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Collin Morikawa might be back, Scottie Scheffler won't go away and more from Friday at RBC Heritage 2024

Photo: Andrew Redington/Getty Images

The fifth signature event of the 2024 PGA Tour season is headed to the weekend as all 69 players who teed it up Thursday will play the final two days at the RBC Heritage in Hilton Head, South Carolina.

Harbour Town Golf Links has given up some low scores through two days, with four players tied for the lead at 11 under — Collin Morikawa, J.T. Poston, Tom Hoge and Sepp Straka. In all, there are 11 players at or within three shots of the lead.

Moving Day is sure to bring some fireworks.

To no one’s surprise, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is back in the mix — but we’ll dive into his round in just a minute.

Rory McIlroy is at 7 under, four back of the lead, and is starting to find his swing a bit. He kept the bogeys off the card Friday, signing for a 3-under 68. Defending champion Matt Fitzpatrick is 6 under through 36 holes and has a chance to do something special over the weekend to claim another Tartan Jacket.

If you missed any of Friday’s action, no worries, we have you covered. Here’s everything you need to know from the second round of the RBC Heritage.

Scottie Scheffler just won't go away

Scottie Scheffler reacts after making a birdie on the eighth hole during the second round of the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links on April 19, 2024 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Scheffler won the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He won the Players Championship. He missed a five-footer to force a playoff at the Houston Open. He won the Masters.

Those are the results of his last four starts. You’d think he’d be outta gas, especially after a mentally and physically taxing week at Augusta National that ended with his second Green Jacket.

Nope. Not even a little. He’s right back in the mix.

After opening with a 2-under 69 on Thursday, Scheffler posted a 6-under 65 on Day 2 and is three shots back of the lead pack heading into the weekend — something that should scare everyone at the top of the leaderboard.

Can he really win again?

Yeah, he can — and he probably will.

Is Collin Morikawa … back?

Collin Morikawa plays his shot from the 16th tee during the second round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Since becoming the Champion Golfer of the Year in 2021, Morikawa has just one PGA Tour win (2023 Zozo Championship). His game hasn’t been the same over the last few years, at one point even losing his patented cut shot shape.

But it sure looks like he’s found his game.

After a great week at the Masters where he tied for third alongside Max Homa, Morikawa sits 11 under through two rounds at Harbour Town and tied for the 36-hole lead.

This golf course sets up perfectly for Morikawa’s marksmanship-style game, so it’s easy to see why he’s played himself into contention in South Carolina.

On Friday, Morikawa posted a bogey-free 5-under 66, one shot worse than his 65 on Thursday.

“I’m not really adding any new pieces,” he said of putting his game back together. “I’ve learned a lot over the past year, year and a half of just golf in general. Even if I didn’t go through this, I think just time you learn a lot. But I know the pieces that I have and the whole puzzle let’s call it, I can play really, really great golf.

“Sometimes you don’t need all those pieces, and today I didn’t have it, but that’s kind of old-school golf. I look back when I first turned pro, today was one of those days, didn’t feel great, didn’t hit it great, whatever, still posted a number and move on to the next couple days.”

Ludvig Aberg is in contention again — shocker!

Ludvig Aberg of Sweden reacts after a putt on the fifth hole during the second round of the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links on April 19, 2024 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

When you hit it straight as an arrow and keep bogeys off the card, you’ll most likely find yourself in contention come the weekend.

And that’s exactly what Aberg has done through two rounds of the RBC Heritage.

The young Swede was paired with Ryder Cup teammate Rory McIlroy for the first two days in South Carolina and beat him by three shots.

In all, Aberg has made an eagle, nine birdies and just one bogey through 36 holes and is one back of the lead at 10 under after a bogey-free 5-under 66 on Friday.

He’s first in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and first in SG: Approach so far this week. Is that any good?

While Aberg has the game to hang with anyone in the world, he’s relying on his looper at golf courses he’s never played as a pro.

“He means a lot. Obviously, he’s been there. He has the experience,” Aberg said of his caddie, Joe Skovron. “He’s seen a lot of things, and he’s seen a lot of these golf courses in different conditions and different winds. That’s going to make it easier for me. It’s going to help us navigate the golf courses a little bit easier.

“But yeah, plus he’s a fun dude to be around, and we’re having a good time.”

Patrick Cantlay is doing it again at Harbour Town

Patrick Cantlay hits an approach shot on the first hole during the second round of the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links on April 19, 2024 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Something about this golf course gets Cantlay going.

In six previous appearances at the RBC Heritage, Cantlay has five top-10 finishes, four top-five finishes including a runner-up to Jordan Spieth in 2022.

So even though Cantlay has just one top 10 this season — T-4 at the Genesis Invitational — it shouldn’t come as a shock to see his name high on the leaderboard in Hilton Head.

He made four birdies on his opening nine holes — Nos. 1, 2, 5 and 9 — making the turn with a 4-under 32. Two birdies coming home helped to offset a bogey at the par-4 12th, and Cantlay (10 under) finished with a 5-under 66.

“I think the design is really good. I think it forces you to really play chess out there and put the golf ball in specific spots,” Cantlay said after his round. “There’s no real advantage to hitting it particularly long, but you do have to control your golf ball.

“I tend to play out of the fairway here a lot, and that makes this place pretty easy.”

Cantlay is hoping to break a nearly two-year winless drought this weekend, with his last victory coming at the 2022 BMW Championship — he also won the Zurich Classic alongside Xander Schauffele that season.

From double bogey to 65

Sepp Straka had a less-than-ideal start to his round Friday. At the par-4 402-yard first, the Austrian’s tee shot went out of bounds and he was forced to peg another. After an underwhelming approach with his fourth, Straka went on to make double-bogey six.

But then he heated up.

Straka made birdie on the very next hole — par-5 second — and added three more to his front-nine card and made the turn with a 2-under 34.

On his homeward nine, Straka made four more birdies on Nos. 10, 12, 16 and 17 to sign for a second-round 6-under 65, one shot better than the 66 he posted on Thursday.

“The driver has been great, and it’s key out here. It’s really tight,” Straka told the media after he signed his card. “You really have to be in control of your driver. Yeah, the putter was hot the last few days, which I haven’t had the last couple months, so it’s nice to finally roll in a few birdie putts.

Straka — who hasn’t posted a top-10 finish this season — last won at the John Deere Classic in 2023.

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