Viktor Hovland and Ryan Gerard share Tour Championship lead at 10 under

Gerard and Hovland share the halfway lead

Viktor Hovland and Ryan Gerard moved into a tie for the lead at 10 under par at the halfway point of the Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta. Gerard established the clubhouse target by posting a five-under-par 65, highlighted by a 78-foot birdie putt across the seventh green. Hovland, who won the FedEx Cup title in 2023, matched Gerard at 10 under after a birdie on the 18th hole completed a four-under-par round of 66. The co-leaders hold a one-stroke advantage over Collin Morikawa and Chris Gotterup, who both stand at nine under par following opening-round 64s and steady Friday performances.

Young surges with 62 as Scheffler stays in touch

Cameron Young delivered the lowest round of Friday, carding an eight-under-par 62 to climb from the bottom of the standings into a tie for fifth at eight under. Playing as a solo competitor after JJ Spaun withdrew, Young birdied seven holes between the third and 11th, dropped a stroke with a bogey on the 12th, and closed his round with an eagle on the par-five 18th hole. World number one Scottie Scheffler joined Young on eight under par after registering a 67. Scheffler recovered from two early bogeys by collecting six birdies, remaining two strokes off the lead as he seeks the $10 million winner prize.

English contenders advance as McIlroy loses ground

Justin Rose produced a bogey-free five-under-par 65 to move into contention at seven under par, recording birdies on the sixth, eighth, 11th, 15th, and 18th holes. His Ryder Cup teammate Matt Fitzpatrick joined him at seven under with a round of 67, recovering from a bogey on the third with gains on the 10th, 17th, and 18th. Ludvig Aberg and Adam Scott also sit at seven under, while New Zealand's Ryan Fox holds sixth place alone at six under par. Masters champion Rory McIlroy dropped seven shots behind the leaders after signing for a one-under-par 69. McIlroy birdied the opening hole from 25 feet but conceded a double bogey on the third hole when two successive chip shots rolled back to his feet, followed by a bunker bogey on the fourth. Despite later birdies on the sixth, 12th, 16th, and 18th, McIlroy ended the day tied for 23rd at three under par.

First-round leader slides in reduced 29-man field

Thursday's opening-round leader Min Woo Lee, who shot an eight-under-par 62 in wet conditions, lost ground during the second round to fall back to six under par. Lee was one of only three competitors to shoot over par on Friday, alongside Xander Schauffele and Scotland's Robert MacIntyre. MacIntyre suffered three consecutive bogeys followed by a double bogey on the par-three 15th hole after finding the water hazard, carding a six-over-par 76 to finish at three over par. The starting field of 30 was reduced to 29 when American JJ Spaun withdrew during the opening round with a shoulder injury after his tee shot on the sixth hole.