The China Mail - Bhatia joins Hisatsune in Pebble Beach lead as Fowler surges

California-born Bhatia scored 64, with back-to-back bogey-free rounds to join overnight leader Hisatsune at the pinnacle.

It comes off the back of 24-year-old Bhatia's joint-third-placed finish at last week's Phoenix Open.

"Just building off last week. Played really nice last week, just starting to kind of catch my groove," said Bhatia, who has two previous PGA Tour wins to his name.

Bhatia enjoyed six birdies and an eagle at the par-five 14th, where he chipped in from 47 feet out in the rough.

"I feel like my golf swing's in a really nice spot, shot options are in a really nice spot and starting to see some putts fall," he said.

Meanwhile Japan's Hisatsune built on his career-best 10-under opening round with a fine five-under par 67.

He bogeyed both the 18th and 1st as he made the turn at Spyglass Hill -- one of two in use for the event's first two days -- but regained his composure and eagled the par-five seventh and birdied the ninth for a strong finish.

The 23-year-old from Okayama, who won the 2023 Open de France on the DP World Tour, has been stepping it up in pursuit of a first US PGA Tour title.

After a tie for second behind runaway winner Justin Rose at Torrey Pines, Hisatsune held the halfway lead at the Phoenix Open last week, before finishing 10th.

- 'A lot better' -

Rickie Fowler also carded 64 to end the day in joint third place, on 14-under par, with Sam Burns.

Fowler bogeyed the 14th but produced an otherwise flawless round featuring nine birdies.

Chasing his first PGA Tour win since 2023, 37-year-old Fowler is on the mend after battling through injury in a 2025 season that saw him briefly drop outside the world top-100.

"My shoulder was bad all last year so I was just trying to manage and get through as best that I could," he said.

"My body and shoulder feel a lot better than it did last year," added Fowler.

Elsewhere, Harris English carded the day's best round with a bogey-free 63, featuring nine birdies, to bounce back from a disappointing opening-round 73 and reach eight-under at the event's halfway mark.

World number one Scottie Scheffler crept back up the leaderboard with a second round of 66, putting him six-under for the tournament after an erratic opening round of 72.

Scheffler again looked wobbly on his first few holes, including a bogey on the 13th, but after a run of birdies he chipped in from 65 yards for an eagle on the seventh.

"I felt like I played better again than my score today, which is pretty frustrating, but was able to get some stuff going on the back nine," he said.

"So at least a respectable score today versus yesterday, (which) wasn't very respectable."

Defending champion Rory McIlroy carded an uneven 67 featuring an eagle, five birdies and two bogeys on the Pebble Beach Golf Links course, finishing with a birdie to sit on nine-under par in a tie for 17th place.

K.Leung--ThChM