Wyndham Clark maintains lead after 2nd round at Canadian Open

Punishing, deep rough and strong winds kept scores high at the RBC Canadian Open and helped Wyndham Clark hold on to his lead at the PGA Tour event for a second day.

The American shot an even-par 70 on Friday afternoon to sit at 7-under-par 133 overall and maintain his one-shot lead. He saved par on No. 18 when his shot from a greenside bunker went nearly 49 feet and stopped within five feet of the hole.

"Honestly, I played really good. It was tough out there. It was windy, there was some tough pin placement," said Clark, who was still marvelling at his shot on 18.

"It was definitely the best save I've had of the year."

Clark also led after the first round and said he's not going to change his tactics for the third.

"Really no different than the last couple days," said Clark. "I played great. I had some little mishaps coming in, but other than that I played some great golf for 36 holes.

"I think if I do that again I think I'll have a great chance come Sunday."

Defending champion Rory McIlroy (68), Alex Smalley (67), Keith Mitchell (67) and Jim Knous (67) all moved up to finish the second round tied with Matt Fitzpatrick for second at 6-under.

Aaron Cockerill of Stony Mountain, Man., and Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., both shot 68 to finish the day tied for 21st at 2 under. Cockerill is the highest-rated player on the European-based DP World Tour and is making his PGA Tour debut.

"First PGA Tour event and I'm in a decent position going into the weekend," said Cockerill. "Kind of where I want to be and see if we can throw a low one on the board tomorrow and see what happens."

McIlroy won the Canadian Open in 2019. The next two editions of the national men's golf championship were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He was in a group with Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., and American Justin Thomas. That trio was following an all-Canadian threesome featuring Mike Weir of Bright's Grove, Ont., Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont.

'The Rink'

Both groups were greeted by fans with raucous cheers, chants, and even singing. From the 16th hole — dubbed the Rink for its hockey-themed decorations — to the final hole at St. George's Golf and Country Club, fans went wild for the two trios.

"Everyone wants to be loved, I guess, and it's nice to feel that love here," said McIlroy. "I think people are just happy to have the Canadian Open back, it's been three pretty long years."

Hadwin (70) was tied for 33rd at 1 under. Adam Svensson (68) of Surrey, B.C., and Conners (69) were tied for 45th at even par. Hughes (75) was in a tie for 56th at 1 over.

Weir missed the cut by a shot after a 70 left him at 2 over overall.

As Hadwin, Hughes and Weir approached the 18th green, fans began to sing "O Canada," only pausing when one of the Canadians needed to make a shot before continuing their rendition of the national anthem.

"It's incredible. It's been a couple long years and they're hyped, they're ready to go," said Hadwin. "It's amazing to play in front of, it's great that they're coming out and supporting.

"I imagine that the weekend will be much the same."

Canadian players and fans wear red on Fridays as a tribute to the Maple Leaf. Hadwin and Conners took it a step further on Friday, wearing matching Levelwear shirts with geese, maple syrup, a beaver, and moose on it.

"I wished I helped design it, because I think it's amazing," said Hadwin. "It's going to be one of my favourite shirts in the collection now. It was made specifically for today."

Montreal ready for Presidents Cup

Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal Golf Club are well underway. Ryan Hart, the event's executive director, said he has been impressed with the support from Montreal's business and golf communities.

"It's coming along fast to be honest with you," said Hart, who was in attendance at the Canadian Open. "The community is just so excited to have it back. I would say that we're way ahead of schedule just because of that.

"The community almost is driving us to be ahead of schedule with the interest that we've had, which is great."