Avondale (USA): Indian-American Sahith Theegala and Will Zalatoris missed the halfway cut at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans while Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry held on to a share of the lead after two rounds with three other pairs in the PGA TOUR’s only team event.
The teams of Davis Thompson and Andrew Novak, Ryan Brehm and Mark Hubbard and Aaron Rai and David Lipsky were with McIlroy and Lowry at 13-under 131 at TPC Louisiana. They will play the best ball on Saturday and close with an alternate shot on Sunday. Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, the 2022 winners, were a stroke back.
Theegala and Zalatoris carded 73 and missed the cut, which fell at 8-under and the top 40 pairs moved into the weekend rounds.
McIlroy and Lowry, who opened Thursday with a best-ball 61, overcame Lowry’s mid-round putting woes to close with consecutive birdies. Lowry missed two short birdie putts and a makeable par putt. Lowry rebounded with a long par-saving putt on No. 4 and blasted out of a greenside bunker to inches on the No. 8 after a mammoth drive by McIlroy.
Rai and Lipsky held a one-shot lead heading into the 18th hole when Lipsky hit a wild hook that landed out of play. Lipsky was able to make a bogey putt that helped the team retain a share of the lead. Cantlay and Schauffele had the best round of the day with a 67. They were tied for the lead heading into 18th but Cantlay’s tee shot found the water, leading to a bogey.
–IANS