Ludvig Aberg seeking quick cure for his Masters hangover while Rory McIlroy digs in to stay in touch at Hilton Head
Ludbig Aberg carded a second successive five-under 66 to lie just one stroke off the lead.
Masters runner-up Ludvig Aberg feels confident he can shrug off his Augusta National fatigue and contend for his second PGA Tour win in the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links.
The Swede (24) showed no signs of tiredness as he birdied four of his last six holes alongside Rory McIlroy and carded a second successive five-under 66 to lie just one stroke off the lead.
“I’d like to think that I’m young and I’m able to handle it,” said Aberg, who trailed early leaders Tom Hoge, Sepp Straka and Collin Morikawa on 10-under in Hilton Head. “But obviously last week was a lot, and it was a lot going through my mind. You can’t really relax playing Augusta National in those conditions.
“So I think naturally I’m going to be a little bit tired, a little bit fatigued, but we’ve got two more rounds to go, and my focus is right here.”
McIlroy was nowhere near his best but still chiselled out a three-under 68 to lie just four shots off the pace alongside Séamus Power, who followed his opening 65 with a 70.
Shane Lowry had 33 putts in a one-over 72, but with no cut in the $20m (€18.8m) signature event, he has time to improve from level par.
Meanwhile, world No 1 Nelly Korda fired a three-under 69 to take the clubhouse lead at halfway as she seeks her second Major win in the Chevron Championship in Texas.
Bidding for her fifth victory in a row, the Floridian (25) was a shot ahead of Korea’s Hae Ran Ryu on seven-under at The Club at Carlton Woods.
At the LET’s Joburg Ladies Open, Castlewarden’s Lauren Walsh shot a three-over 76 to share 49th on three-over at halfway, 12 strokes behind South Africa’s Nadia van der Westhuizen at Modderfontein as Olivia Mehaffey shot 81 to miss the cut.
In the Middle East, it was a low-scoring day in the Abu Dhabi Challenge, where Portmarnock’s Conor Purcell (26) shot a career-low eight-under 62 to share ninth place on 10-under at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club.
He was just three shots behind South Africa’s Wilco Nienaber, who fired a course-record 60 to share the halfway lead with Denmark’s Nicolai Kristensen, who shot 64, on 13-under.
Gary Hurley was 49th on five-under with Mark Power and Daniel Mulligan a shot further back.
In amateur golf, Tramore’s Jack Hearn added a one-under 71 to a brace of 70s to take a one-shot lead into the final round of the European Nations Championship at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande.
He leads on five-under from Belgium’s Jarno Tollenaire, with Roganstown’s Seán Keeling six behind in 11th after a 76.
RBC Heritage, Sky Sports, 3.0pm
Chevron Championship, Sky Sports, 7.0pm
