Sentry Tournament of Champions: Justin Thomas two on the beat halfway | Golf news

Harris English shot a 67 to claim a two-shot lead midway through the Sentry Tournament of Champions, but the world’s top three players are well positioned for the weekend in Kapalua.

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The best of the action from Day 2 of the 2021 PGA Tour opening event in Hawaii, where the world’s top three players are all vying midway through.

Justin Thomas slipped two shots behind midway leader Harris English as big winners Collin Morikawa and Dustin Johnson made great strides on Day 2 of the Sentry Tournament of Champions.

Thomas shared the lead overnight with the Englishman after the two starts at 65, but it was the Englishman who went lower of the final pair in the second round as a 67 took him to 14 under and two shots away from the pursuit squad.

Defending champion Thomas struggled on the back nine after sailing to the 32-turn, giving up a shot in the 13th before breaking through five feet for a welcome birdie at the last to join Morikawa, Daniel Berger and Ryan Palmer on 12 under.

Collin Morikawa shot a 65 to jump in a split second

Morikawa and Berger were the hottest couple on the plantation course at the Kapalua Resort in Maui, both with under-65s after a flurry of birds in the last six holes.

PGA champion Morikawa has only scored one top 10 since his major breakthrough in San Francisco last August, and he was thrilled to compete with Berger almost shot for shot throughout their second round.

“We were just making birdies one after the other and that helps,” he says. “We feed on each other, we feed on each other’s birdies, and that kind of just, as you can see from the first hole until the 18th, we just did the same.

“There is a feeling of home here, I’ve been here a billion times. So it’s nice, it’s a vacation, but at the end of the day we’re here to play some really good golf and I want to take over Sunday and I still have two days to do so. “

The Englishman carded six birdies and completed 36 holes with just one bogey on his card, overtaking Thomas on the run to the inside as the world No.3 was unable to retain the lead he claimed after his fourth birdie of the day to the ninth.

But his birdie at the last ensured he would enter the weekend with a share of second and a shot ahead of last year’s runner-up, and 2019 champion Xander Sc Heater, who landed a gigantic putt of 80 feet on the 18th to register a 66..

“It’s always nice to end up this way,” he said. “Caddy is happy, we don’t need to go do any putting drills so all smiles all around. I paced it and then I forgot what the number was, so I gave up. wasn’t going to do it again.! “

Dustin Johnson also carded a 65 and is only four years back

ScHotele also admitted that he is still not fully recovered after contracting Covid-19 during the festive break, adding: “My shins hurt, which is really strange. They were never injured while walking.

“I’ve kind of run on a treadmill before and they struggled a bit before, but generally going up hills doesn’t usually do much to me. But it’s kind of a challenge, so I, you know, that’s what it is, I’ll be in the ice bath tonight. “

The world’s top two players, meanwhile, are heading for the last 36 holes well placed on 10 under, with Johnson shooting a 65 at eight birdies and Jon Rahm picking up birdies at five of the last seven holes to hand in a 66.