Late surge gives Rahm a 2-shot lead
Jon Rahm knew he was swinging well and finally got rewarded for it when he made five birdies and an eagle over his last 10 holes, giving him a 5-under 66 and a two-shot lead Saturday at the halfway point of the Dell Technologies Championship in Norton, Mass.
Rahm already has a short history of strong finishes in his first trip to the TPC Boston.
One day after he birdied four of his last five holes, he made a 12-foot eagle putt on the par-5 18th and then shot 31 on the front nine to reach 9under 133.
No one could catch him in the afternoon, least of all Dustin Johnson.
Johnson, the world’s No. 1 player who had a one-shot lead going into the second round, had a pair of double-bogeys after a quick start and needed a birdie on the 18th hole to keep from falling further behind. Johnson shot a 72 and was five shots behind.
Paul Casey, who played in the final group last year until Rory McIlroy ran him down, had a 65 and was two shots off the lead along with Adam Hadwin (65), Kevin Streelman (65) and Kyle Stanley (68).
Streelman is at No. 90 in the FedEx Cup, and only the top 70 after the Labor Day finish advance to the third playoff event in two weeks outside Chicago.
Rahm was only part of a cool, calm day that left a large crowd entertained, and at times surprised.
Lucas Glover (No. 16) and Grayson Murray (No. 8) each made a hole-inone that the PGA Tour estimated were 65 seconds apart. Phil Mickelson dropped only one shot on his way to a 67. He was just three shots off the lead at 6-under 136, his best 36-hole score since the FedEx St. Jude Classic in June.
Champions Tour: Scott McCarron eagled the par-5 18th for a 6-under 64 and a two-stroke lead in the Shaw Charity Classic in Calgary, Alberta.
McCarron was at 13under 127.
Kevin Sutherland (67) was tied for second with Miguel Angel Jimenez (65).
Jerry Kelly of Madison, Wis., coming off his first senior title, had a 65 and was at 9-under with Nick Faldo and Bob Estes.