AR
Overnight leaders Rory McIlroy and Tom Kim joined Jordan Smith at the top of the Genesis Scottish Open leaderboard as the second Rolex Series event of the season remained wide open at The Renaissance Club.
A four-way tie after day one was reduced to three heading into the weekend, but there were still 17 players within three shots of the lead at the PGA TOUR co-sanctioned event.
Both 2023 champion McIlroy and Renaissance specialist Kim followed opening rounds of 65 with a 66, but it was Englishman Smith who stole the show with a blistering 63 to get to nine under.
In-form Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick was one shot off the lead after a 65, sitting alongside 2021 winner Min Woo Lee, who fired a 65.
Defending champion Chris Gotterup and local hero Robert MacIntyre, the 2024 winner, were then part of a group of seven players at seven under.
Should McIlroy lift the trophy on Sunday, he will join Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton on a record five Rolex Series victories, with his seven DP World Tour wins since 2023 coming in four Rolex Series events, two Masters Tournaments and his home open.
It would also take him a significant step closer to matching Colin Montgomerie’s record of eight Race to Dubai titles as he looks to win the Harry Vardon Trophy for the fifth consecutive season.
The Northern Irishman has seemed in a confident mood all week, and a deft chip set up a birdie on the first before he put a tee-shot to ten feet at the fifth, got up and down at the par-five seventh and put an approach to nine feet at the next to turn in 31 and rejoin the leading group.
A ragged tee shot at the 13th dropped him back, but he responded with a drive to 18 feet at the next, although he could not make his eagle putt.
“I thought I played well again,” he said. “You know, the wind definitely got up for us in the afternoon. We got off to a really nice start. Then sort of by the turn the wind had got to its strongest and felt like it was hard to get the ball close to the pins and we were all making a lot of pars out there.
“It would have been nice to be a couple better. But you know, it’s obviously another good day and in good position.
“It’s the way you want to play links golf and the weather, you can be creative the way you play your second shots into greens and how you run into the fairway. It’s a fun way to play.”
With Jorge Campillo playing the ISCO Championship, Smith this week becomes the solo record holder for Rolex Series appearances having teed it up in 52 out of a possible 54.
Now a dual member, he can also add THE PLAYERS Championship and Signature Events to his CV but a victory this week would be the biggest of his career after wins at the European Open and Portugal Masters.
The 33-year-old has returned to action after a short break having not teed it up since the RBC Canadian Open almost a month ago but showed no signs of rust.
After starting at the tenth on Friday, he rattled off four birdies in a row from the 11th and added another on the 17th to turn in 30.
He then made another gain on the second before sandwiching a bogey on the sixth with a pair of birdies to hit the summit.
“You’ve still got to hit the fairways and greens, but I think the putting today was a lot better than yesterday,” he said.
“I think if I can keep the same attitude I’ve had for the last two days, I’ll be very happy with that. I think the swing is in a good place. Just hope that putter stays as hot as it was today.”
Kim announced himself on the world stage at this event when he finished third in 2022 and has played every year since with a worst result of tied-17th.
He recovered from a bogey on the third with an eagle from 40 feet on the seventh and further gains on the 13th, 16th and 17th.
“I stayed really patient out there, just tried to position myself,” he said. “The wind got tricky a little bit as it started to pick up and obviously completely different wind than yesterday. So I think my experience over here the last few years has helped. I’ve played in both wind directions.
“So definitely it adds up and you kind of know how to play this golf course. And as time goes on, just really glad that I was able to just stay in it and give myself a good position for the weekend.”
Fitzpatrick has an excellent record at Renaissance and he made eight birdies – including five in a row from the 11th – and three bogeys, while Australian Lee made an eagle, five birdies and three bogeys.
Playing alongside McIlroy and Gotterup, MacIntyre produced the moment of the day as he holed a 30-footer at the stadium hole 15th to delight the bumper crowds in a 66.
Gotterup, meanwhile, was a picture of consistency in carding six birdies before a poor tee shot on the last saw him sign for 65.
Dutchman Joost Luiten, Japan’s Keita Nakajima, Frenchman Victor Perez, German Nicolai von Dellingshausen and Canadian Sudarshan Yellamaraju were also at seven under, one clear of a group containing U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark, former Masters winner Danny Willett, Nicolai Højgaard, Michael Thorbjornsen and Karl Vilips.
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