Rory’s chip up from the swale at the back of 12 checks. What he’d give for another bounce, one more roll. He’s left with a six-foot bogey putt on a sloping green. Big putt coming up. Koepka isn’t moving freely right now, and he’s out of position to the right of 13. A hot chip past the flag leaves a 12-footer coming back for par. He can’t make it. Bogey, and he’s back to -5. Meanwhile back on 12, Rory loses his second way left, and he’s stuck up a hillock. He throws a lob onto the green, but can’t hold it, and he’s off the back. This is almost certainly an end of his forward momentum. Shane Lowry has dropped four strokes in the last five holes, and as a result is on a rolling boil. His second at 13, from rough down the left, clips a branch. So he snaps his iron over his knee. That club was destroyed with some force, and he rubs his leg in a slightly sheepish manner afterwards. Sure enough, golf being golf, he nearly trundles his third straight into the cup for birdie. But the ball rattles ten feet past, and he’s odds-on to drop yet another shot. Weekend participation appears a pipe dream the way he’s going. Tiger hits driver at 12. The tee box is by the boundary fence, and a crowd has gathered to give their hero some support. “C’mon Tiger, let’s go baby!” You can lock the gates with a pandemic raging, but they’ll still come from far and wide to see and cheer on the great man. Koepka is down again, which is rather worrying. He’s getting his back manipulated by the physio in the grand style. The sort of moves that would tie your average punter’s spine in knots, leaving it looking like a treble clef. Hopefully this looks much more serious than it actually is. Nevertheless, let’s take no chances: fingers crossed the champion can defend his title. McIlroy only just reaches the front of the par-three 11th. He leaves his 70-footer a good ten feet short ... but knocks in the par putt to maintain his momentum. He remains at -3. Up on 14, Berger risks bogey with a heavy-handed chip, but rolls in the 12-footer coming back to hang on at -6. Another shot gone for Shane Lowry, who looks a defeated man right now. He has to roll in a 15-footer to limit the damage to bogey at 12, and he’s back to level par. From looking like taking a tilt at the title, he’s in danger of missing the cut unless he gets his act together toot sweet. An on-the-hour leaderboard. And it’s star-packed, with all your favourite pals! -8: Li (F) -6: Fleetwood (F), Day (14), Berger (13), Koepka (11) -5: Champ (F), Casey (F), Todd (F), Rose (11), Wiesberger (11), Dahmen (10) -4: Schauffele (13), Cauley (13), Morikawa (12), Noren (11), Steele (10), Lorenzo-Vera (9) -3: Wolff (F), Matsuyama (F), Kim (F), Scheffler (17), Woodland (11), McIlroy (10) Wiesberger is on the charge, too. A third birdie in a row, this one at 2, and he’s -5. This second round had gone a wee bit flat for an hour or two back there, but recently it’s exploded back into life. Goodness knows what Moving Day is going to be like. McIlroy is a dimple away from draining his eagle putt at 10. But it’s four birdies in a row, and he’s suddenly in the thick of this tournament, after looking down and out! He’s -3. Thomas does extremely well to get up and down from the thick stuff at the back, and he returns to -1. But Tiger leaves his eagle putt ten feet short. Happily, he’s been given a read by Rory, so in goes the birdie effort, and he’s -1 again. Meanwhile Day can’t take advantage of his lucky break on 14, but he escapes with his par, something that was far from given when his approach was sailing through the air to the right of the green. Man down! It’s Koepka, who has felt something in his back. He calls for his physio, who yanks his leg hither and yon, and soon enough the big man’s back up and more supple than ever. Phew. It’d be a miserable state of affairs if his defence was compromised, or even worse ended, by injury. Rory’s 344-yard drive on 10 is the longest at that hole today. He smooths his second onto the green and will have a look at eagle from 50 feet or so. Tiger’s also on in two, but Thomas, still seething from the abomination on the last green, sends his drive into the rough down the left, meaning he gets a flier