스코티 셰플러는 2라운드에서 11개의 버디를 터트리며 9언더파 61을 기록했다. TPC Southwind의 코스 레코드를 타이한 이 성적은 목요일 5명의 공동 선두자들을 모두 제치고 대회의 절대 주인공으로 등극했음을 의미한다.
셰플러의 압도적인 성능은 지난 2년간의 개인 라운드 최고 기준을 세웠다. 필드의 2라운드 평균 득점보다 무려 8.5 샷을 앞서갔으니 말이다. 현재 그는 Sungjae Im과 Viktor Hovland로부터 3샷의 리드를 유지하고 있으며, 주말 경기가 남아 있음에도 불구하고 우승의 대세는 이미 정해진 것처럼 보인다.
01캔틀레이, 상단권 진입의 신뢰할 만한 선택
현재 세계 1위의 위력 앞에서 우승을 노리기는 어려워 보인다. 하지만 상단권 진입이라는 더 현실적인 목표로 눈을 돌리면, 패트릭 캔틀레이가 주목할 만하다. 현재 5언더로 6샷이 뒤떨어져 있지만, 그의 아이언 플레이 수치가 금요일 뛰어났기 때문이다.
캔틀레이는 2023년 이 대회에서 준우승을 기록한 바 있으며, 지난 2년간 연속으로 톱 15에 진입했다. FedExCup 포인트 확보를 위해 큰 주간을 필요로 하는 상황(현재 42위)이지만, 그의 침착하고 체계적인 플레이 스타일은 이 코스의 도전에 맞춰져 있다. 현재 +380의 배당은 충분히 매력적이다.
02키타야마, 주말 약세의 신호
목요일 5명의 공동 선두 중 한 명이었던 커트 키타야마는 금요일 3언더파 73을 기록하며 27위권으로 하락했다. 이는 주말 경기에 대한 경고 신호다. TPC Southwind에서 반복되는 그의 부진 패턴이 이번 주도 이어질 가능성이 높기 때문이다.
키타야마는 현재 퍼팅에서 52위, 그린 주변에서 53위, 티샷에서 41위의 성적을 기록 중이다. 이러한 수치는 그의 전체적인 경기력이 현재 순위보다 낮은 위치에 있어야 함을 시사한다. 2라운드를 마친 상황에서 이미 리드에서 떨어진 만큼, 주말에 심리적 부담은 더욱 커질 것으로 예상된다.
03Original (English) — PGA TOUR
Friday at the FedEx St. Jude Championship was defined by reassurance. The best player in the world reassured us that he is that guy, with his dominance on full display en route to a sizzling 9-under par 61 that was good enough to tie the course record at TPC Southwind.
Just 24 hours ago, five players walked away with a share of the lead, but the world No. 1 brought his A-game to Memphis for round two and politely removed them all from the conversation.
Friday was one of the best days of Scheffler's career. I'm not exaggerating. He beat the field's second-round average by 8.5 shots, his best mark for an individual round in the last two years! After an incredible 11 birdies today, he's three shots clear of Sungjae Im and Viktor Hovland headed into the weekend.
Im, who needs a big week at the FedEx St. Jude to advance to the BMW Championship, posted his second consecutive 66 (-4) and looks as steady as ever with his iron play. Hovland is right there as well with the second-best round of the day, and Jordan Spieth was able to catch fire late in his round to maintain a position in the top five.
Odds have been updated and have obviously shifted dramatically as Scheffler has gobbled up a grand share of the win equity.
With 36 holes left to play and a course in TPC Southwind that is susceptible to birdie runs, this weekend could bring volatility in the secondary markets. The oxygen has not been completely sucked out of the Memphis air, although some in attendance may beg to differ, as we look ahead to our draws and fades.
Updated odds to win the FedEx St. Jude Championship (DraftKings)
With the best player in the world now in the driver's seat, I don't find it wise to continue to chase the outright-to-win market. It feels considerably more reasonable when looking at Patrick Cantlay, whose ball-striking numbers were excellent Friday, to climb a few spots into the top five across the weekend rather than somehow chase down Scheffler.
Cantlay has been known to be reliable around this property, finishing runner-up in 2023, and has posted consecutive top 15s in the last two editions. Now, he sits at 5-under and six strokes back and we just need the iron play to remain steady as we saw on Friday, and I expect him to continue to climb the leaderboard over the weekend.
Cantlay could use a big week, and the FedExCup points that come along with it (he entered the tournament No. 42), but he'll remain methodical in the final two rounds and work his way into the mix. It's going to be a grind in Memphis, especially if Scheffler runs away with it, and Cantlay is built for the task. The +380 is awfully appealing.
Kurt Kitayama was one of five co-leaders after Thursday's round, but I believe Friday's struggles should serve as a major warning sign for his weekend prospects. A 3-over 73 moved him down the leaderboard into a share of 27th place, and the pressure that TPC Southwind puts him under routinely makes him a target to fade in matchups moving forward.
Kitayama is getting decimated on the greens, exposing a general liability in his game. Through two rounds, he ranks 52nd in putting, 53rd around the greens and 41st off the tee. Those kinds of numbers put your approach play under extreme scrutiny, which can wear on a player who has already ejected from the lead, and the stats indicate he should be in a worse place than 27th.
He came into this week with notable struggles over the years at TPC Southwind, with mostly forgettable results. I expect the weekend will repeat this pattern.
His ball-striking in general is legitimately good, but if the driver is not cooperating and he can only hit half of the fairways, I can see him easily moving in the wrong direction. I feel much more comfortable betting against him than predicting a bounce back.
