The Open 2019 round two: live score updates and leaderboard

Wyndham Clark … After enduring a spring slump, which is common for rookies, the 25-year-old connected top 20s at TPC River Highlands and Detroit Golf Club to position himself for a return to the PGA TOUR in 2019-20. With two top 10s among six top 20s this season, he’s 99th in the FedExCup. At a glance, it’d seem logical that a sketchy tee-to-green game not only would get in the way of success, it’d apply too much pressure on his short game. But, wow, his short game. He’s ninth on the PGA TOUR in strokes gained: putting, first in putts per GIR, fifth in one-putt percentage, second in conversion percentage inside 10 feet, third in putting: birdies-or-better and first in three-putt avoidance. Yet, he’s hardly a one-trick thoroughbred at sixth in par-5 scoring. Denny McCarthy … No sophomore slump for this guy. Besides, when you’re exempt from the reshuffle and lead the PGA TOUR in strokes gained: putting, expectations are higher and there are no excuses. Save a week off in early March, he’s been positioned inside the top 125 of the FedExCup standings since a T7 at the Sanderson Farms Championship in his second start. Thrills and spills ensued, but a rock-steady T21 in Detroit last week lifted the 26-year-old to 110th. One more decent showing and he’s a lock to keep his card. Tom Hoge … Regional flavor. The 30-year-old from Fargo, North Dakota, could use a injection of the kind of confidence that guided him to state amateur titles in Minnesota in 2009 and 2010. He arrives with consistent form, albeit lackluster. Since late April, he’s 7-for-8 but without a top-30 finish. However, he did place T43 at the U.S. Open, so that demands some respect. Currently 170th in the FedExCup standings. Tyrone Van Aswegen … Buried in the same category out of which Nate Lashley emerged with victory at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, the South African is no stranger to playing for his job, it’s just that the deck is stacked against him this deep into this season. He’s just 3-for-11 with only one top 40 in 2018-19, and that was but a T29 at Colonial near his residence in late May. So, the bad news is that he’s 217th in the FedExCup standings. The good news is that he needs only 32 points to crack the current top 200 and qualify for the Korn Ferry Tour Finals to begin anew in 2019-20. He’s also gliding in on a T14 at the Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank where he led outright after 36 holes. Collin Morikawa … It’ll take some time before the Class of 2019 can be compared fairly to the Class of 2011 that includes Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Daniel Berger, Emiliano Grillo and others, but it has the makings. With Morikawa, Viktor Hovland, Matthew Wolff and Justin Suh all having turned pro in recent weeks, the clock has started. The very early leader as the most impressive is the 22-year-old who logged a decorated career at Cal. Morikawa already is 3-for-3 with a T14 at the RBC Canadian Open. His equivalent of 88.833 FedExCup points as a non-member would slot him 192nd among members and inside the bubble to qualify for the Korn Ferry Tour Finals. NOTE: Sleeper is a relative term, so Rob uses unofficial criteria to determine who qualifies. Each of the following usually is determined to be ineligible for this weekly staple: Winners of the tournament on the current host course; winners in the same season; recent major champions; top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking; recent participants of team competitions.

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Here are nine tidbits from the third round of the Travelers Championship that gamers can use tomorrow, this weekend or down the road. TPC River Highlands has played host since 1991 and measures 6,841 yards (Par-70). Know Thy Enemy These were the top-10 selected golfers in the PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf game presented by SERVPRO. The weather that looked impending never materialized during the round. The course was receptive due to the overnight rains and there was hardly any wind. It was easily the best round of the week for scoring. Players who didn’t post 67 or better probably didn’t hold their place in the standings from Friday. Berger is going to be an interesting call tomorrow as he didn’t fire for the second day in a row. He closed with 67 last year and 74 the year before so that’s not much help. Round of the Week Paul Casey took complete advantage of the conditions to post 62 and stake himself to a four-shot lead heading into Sunday. His six birdies and an eagle were the result of fantastic approach play as he painted all 18 GIR. He also led the field in proximity and only needed 29 putts. In 15 rounds the last four years at this event he’s 49-under par. It will take a Furyk-ian effort to run him down and win tomorrow. Closest Russell Henley will have a front-row seat and can apply the most pressure as he will play in the final group four shots behind. Henley only has squared one bogey on the week and he can’t add to that number much tomorrow. As great as Casey has been into greens, Henley leads the field in GIR (48 of 54) for the week. Henley has unfinished business here as he was 14-under after three rounds in 2016 before limping home with 73 (T11). Joiners The group at five shots back includes 36-hole leader Brian Harman and he was joined by J.B. Holmes and Anirban Lahiri. While Harman bogeyed two of his last three to fall back, Holmes and Lahiri shot up the board in Round 3 because of their prowess on the back nine. Both players signed for 30 and each had an eagle as they both moved up eight spots to T3. Holmes is trying to back up his solo third in Memphis while Lahiri hasn’t cashed inside the top 25 since last November. Top 10 in the Top 10 Gamers have been riding Bryson DeChambeau for most of 2018 and he hasn’t disappointed. After a tough first 10 holes (+1) he made three birdies against no bogeys in his final eight holes to stay in the top 10. He was a whopping four shots worse on the greens today and still signed for 68. I’d point out he has two doubles on the week and he’s only five back. Bubbling Bubba Watson had to 12-under with three holes to play but two bogeys on the way in knocked him back to T6. Looking to become the only player in recent memory to win this event for the third time, he’ll need nothing short of his best tomorrow. The good news for his investors is he’s posted a few low ones here including 63 already this week. Moving Day The back nine was the place to make up ground today and Jamie Lovemark (64) took advantage coming home in 31. He’s seven back after moving up 23 spots to T11. Brad Faxon made up seven shots in his victory in 2005, the largest come-from-behind win in history. He’s looking for his first top-10 check on his own ball since The Honda Classic … Kyle Stanley (65) joined Lovemark on T11 after moving up 14 spots. He defends next week at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm and looks to be right on schedule. … Patrick Cantlay (65) is eight back and he’ll need to probably match the 60 he posted as an amateur here in 2011 to have a sniff. Moving Day: Wrong Way Rory McIlroy began the day T8 and was torching the joint tee-to-green in the first two rounds. It all came to a screeching halt in Round 3 as he only found 12 of 18 GIR and he lost over 2.5 strokes putting. His investors are all shouting at me that he shot 64 on Sunday last year. He sure did. … Zach Johnson matched McIlroy as the first two activities on his card in Round 3 were squares. He righted the ship before a double on No. 16 killed the momentum. His 71 took him from T2 to T15 and eight shots back. Study Hall Round 1 scored 69.776 (-0.224) while Round 2 crept just higher at 69.994 (-0.006). Saturday’s excellent scoring conditions were realized as the field averaged 69.108 (-0.892)… Casey, Henley, Lovemark and Cantlay were joined in the clean card club by Emiliano Grillo (66) and Chase Seiffert (!!) (67). James Hahn carded his first hole-in-one on TOUR on No. 11 and sits T22.

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