviously better to be there for four, but it’s a good start to the week.
“Getting a little bit more comfortable with my game than last week, so hopefully carry on over the weekend. I’ve been fortunate enough to be in this position a few times already this year. A little bit different being a WGC. It means a little bit more to everyone.
“The back nine, I struggled with the driver a little coming in. (But) I putted fantastic, as good as I’ve putted all year.”
Fitzpatrick, something of a child prodigy who captured the 2012 Boys Amateur Championship in England and the 2013 U.S. Amateur champion, followed an opening 66 by collecting the last two of his five birdies on Nos. 17 and 18 to record a 36-hole score of 11-under 133.
The second-ranked McIlroy, playing in his second PGA Tour event since winning the Tour Championship in August to wrap up the FedEx Cup, eagled the final hole to cap his second 67.
“The way I started, 4-under through six, I was thinking maybe shoot a better score than I shot yesterday, but you miss a couple fairways, miss a couple of greens and this course all of a sudden gets pretty tricky,” said McIlroy, who tied for third last week in the Zozo Championship in Japan.
“It’s easy from the fairways, but I sort of veered off them a little bit around the middle of the round, but was able to get back on track. It was obviously nice to finish the way I did.”
Defending champion Xander Schauffele of La Jolla and San Diego State, ranked ninth, collected four birdies on the back nine to shoot 69 and is two shots back in a tie for third with Sungjae Im of South Korea and Adam Scott of Australia, who both also totaled 69.
First-round leader Haotong Li of China followed his opening 64 with a 72 and is three down in a tie for sixth with Victor Perez of France, who eagled the second hole in a 71, while Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa is another shot behind in solo eighth after a 69.
Paul Waring of England recorded the low score of the day with a brilliant 65 that included an eagle on the 18th hole and is five strokes back in a tie for ninth with Matthias Schwab of Austria, who finished at 71.
Eighth-ranked Justin Rose of England is tied for 11th after a 71, two-time WGC-HSBC champion Phil Mickelson shot 69 and is tied for 20th, and Open champion Shane Lowry of Ireland is tied for 50th after a second 72.
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