NEW ZEALAND’S RYAN Fox closed with a birdie putt from just inside 14 feet to match Scotsman Robert MacIntyre for the lead after Friday’s second round of the Canadian Open.
Rory McIlroy is eight shots off the lead after a two-over 72 which included three bogeys and a birdie on the 12th. Shane Lowry made the even par cut after a two-under 68 which started on the 10th. A bogey on the 11th was followed by two birdies and another bogey on the 18th. He picked up three more birdies on the front nine to make it through to the weekend.
Séamus Power has missed the cut after finishing on three-over.
Fox, seeking his first US PGA Tour title, fired a six-under par 64 while MacIntyre, who has not had a bogey thus far, shot 66 to leave both men on 10-under 130 after 36 holes at Hamilton Golf and Country Club in suburban Toronto.
World number 76 MacIntyre, chasing his first PGA crown as well, has two wins on the DP World Tour, most recently at the 2022 Italian Open. His best PGA finish was as runner-up in last year’s Scottish Open.
American Joel Dahmen was third on 132 after a second-round 65 with England’s David Skinns, Canada’s Mackenzie Hughes and American Andrew Novak sharing fourth on 133.
Fox is a four-time DP World Tour winner, most recently at last September’s BMW PGA Championship, but his best PGA finish came only three weeks ago — a share of fourth at Myrtle Beach.
The 37-year-old from Auckland, a back-nine starter, birdied four of his first seven holes.
World number 63 Fox made a nine-foot birdie putt at the 10th, a birdie putt from just inside five feet at 12, another from just inside four feet at 14 and rolled in a 24-footer to birdie the par-3 16th.
Fox drove the green in two to set up a tap-in birdie at the par-5 fourth and sank a birdie putt from just outside nine feet at the fifth, only to miss the green at the par-3 sixth and make bogey, setting up his dramatic final putt to share the lead at the par-4 ninth.
MacIntyre, 27, sank a 12-foot birdie putt on the first hole, reached the green in two for a tap-in birdie at the par-5 fourth, made a seven-foot birdie putt at the 12th and a five-footer to birdie 15.
Meanwhile at the US Women’s Open, Leona Maguire and Áine Donegan have missed the cut while Stephanie Meadow previously withdrew from the tournament due to illness.
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