Daniel Berger opened up a five-shot lead at the Arnold Palmer Invitational after a steady round Friday at Bay Hill Club with Rory McIlroy just easing himself back into the mix.
Berger built on Thursday's 63 with a four-under-par 68 to climb to 13-under at the halfway mark of the signature event. Akshay Bhatia posted a 66 to take sole possession of second at eight-under par.
Also in striking distance are Sahith Theegala (67), Collin Morikawa (71) and Sweden's Ludvig Aberg (71), who are tied for third at seven-under par, and Rickie Fowler, who's alone in sixth at six-under par after his second consecutive 69.
Xander Schauffele and defending champion Russell Henley are a shot back.
One stroke behind them, and nine off the lead, is McIlroy who is tied ninth after a round of 68 that included five birdies and just one blemish in the form of a bogey on the eighth.
Shane Lowry fell to three-over par and missed the cut by a single stroke - a bogey on his final hole proving costly as he found the rocks on his approach.
World number one Scottie Scheffler finally got another sub-par opening round with a two-under 70, which was a first since he won The American Express in January.
"I did some really good things and I felt like I made a couple mistakes that I shouldn't have," said Scheffler, who finished joint-12th in his last event at the Genesis Invitational.
"But overall I did some really good stuff out there. Anything under par on this golf course is a decent score."
Justin Rose also sits in a group alongside Scheffler at two under.
Berger hasn't won on the PGA Tour since the 2021 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He missed 18 months with a back injury and struggled to regain his old form once he returned.
On Friday, he rolled in five birdies while limiting himself to one bogey. He ranks second this week in strokes gained approaching the green and third in strokes gained putting.
Justin Thomas shot two straight rounds of 79 in his first start of the season following November back surgery. He finished in dead last among 72 players at 14-over par.
