CASTLE ROCK, Colorado – Adam Scott kept making birdies and changing his outlook for the season until he finished with his lowest score of the year on Friday at the BMW Championship: a 63 (9 under par) that gave him a three-stroke lead entering the weekend.
Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley did his best to stay within reach until he made his first bogey of the week on the 18th hole at Castle Pines. He still had a 68 and was in a good position.
For Scott, 44, who first played at Castle Pines as a 20-year-old on a sponsor exemption, it was his first regular PGA Tour event. He had a certain freedom he hadn’t felt all year. He is ranked in the top 50 in the FedEx Cup, which means he can play in all of the $20 million signature events next year without relying on sponsor exemptions. That was a huge relief.
The lead after 36 holes is a bargain. A top result would bring him back to East Lake for the Tour Championship and guarantee him participation in all majors next year.
“When I left the range, I just wanted to keep going in the right direction, grind through, play under par and keep going like that,” he said. “Then, halfway through the round, I started thinking about how many birdies I could make. It’s funny how things like that happen.”
“I feel like I really have nothing to lose this week,” he said. “I can’t get out of the top 50. I’ll have a good schedule for the major events next year. Of course I’d like to make it to East Lake. But right now I’d like to win this event.”
But they are only halfway there and so much can still happen.
Rory McIlroy – 10 shots back after a 71 – was so frustrated that he threw away his 3-wood after a bad drive on the 17th hole and watched it bounce into the water. Denny McCarthy was doing what he had to do to get into the top 30 heading into East Lake until he made double bogeys on two of the final five holes.
The strangest thing on Friday was a leaderboard with 20 participants, in which the names Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele still did not appear.
Scheffler started with two birdies, but his round began to deteriorate as he went from the rough into the water, into the drop zone and over the green for a double bogey. He shot a 72 and was 12 shots behind.
Schauffele also started with two birdies and was 3 under par in his round until he made four bogeys on his last six holes and shot 73. He was 11 strokes behind.
“I didn’t hit it that well and I faked it a little bit on the property and it caught up with me,” Schauffele said. “Scottie and I were just boring.”
Scheffler said his back felt normal, as expected, unlike in the first round when he said he had to work hard to turn shots. And what about the golf?
“We started really well, and then I was the first one to get sick, and then Xander came along,” he said.
It was virtually certain that both of them would finish in the top two when they arrived in East Lake.
Scott was at 13 under 131 and had a lead.
Ludvig Aberg also shot a 63 and was four shots back. Scott played early before the wind picked up and scored early. It was quite a daunting finish for Aberg, who was already 11 shots behind when he teed off.
“It was fun going down one of the first few holes. We talked about it yesterday too that we might see a low one,” Aberg said. “We were just lucky that it was us today.”
Alex Norman shot another 68, five shots back. He still had a lot of work to do to catch Scott, but he was able to break into the top 30 and reach East Lake for the first time in his career.
Lower-end players with low odds now have other concerns about the top 30. Justin Thomas started 76-72 and was projected to finish 31st heading into the weekend. Jason Day tried to rebound from his opening 78, shooting 69 and still being projected outside the top 30.
Scott continues to look ahead, benefiting from good iron play and exceptional putting. Only three of his nine birdies were under 10 feet and he was in trouble only once, on the par-3 4th hole. He hit a great flop shot to 6 feet and saved par.
Scott played so well that he was tempted to go for the pin on the 18th hole and shoot a 62.
“Ten under par sounded nice,” he said. “But the old sage told me to aim a little to the left and see if I could hole a long putt. It’s fun to play a low round. I can’t remember the last time I shot 63 here.”
Australia’s Adam Scott tees off on the third fairway during the second round of the BMW Championship golf tournament at Castle Pines Golf Club on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, in Castle Rock, Colorado. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Keegan Bradley reacts after missing a putt on the 17th green during the second round of the BMW Championship golf event at Castle Pines Golf Club, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, in Castle Rock, Colo. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Keegan Bradley waits to tee off on the 17th hole during the second round of the BMW Championship golf event at Castle Pines Golf Club on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024 in Castle Rock, Colo. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Patrick Cantlay hits his tee shot on the 17th hole during the second round of the BMW Championship golf event at Castle Pines Golf Club on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, in Castle Rock, Colo. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Xander Schauffele hits out of a bunker onto the 17th green during the second round of the BMW Championship golf event at Castle Pines Golf Club on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, in Castle Rock, Colorado. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Keegan Bradley walks onto the 11th green during the second round of the BMW Championship golf event at Castle Pines Golf Club on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, in Castle Rock, Colo. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Scottie Scheffler, center left, waves to the galley on the 14th hole during the second round of the BMW Championship golf event at Castle Pines Golf Club on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, in Castle Rock, Colo. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Ludvig Aberg of Sweden tees off his head from the 16th green during the second round of the BMW Championship golf tournament at Castle Pines Golf Club on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, in Castle Rock, Colorado. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Scottie Scheffler tees off on the 14th hole during the second round of the BMW Championship golf event at Castle Pines Golf Club on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, in Castle Rock, Colo. (AP Photo/Matt York)