Jon Rahm surges into lead at CJ Cup as Rory McIlroy makes miracle birdie to keep in touch

Rory McIlroy overcame a mixed start to his second round at the CJ Cup to keep himself in contention, as Jon Rahm made a big move on Friday.

He suggested the first competitive round had answered a number of questions about shot choices on certain holes, but his outward nine was over par after one birdie and two bogeys.

There appeared to be a lack of spark in his play, but he ignited things with a fine birdie putt on the 10th.

He went within inches of a rare albatross on the 12th, as his second shot to the par-five shaved the side of the cup. He disappointingly missed the eagle, but a routine birdie got him under par for the round.

McIlroy produced the birdie of the day on the 13th. His tee shot found the scrub and was in the weeds, but he made brilliant contact to get the ball to the front of the green and rolled in the putt.

Further birdies followed at 12, 13, 15 and 18 as he signed for a 67 to get to nine-under.

Rahm was the big mover on the day, with the Spaniard charging up the leaderboard with a course-record round of 62.

Second Round Leaderboard

• T1. Jon Rahm, 11-under
• T1. Kurt Kitayama, 11-under
• T3. Cam Davis, 10-under
• T3. Aaron Wise, 10-under
• 5. Rory McIlroy, nine-under

He made a brilliant start with four birdies in a row from holes three to six. The Spaniard did not require his putter to make birdie on the eighth, as he holed from the sand.

A further birdie should have followed at nine, which would have taken him out in 30 shots, but he missed a putt from inside four feet.

One hole later the crazy nature of the sport was on show as, after missing from close range, he stroked in a downhill 35-footer for birdie.

Rahm’s putter had been a little cold earlier in the year, but his play on the greens improved through the summer and he rolled in a stunner from the fringe on 16 to get to the top of the leaderboard.

Rahm almost made an eagle from the fairway on 17 only for his ball to curl by the cup, but a birdie took him into the solo lead at 12-under.

Rahm went down the 18th with the outside prospect of a 59 on the cards, but those hopes evaporated when he caught his approach heavy and it came up short and tumbled down the run-off area.

It proved to be a scruffy end to the round for Rahm, as his chip was poor and he had to settle for a bogey and a round of 62.

“Yesterday speed was a bit of a challenge,” Rahm said. “I have not putted on greens this fast, this slick in quite a while – especially being in Europe the last few months.

“It took me a bit to get used to it. Right front the get-go my speed was good and confident; the rest of the game accompanied the putting.”

Tyrrell Hatton is looking to add to his sole win on the PGA Tour at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2020, and he played himself into contention with a round of 68 on Friday to get to seven-under.

Hatton sits in a group alongside Billy Horschel, KH Lee, Tom Hoge, Brendon Todd, Tom Kim and Lee Hodges.