Hovland and Gerard share the lead at the Tour Championship

Hovland and Gerard Share the Lead at East Lake

Gerard, competing in his first Tour Championship with one PGA Tour victory to his name, carded a five-under 65 after recording six birdies, which included an epic 78-foot putt rolling the length of the seventh green. Gerard secured the clubhouse lead before Hovland, playing in the final pairing of the day, birdied the 18th hole for a 66 to join him at the top.

Solid so far. Just got to keep it rolling, Gerard said regarding his position entering the weekend. Love playing with the lead. Way better than playing in last.

Hovland experienced a mixed round that included two early bogeys, followed by a successful 27-foot putt on the par-three 15th and a crucial par save on the 16th hole after hitting a shot 10 feet past the hole from off the green. Despite sharing the overnight lead, the 2023 FedEx Cup champion expressed frustration regarding his consistency.

It almost pisses me off more because I know that, 'Oh, I used to be able to do that,' and now it feels a lot more difficult to do that, Hovland said. It's not so much that I'm hitting those crazy wayward shots right now, it's just that I know when I'm swinging it doesn't feel quite right.

Chasing Pack and Standout Rounds

Collin Morikawa and Chris Gotterup sit one stroke back after both American golfers recorded rounds of 67. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and third-ranked Cameron Young are positioned a further shot back at eight under.

Young vaulted from the bottom of the leaderboard by shooting the day’s best round of 62. Playing alone for the second round due to another player’s earlier withdrawal, Young matched the exact score posted a day earlier by Min Woo Lee, who had also played solo following J.J. Spaun’s shoulder injury withdrawal.

It seems to be a strong pattern. It's a bit strange, Young said, adding that playing alone felt like a practice round without having to wait for anyone.

Scheffler experienced a productive yet turbulent round, recovering from back-to-back bogeys before dropping another shot on the 17th hole as heavy winds and bad gusts affected the closing stages.

I watched it get in the jet stream up there and fly… it felt like any moment they could blow the horn, Scheffler said.

Difficult Days for Former Leaders and Majors Champions

Min Woo Lee suffered a difficult second round after entering the day with a two-shot cushion. The Australian carded a 73—the second-worst round of the tournament—highlighted by a triple bogey on the fifth hole where he required two attempts to escape the rough before three-putting, followed by a water-bound tee shot on the eighth hole resulting in a bogey.

Rory McIlroy encountered a major setback on the uphill third green, where he twice chipped 45 feet only for the ball to roll back to his feet, resulting in an embarrassing double bogey. The six-time Major winner finished with a 69 and sits tied for 23rd at three under, seven strokes off the lead.