Flourtown – Keith Mitchell posted a three-under 67 to hang onto a one-shot lead halfway through the Truist Championship on May 9 in rainy Flourtown, Pennsylvania.

Mitchell jumped into the lead on May 8 by firing a 61, but the scoring was more muted across the board for the second round of the US$20 million (S$26 million) signature event at the Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Wissahickon Course.

A run of three birdies early in his round, including putts of 25 and 18 feet, helped Mitchell reach 12-under 128 through two days. He is narrowly ahead of Irishman Shane Lowry, who posted the round of the day with a 65 to get to 11 under.

Mitchell said he is trying to get more comfortable playing from in front.

“Playing well the last couple Thursdays, it’s just I feel like I’ve been there now three or four times,” Mitchell said.

“So trying to just build off of that and build into Friday, then Saturday and Sunday. It’s a four-round tournament. They don’t give any points or money out on Thursday, so I’ve got to keep it going.”

He did that on May 9 by neutralising his mistakes. Mitchell made two bogeys and in both cases followed them with birdies on the next hole.

“Huge. If you get going in the wrong direction with momentum on a day like today, it can really catch you,” Mitchell said. “Hit two really good putts after I made bogeys.”

Lowry, meanwhile, had six birdies to just one bogey on May 9. He ranked second in the field in strokes gained on approach and hit 14 of 18 greens in regulation.

Sepp Straka of Austria (67) is third at 10 under, and there’s a gap before a star-filled tie for fourth at seven under with Justin Thomas (67), Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland (67), Collin Morikawa (70), Patrick Cantlay (68), Akshay Bhatia (70) and South Korea’s Kim Si-woo (68).

McIlroy had a busy day with six birdies and three bogeys, while Morikawa overcame a double bogey to shoot an even-par round. McIlroy has won this tournament four times at Quail Hollow Club, which is hosting next week’s PGA Championship instead of the Truist.

On the LPGA Tour, Nelly Korda used a late birdie spurt to claw her way into a tie for the lead at the Mizuho Americas Open on Friday in Jersey City, New Jersey.

The world No. 1 shot her second straight round of 68 at Liberty National Golf Club to move to eight-under 136 for the event, tied with South Korean Lee So-mi, who shot a 67 on May 9, and Andrea Lee, who...