Rory McIlroy’s momentum slowed on Friday at the BMW Championship in St Louis. After opening with a six-under-par round, he managed a 69 at Bellerive, making only two birdies and slipping to five under par, five shots behind the leader. Wyndham Clark, meanwhile, carded a second consecutive 64 to reach 12 under par after 36 holes. He remained the only player in the field without a bogey through two rounds.
McIlroy acknowledged the change in his performance, noting that although the wind direction had shifted, the course remained highly playable. He said his ball striking was less precise than in the opening round and planned to spend the afternoon practising on the range. RTÉ Sport reported that he went straight to the driving range after his round. Several basic par saves on the back nine helped keep him in contention despite a bogey on the par-five eighth hole.
The crowds at Bellerive have been a prominent feature of the tournament. McIlroy recalled the large turnout during his previous appearance at the venue in 2018 and remarked on the strong support, even during early tee times. He called it a standout aspect of the event and said he was looking forward to the weekend rounds.
Clark leads Gary Woodland by one shot, with Woodland at 11 under after a 65 that included birdies on his final two holes. Bellerive also hosted the 2018 PGA Championship, where Woodland led after 36 holes before losing ground over the weekend. J.J. Spaun is third at 10 under after a 66 on his 36th birthday. He reached 11 under at the turn, then made three bogeys on the back nine before recovering with two late birdies to finish as the early clubhouse leader. Scottie Scheffler, after a difficult opening round, improved with five birdies on the back nine, moving to three under and into a tie for 25th. Sungjae Im shot 64 to reach nine under, while Patrick Cantlay and Michael Thorbjornsen were both at eight under.
The Associated Press report, republished by the Post-Journal, described Clark’s second straight 64 as bogey-free and said it gave him a one-shot advantage over Woodland going into the weekend. Several contenders remain within a few shots of the lead. Live coverage continues on Saturday, with broadcasts scheduled on Sky Sports Golf and Sky Sports Basic Event.
The BMW Championship is part of the PGA Tour’s FedExCup Playoffs, so the standings matter beyond the tournament title. Scottie Scheffler had already secured the $23 million bonus for leading the points race into the Tour Championship at East Lake. Under the playoff format described in the Associated Press report, players advancing to East Lake must win the Tour Championship to capture the FedExCup. Bellerive Country Club, which also hosted the 2018 PGA Championship, has a history of staging major tournaments. The weekend rounds will determine whether Clark can maintain his lead and whether McIlroy can close the five-shot gap.
