CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, US — Sergio Garcia, who had a string of three consecutive runner-up finishes earlier this year, is in position to try and post his first victory on the USPGA Tour in two years. Garcia fired a second round six-under 64 Friday to vault into the lead at the $8 million BMW Championship at Cherry Hills Country Club. The Spaniard finished 36 holes at eight-under 132 and he holds a one-stroke lead over American Ryan Palmer.
Garcia won earlier this year at the Qatar Masters on the European Tour but he has not hoisted a trophy in North America since the 2012 Wyndham Championship. After some overnight rain, the Cherry Hills course softened and Garcia was able to try and take advantage of that during the second round.
Garcia helped his cause with a couple of hole outs Friday. On the second hole, his second shot from 93 yards out found a bunker to the right of the green. Garcia hit the ball from the sand and drained the shot from about 46 feet for a birdie.
Another brilliant shot came at the par-four seventh. After his drive landed just off the fairway, Garcia's approach shot from 126 yards dropped into the hole for an eagle. That put him at three-under on the day.
Palmer shot a 64 on Friday to jump into sole possession of second place at seven-under 133. He is looking for his fourth win on the USPGA Tour.
World No. 1 Rory McIlroy carded his second consecutive 67 and he is tied with Billy Horschel (66) at six-under 134. McIlroy had a share of the first round lead with Jordan Spieth and Gary Woodland.
McIlroy had a strong finish Friday after making bogey on two of his final three holes in round one.
McIlroy, who is currently No. 2 in the FedEx Cup playoff standings, beat out Garcia for the Open and WGC-Bridgestone Invitational titles this season.
Chris Kirk (70), the Deutsche Bank Championship winner, is nine shots back at one-over 141. The Barclays tournament winner Hunter Mahan (70) is well back at five-over 145.
Ramsay moves closer to title
Richie Ramsay moved closer to a second European Masters title in three years by opening up a one shot lead on Ryder Cup debutant Jamie Donaldson in Switzerland Friday.
The Scot added a 66 to his opening 62 for a halfway total of 12 under par at the picturesque Crans Montana course, one ahead ahead of Donaldson who added a 64 to his opening 65.
American Brooks Koepka is a shot further back after consecutive rounds of 65, alongside England's Graeme Storm, who carded a 66.
Ramsay had shared the overnight lead with Italian Edoardo Molinari who dropped four shots off the pace with a level-par 70 in early wet conditions. Ramsay looked like enjoying a two-shot lead until Donaldson completed a 64 with a seventh birdie of the day.
Koepka, 24, carded eight birdies and three bogeys, one of the dropped shots coming when his drive finished just a few feet out of bounds on the short seventh.
Fellow-American David Lipsky was a shot behind on nine-under, alongside Ireland's Shane Lowry and Northern Ireland's Gareth Maybin.
Donaldson's Ryder Cup team-mate player Victor Dubuisson was four shots off the pace after recovering from a double bogey on the 12th, his third hole, to return a 67. — Agencies