with his second, and he’s through the back in deep nonsense. Meanwhile bounceback birdie for Rose at 10. He’s -5 again. A huge stroke of luck for Day on 14, as he pushes his second way right of the green ... only for the ball to take a massive break left and end up pin high on the dancefloor! Back on 11, Koepka leaves a 35-foot putt way short, foxed by the camber of the green, a hump jutting in from the left, but he rolls in the 12-footer that remains. What a massive escape! He remains at -6. Collin Morikawa drains a 50-footer on 11. It’s his fourth birdie of the day, and suddenly he’s -4. Bernd Wiesberger is going along impressively, too, screeching his second at 1 to kick-in distance from 100 yards. He’s -4 as well. Up on 10, Shane Lowry misses a short one to bogey a hole most players are making birdie on. He drops to -1 and needs to arrest the slide after three bogeys in a row. On 12, Daniel Berger shoves a short one wide to slip back to -6. But it’s not catching everywhere. McIlroy makes it three birdies on the bounce at 9, taking his time over a three footer after watching the antics of Thomas. Just reward for a 200-yard iron whisked so close. He’s -2, and this is a highly impressive recovery from a player who has been so out of sorts lately. Weekend hackers take heart. The world number one, Justin Thomas, three-putts from six feet. He walks off red-faced, a mixture of embarrassment and anger, a birdie chance turned into bogey in a couple of rushes of blood. He’s level par again. He’d played the hole - a hellishly difficult long par-four - so well from tee to green, too. Supposedly the hardest bit. Golf right there, ladies and gentlemen. Koepka’s putt shaves the right-hand edge of the cup. Birdie is fine, though he tosses and catches his ball in frustration, knowing that glorious 4-iron deserved so much better. He’s -6. Meanwhile back on 9, Tiger visits a couple of bunkers and that’s his second bogey of the day. He hits the turn in 37, back to level par, and may soon need to start thinking about the cut, likely to fall at +1. Rose trundles a heavy-handed chip 15 feet past the flag at 9. He can’t make the par putt coming back, and he’s -4 again. Meanwhile up on 10, Koepka sends his drive into the second cut down the right, but is still able to lash a stunning 4-iron pin high, setting up an eagle chance from 12 feet. Day double-bogeys 12. He zig-zags his way up the hole, always in the rough, always out of position. His flop onto the green isn’t particularly close, and having missed his par putt, he then yips from a couple of feet. Expensive. Especially as Daniel Berger creams his tee shot at 7 over the flag, then strokes a 12-footer coming back into the cup for back-to-back birdies. All change at the top! -8: Li (F) -7: Berger (11) -6: Fleetwood (F), Day (12) Some better news for Irish golf fans: Rory McIlroy has rediscovered his touch. He follows birdie at 7 with an uphill trundler from 25 feet at 8, picking up a shot at a notoriously tricky hole. That’s worth more than a shot on the field, certainly in terms of building confidence. He’s suddenly -1 and that old Rory spring is back in his step. Gary Woodland nearly escapes with par at 9 after hitting the lip of a fairway bunker with his second. He slips back to -3. But his playing partner Brooks Koepka rolls in a 12-foot saver to remain at -5. However the third member of this marquee group of last year’s major winners, Shane Lowry, has been going backwards, sadly: bogeys at 8 and 9 and he’s back where he started at -2. It’s Daniel Berger’s turn to get within millimetres of eagle at 10. Like Day before him, he’s found the green in two; his putt’s half the distance though. From 30 feet, he rolls it straight at the cup, the ball stopping half an inch short. Agonising, but that’s his third birdie of the day and he’s going along very nicely at -6. Some miserable news from Wentworth, where the Rose Ladies Series Grand Final was suspended earlier today due to nearby wildfires. The organisers had hoped to pick up play again tomorrow morning, but although the fire services have got the situation under control, tomorrow’s forecast of more high temperatures constitutes an “ongoing fire risk” and “with a heavy heart” the course has to be closed tomorrow. That means the Grand Final restart is cancelled until further notice. They’re hopeful of getting this done in the next few weeks, but with the Scottish and British Opens coming up, it’ll now have to wait. Far from ideal ... but at least everyone is safe and healthy. Justin Thomas is looking for back-to-back wins on Tour, after last week’s dramatic success over Brooks Koepka at the WGC St Jude’s. What price the same mano-a-mano battle down the stretch come Sunday? Well, you’d probably get half-decent odds, on account of Thomas’s 72 yesterday. But he’s coming out of his shell slowly, following birdie at 4 with another at 7. He’s -1, and you wouldn’t bet too much against the 2017 champ, would you. Bogey for Schauffele at the difficult long par-four 9th. He can’t get up and down from greenside sand, and he slips back to -5. Day finds the par-five 10th easily in two. He sends a 70-foot eagle effort shaving the right side of the cup. That’s a wonderful putt and could so easily have dropped. But he’ll have to settle for birdie and a share of the lead. He’s alongside Li at -8 again. An extremely quiet start by Justin Rose: six pars in a row. But he’s clapped his tee shot at 7 to the edge of the green. A gentle wedge up to kick-in distance and he’ll be moving to -5. Meanwhile it’s extremely unlikely that Jordan Spieth will complete his career slam this week, but he won’t want to miss the weekend. After yesterday’s 73, that was on the cards, but he’s just birdied 5 and 7 to get back to +1. He’s just inside the cut line as things stand; the projected cut is unlikely to move back in, given the wind’s picking up and the temperature is cooling. Alex Noren is beginning to put something together. After holing a 50-yard bunker shot at 14, he’s just raked in a big putt across 15. Back-to-back birdies, and he’s -4. Another birdie for Daniel Berger, and he joins the group at -5 ... as does Tony Finau, who went close with an eagle putt from the fringe at 10 but is more than happy to make his birdie. There’s a spring in the big man’s step. -8: Li (F) -7: Day (9) -6: Fleetwood (F), Schauffele (8) -5: Champ (F), Casey (F), Todd (F), Berger (8), Koepka (7) Day is up against the collar at the bottom of the swale down the back of 9. He flops up high, but still can’t stop his ball trundling 12 feet past the hole. He can’t make the putt coming back, always missing on the right, and it’s his first bogey of the day. But he’s still turning in 33, one off Li’s lead at -7. Tyrrell Hatton was a hipsters’ choice coming into this tournament. Yesterday’s 72 put a stop to a lot of that chatter, though he’s doing pretty well to haul himself back into this. He’s just embarked on a run of three consecutive birdies, the latest a glorious two at the 17th, creaming his tee shot to a couple of feet. He’s level par for the tournament, and will be desperate for a good front nine ahead of Moving Day. A huge break for Day, who sent his drive at 9 towards a fence down the left. But it’s not a course boundary, and so he’s entitled to relief. He gets line of sight relief as well, so gets a drop 15 yards back towards the hole. He doesn’t take full advantage, though, sending a hot second over the back of the green. He’ll do well to get up and down from there to save his par. Meanwhile bogey for McIlroy on 5, punishment for a wild tee shot that forced him to chip out sideways from the trees. He’s +1 and flirting with missing the cut. Another dropped shot and he’ll be in real bother. Koepka shoves his par putt to the right, the ball never threatening to drop. He slips back to -5, looking a gift horse in the mouth, having been handed a way out of the trees after a comically wild drive. A par for the co-leader Day on the extremely difficult par-three 8th. He’s more than happy to get through that test unscathed. Meanwhile on 6, Koepka finds a route between trees to lash an iron into the heart of the green from nowhere. This would be a grand escape ... but he rushes on overly aggressive birdie putt from 30 feet eight past. A test coming back. Slapstick shenanigans on 6, where Koepka sends a wild slice towards the trees down the right. Back on 