VIRGINIA WATER, England: Hideki Matsuyama made two eagles in shooting 8-under 64 to take a one-stroke lead over a trio of European Ryder Cup players after the second round of the BMW PGA Championship on Friday.
Viktor Hovland (66), Ludvig Åberg (69) and Justin Rose (66) were leading the pursuit of Matsuyama in their last event before the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black from Sept. 26-28.
There are 11 members of the Europe team playing this week and only one failed to make the cut — rookie Rasmus Hojgaard (5 over after a 75).
Matsuyama is making his debut in the flagship event on the European tour and the Japanese former Masters champion has immediately taken to the Wentworth Club, having made 11 birdies this week along with eagles at two of the four par-5s in the second round to be 12 under for the tournament.
At the fourth he rolled in a 15-footer, and at the 17th he chipped in from the edge of the green to jump into the lead late in the day.
“I wasn’t expecting I would play this good,” the 16th-ranked Matsuyama said.
Hovland, ranked No. 15, said he couldn’t remember chipping and putting as well as he did on Friday, when he made three straight birdies from No. 4, birdied No. 16 and holed a 40-foot putt for eagle at the last.
“I’m super happy to be where I’m at and scoring-wise, it’s incredible to be honest with you,” Hovland said.
He was tied for seventh at the BMW Championship and 12th at the Tour Championship in the recent FedEx Cup finale on the PGA Tour.
Hovland will likely be a partner for Åberg at Bethpage and the Swede also looks to be playing well, following up an opening 64 with a 69.
No. 12-ranked Rose made eight birdies to join his Ryder Cup teammates in a tie for second place.
Of the other Ryder Cup players, Rory McIlroy double-bogeyed the last to shoot level-par 72 and was 3 under — nine strokes off the lead — while Jon Rahm birdied the last two holes to shoot 69 for 4 under.
