Rory McIlroy has work to do if he is to add a fourth title to his collection as he sits way back in tied-23rd after the opening two rounds of the Tour Championship in Atlanta.
The Masters champion on three-under par is seven shots off joint-leaders Ryan Gerard and Viktor Hovland after an up-and-down 69 on Friday.
A birdie on the first gave promise of launching an attack at the top of the leader board, but it quickly dissipated as he struck a double bogey on the third and then followed it up with another bogey at the fourth.
A birdie at the sixth did some repair work as he made the turn at one over and a three at the par-four 12th brought him level for the round.
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But he bogeyed the next before rescuing his round with birdies at the 16th and 18th to card a one-under 69.
Meanwhile, his Ryder Cup team-mate Justin Rose put himself in contention after a scintillating second-round 65.
The Englishman fired five birdies in a blemish-free round to move to seven-under, giving himself a chance at winning the $10-million FedExCup playoff series finale at the halfway point.
He is three shots off the lead and one clear of Collin Morikawa and Chris Gotterup on nine-under.
Rose hit birdies at the sixth, eighth and 11th hole to make his move up the leader board and then added more at the 15th and 18th to card a five-under-par 65.
Scottie Scheffler sits on a healthy eight-under after a round of 67 which contained six birdies and three bogeys.
Cameron Young is also on eight under after firing the round of the day – a sublime 62.
Young peppered his scorecard with six birdies in seven holes and finished with an eagle three on the par-five 18th to put himself in the mix.