4, Tiger and Rory both let decent birdie opportunities slip by. But up on 7, Day makes another one from ten feet, and joins Li at the top of the leaderboard. -8: Li (F), Day (7) -6: Fleetwood (F), Schauffele (6), Koepka (5) -5: Champ (F), Casey (F), Todd (F), Lorenzo-Vera (2) Lowry chalks up his second birdie of the day, this time at 5. The Open champ is going along nicely at -4, coming off the back of 67-67 last weekend, rounds that earned him a tie for sixth at the WGC St Jude. Schauffele whipcracks his approach at 6 straight at the flag. It lands softly, taking one gentle bounce forward and stopping a couple of feet from the flag. If that. He’ll be making his birdie to move to -6. His near-namesake Scheffler is heading the other way, though; bogey at 9 means he’s turning in 36. He’s -3. -8: Li (F) -7: Day (6) -6: Fleetwood (F), Schauffele (6), Koepka (4) Another birdie for Brooks Koepka, who reaches the side of the Homeric par-five 4th in two easy slashes. A chip and a putt, and the defending champ is two off the lead at -6. A bit of trouble for Rory at the par-three 3rd, as he shoves his tee shot into thick bother to the right of the green. He wants a ruling, claiming a steward ... or was it a broadcaster? ... stood on his ball accidentally. Yep! He’s got a chance to recreate his original lie, and the official is happy with the placement. But Rory isn’t. “I wouldn’t be comfortable hitting that, it wasn’t such a good lie initially.” What sportsmanship. He places the ball in a much worse position, and it’s one of those times when the inherent honesty golf is built on makes the heart swell. Take it away, and all is lost! Karma dictates he gets up and down as reward for his stringent morals, but having flopped to 20 feet, his par saver stops one roll short. Such a shame. He’s back to level par. And Tiger slips to -1, unable to get up and down from sand, an avoidable bogey given the relatively easy bunker shot he had. The wind is expected to pick up during the afternoon, so players will hope to make hay while the sun shines. To this end, Shauffele’s shoulders droop a little as a birdie chance shaves the hole at 5. He remains at -5. Birdie at 4 for one of the USA’s great young hopes Collin Morikawa. Having shot 69 yesterday, he rises to -2. “Dearest Scott,” begins Mac Millings. “Did you really (8.32pm) only have bread and water? Wot no Hamburger Helper?” Thing is, I’ve only got one box of Helper, the only food-flavored food product marketed by a talking golf glove, left. You can only fit so many into a suitcase when coming back from a Stateside trip, unless you throw away all your clothes, which believe me I’ve considered. So I’m saving it for a special occasion. Thanksgiving, perhaps. Christmas Day, maybe. Or most likely Sunday at the Masters. Raise a glass for me the next time you’re shovelling some down, will you. Li most certainly will not be taking the 36-hole lead for granted. Holding onto it looks unlikely right now, because it’s back-to-back birdies for Jason Day, who clips his second at 5 to six feet and tidies up with businesslike briskness. He strides off with great purpose. The 2015 champion, back in form after a long dip, appears to be in the mood to make up for lost time. Birdie for Xander Schauffele at 4, his first of the day. The young Californian with a wonderful record in the majors already - six top-ten finishes in his first 11 starts - moves to -5. A bit of a group of afternoon starters forming near the top of the leaderboard, waiting to pounce. Li Haotong won’t be taking the 36-hole lead for granted. -8: Li (F) -6: Fleetwood (F), Day (4) -5: Champ (F), Casey (F), Todd (F), Finau (5), Schauffele (4), Koepka (3) Some belated news of Rickie Fowler, who for a wee while looked to have revived his title bid. Sadly he hacked his way up 6 en route to a double bogey. Another dropped shot at 8 meant he finished with a 69, not a disaster in and of itself but no good when coupled with yesterday’s 73. He’s +2 and may well be going home later tonight. An ideal start for McIlroy, who knocks in his birdie putt to immediately move into credit at -1. Neither Woods nor Thomas can guide their efforts in, and they remain at -2 and +1 respectively.