Shane Lowry and Ian Poulter will head into the weekend at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans six shots off the lead after another eye-catching day at TPC Louisiana, as much for their wardrobe choices as for their golf.
Sporting matching outfits for the second day in a row – this time a fetching white shirt and green trousers ensemble – the pair had a roller-coaster back-nine as a three-under 69 leaves them just within touching distance of Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele.
Playing the foursomes format, where players take it in turns to hit a shot with the same ball, bogeys at the second and fourth either side of a birdie at the third was all they could muster on the front-nine, but the back-nine was a different story.
Two birdies immediately after the turn were followed by a bogey at the par-four 12th, but further birdies at the 13th, 15th and 18th has them in a position to make a move over the weekend.
The pairing of Seamus Power and Graeme McDowell proved not to be a dream one, however, as they missed the cut thanks to a second round 74 that left them at five-under-par for the week.
The all-Irish pairing only had one birdie on day two, which came at the par-five second to give them hope of mounting a run, but instead three bogeys left them three shots off the cut line and with the weekend off.
Cantlay and Schauffele maintained their first round lead with a five-birdie, one-bogey 68 in their second round which, along with their tournament record 59 on day one, means they hold a one-shot advantage at the top going into the weekend at 17-under.
The pairings of Aaron Rai and David Lipsky, and Doc Redman and Sam Ryder share second at 16-under after both recorded rounds of 61 and 67 on days one and two, with Wyndham Clark and Cameron Tringale and the all-South African duo of Garrick Higgo and Branden Grace at 15-under.
The format reverts back to four-ball better-ball for Saturday’s third round, with foursomes the fourth round format on Sunday.
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