Adam Scott fired a stunning nine-under 63 in the second round of the BMW Championship at Castle Pines to beat Keegan Bradley by three shots.
The 44-year-old Australian, seeking his first tour win since February 2020, has emerged as an unexpected frontrunner in the FedEx Cup Playoffs after a strong second round finish at 13-under par that put him ahead of the field and put him on pole position.
The 2013 Masters champion finished three shots ahead of first-round leader Bradley, who shot a second-round 68 despite only having one bogey-free hole in a row with nine birdies in the round.
“It's been a while. I can't remember the last time I shot 63 here,” Scott told pgatour.com. “But it feels good to shoot it low, and it's nice to still be able to do it. Hopefully I can shoot it again this week.”
Adam Scott established a three-stroke lead on Day 2 of the BMW Championship.
Sweden's Ludvig Aberg joined the fray with eight birdies, one bogey and an eagle, tying Scott's 63 and leaving him four shots back of the leader, while Sweden's Alex Noren was one shot back.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who leads the FedEx Cup standings heading into next week's final Tour Championship event at East Lake, posted a frustrating weekend performance, shooting an even-par 72 to finish tied for 29th.
Rory McRoy and Tommy Fleetwood tied for 15th at three under par.
For a more accessible video player, please use the Chrome browser.
Rory McRoy showed his frustration at the BMW Championship when his tee shot on the 17th hole ended up in the rough and sending his club into the water!
Matsuyama forced to withdraw due to injury
Earlier on Friday, Hideki Matsuyama withdrew from the tournament with a back injury, a day after shooting a first-round 67 that left him one stroke behind the leader.
The tour announced Matsuyama's withdrawal just before the morning tee time, and later released a statement from the 32-year-old Japanese player, who is ranked sixth in the world.
“I am disappointed to have to withdraw from the BMW Championship after feeling some lower back pain during my warm-up this morning which prevented me from competing,” he said.
“Thank you BMW and the Western Golf Association for providing a great experience at Castle Pines.”
Matsuyama won the opening PGA Tour playoff event in Memphis last week. He is third in the FedEx Cup standings and will likely be in a good position to start next week's Tour Championship, where the winner will receive a $25 million bonus.
The former Masters champion has 10 wins on the PGA Tour, including two this season.
How do I watch the FedExCup Playoffs?
For a more accessible video player, please use the Chrome browser.
Sky Sports+ this year will allow Sky Sports customers to watch more than 50% more live sport at no extra cost.
All events will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, with early coverage of the BMW Championship starting today. Sky Sports +. After the AIG Women's Open on Friday, action begins at 7pm on Sky Sports Golf.
Additionally, every round will be broadcast on Sky Sports+, with a variety of feeds to choose from. Sky Sports Golf will broadcast every round from 7pm.
Sky Sports+ has officially launched and is integrated into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers more than 50% more live sport to watch at no extra cost this year. Find out more here.
