CROMWELL, Conn. — Jordan Spieth played well enough in the second round of the Travelers Championship to stay in the lead. Rory McIlroy played just well enough to stay in the tournament.
Spieth shot a 1-under 69 on Friday morning, then watched as a windy afternoon kept anyone from overtaking him.
The conditions also kept fourth-ranked Jason Day from making the cut for a second straight week. He bogeyed the 18th for a 70 to finish at 2 over. No. 3 McIlroy shot a 73, also closing with a bogey, but managed to just sneak into the weekend at even par.
Spieth, who began the day one shot ahead after a first-round 63, started on the back nine. The 23-year-old Texan had to recover from a double bogey on the par-5 13th hole after hitting his tee shot left and out of bounds. He also had four birdies and a bogey to reach 8 under.
“We’ve been kind of far behind in a lot of the events in making comeback runs,” said Spieth, the two-time major champion who tied for 35th last week in the U.S. Open. “But being able to be toward the front of the pack on a Saturday afternoon is a beautiful position to be in and one that we’ll certainly embrace. I’m going to try to have a lot of fun this weekend.”
Patrick Reed (66) and Troy Merritt (68) were tied for second at 7 under. Both fought off wind gusts that exceeded 20 mph to hit 11 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens.
“A golf course like this, even when the wind is blowing, if you’re hitting your tee shots straight, you’re going to have some wedges into the greens,” Reed said.
U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka isn’t in Connecticut this week, but former Florida State teammate Chase Seiffert is in contention. The 25-year-old had to qualify Monday to get into the tournament. He made two eagles Friday and finished with a 66 to reach 6 under.
“I came into the week with no status on any tour, but I knew my game was really good,” Seiffert said. “I just had to get it done. To come out and play the first two rounds the way I did, it gives me a lot of confidence.
Wesley Bryan (67), Daniel Summerhays (68) and Boo Weekley (68) also were 5 under.
Graham DeLaet led briefly during the afternoon but had a double bogey on 18 for a 70 to drop into the group at 5 under.
LPGA: Sung Hyun Park nearly matched the course record with an 8-under 63 take the first-round lead in the NW Arkansas Championship in Rogers, Arkansas.
The South Korean, ranked eighth in the world in her first full season on the LPGA Tour, finished with nine birdies and needed only 24 putts to take a two-shot lead over Mel Reid, Ally McDonald and So Yeon Ryu.
Reid had a hole-in-one on the par-3 11th and reached as low as 8 under before falling back with a pair of back-nine bogeys.
Local favorite Stacy Lewis was one of five players three shots off the lead at 68.
Defending champion Lydia Ko opened with a 70.
CHAMPIONS TOUR: Paul Broadhurst shot a 9-under 63 to take a two-stroke lead in the American Family Insurance Open in Madison, Wisconsin.
The Englishman had an eagle and seven birdies – three on his final four holes – at University Ridge. He won the Senior British Open and PURE Insurance Championship last year.
Brian Henninger had a 65, and tournament host Steve Stricker joined Kenny Perry and Billy Andrade at 66. Stricker is making his first start in his hometown event after turning 50 in February. He tied for 16th last week in the U.S. Open at Erin Hills.
Fred Couples was another stroke back along with Kevin Sutherland, Corey Pavin, Stephen Ames, Brandt Jobe, Jeff Maggert and Phillip Price.
Madison’s Jerry Kelly opened with a 68, defending champion Kirk Triplett had a 69, and Nick Faldo shot 71.
EUROPEAN TOUR: Joakim Lagergren and Joel Stalter took the lead at the BMW International Open at 9 under at the midway point, one stroke ahead of former champions Sergio Garcia and Henrik Stenson in Munich.
Lagergren (66) had eight birdies and two bogeys for a 6 under in the second round. Stalter (68) soon joined him for a share of the lead.
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