| Wells Fargo Championship second-round leaderboard |
|---|
| -11 J Dufner (US); -10 J Dahmen (US), M Homa (US); -6 R McIlroy (NI), P Reed (US); -5 J Rose (Eng), S Power (Ire), J Day (Aus), P Perez (US) |
| Selected others: -4 M Laird (Sco); -2 P Casey (Eng); +5 P Mickelson (US); +7 D Willett (Eng); +8 P Harrington (Ire) |
American Jason Dufner took a one-shot lead at the Wells Fargo Championship as Rory McIlroy slipped five shots adrift.
World number 230 Dufner, 42, who won the last of his five PGA Tour titles in 2017, carded an eight-under 63 to reach 11 under for the tournament.
McIlroy, twice a winner of the event, dropped three shots in two holes in his 70 but shares fourth at six under.
Justin Rose is one further back after a bogey-free 67, while Martin Laird is four under after bogeys at 17 and 18.
“I’m still right there going into the weekend. I just need to try and shake off that bad finish and get off to a good start tomorrow,” McIlroy said.
Dufner compiled his lowest round on the PGA Tour since round two at the 2013 PGA Championship, his only major victory.
In round two at Quail Hollow on Friday, he holed putts totalling 134 feet and 10 inches.
McIlroy began his round at the 10th with a two-putt birdie but three-putted the 14th to drop a shot.
After a 360-yard drive at the 16th, his 150-yard wedge spun back to a foot from the flag for another birdie, but an errant drive led to a double bogey at the eighth and an indifferent chip cost him another shot at his final hole.
Having made 14 successive cuts in the event, Phil Mickelson failed to qualify after making six bogeys and a double in a 76 to finish on five over.
The 48-year-old drove out of bounds at the seventh and then found the water, resulting in a double bogey seven.