Justin Lower leads 2024 Butterfield Bermuda Championship; trio climbs inside top 125

With time running out for those chasing status in 2025, a trio of players may be saving their PGA Tour cards.

Sam Ryder, Robby Shelton, and Ryan Moore were on the outside looking in when they came to play Friday at the 2024 Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton, Bermuda. After 36 holes, they've each made huge jumps inside the 125. With just one tournament left next week, posting some low scores this week would go a long way.

This par 71 course might be the shortest on the PGA Tour in 2024 at 6,828 yards but it can be plenty treacherous, especially in the wind picks up. It was mostly calm on Friday but late in the day some rain showers came through the area a couple of times. They're expecting some rough wind conditions on Saturday so those who banked low scores so far are going to be thankful they did.

Bermuda: Leaderboard | Photos

For a second straight day, play was suspended before completion. It was not weather-related, however, as the PGA Tour reported: "Round two at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship was suspended due to darkness at 5:20 p.m. local time." Bermuda is one hour ahead of ET. There were still 12 golfers on the course.

As for the leader, he's one of the three co-leaders from Thursday. Let's get you caught up with the top storylines from the 2024 Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

Sam Ryder riding high

Ryder shot a personal-best 62 in the second round of the 2024 Butterfield Bermuda Championship on Friday, and that's with a bogey on his closing hole. He was nine shots better than his even-par round of 71 on the first day and he sits at 9 under, just three back of the lead with 36 holes to go.

Ryder came into the week 10 spots out of the safe space but in the projected FedEx Cup Fall standings, he's up 14 spots to 121.

Playing in his 200th PGA Tour event, Ryder has no top 10s, three top 25s and now 14 made cuts in 28 events this year.

"I'm trying to get a little bit of that kind of confidence back. I feel like I've had, I've been in contention, I haven't won on Tour but this is my seventh season, I made the Playoffs every year to this point, so I feel like I belong," he said. "I've been working really hard to try and work on my game, but I also know that I'm in a good place, I'm not kind of beating myself up too much. There's obviously a lot at stake coming down to the end of the FedExCup season, but I feel pretty relaxed."

Robby Shelton makes giant leap, Ryan Moore too

Shelton is making an even bigger leap up the standings in Bermuda. He came into the event at No. 157 but is at No. 117 on Friday night, well inside the top 125.

He shot a 7-under 64 on Friday to get to 10 under for the week. Shelton finished tied for 60th in Cabo last week but missed four straight cuts prior to that. His 64 is the second-best score he posted in 2024 in 26 events.

He admits it's been a tough season.

"It's been not very good, it's been very slow," he said Friday. "Kind of changing swing instructors and it's been a grind. Played well last year, but just didn't have the same feelings, trying to be too perfect. But now I feel like I'm super calm this week and these last two events just going to give it all I've got."

Moore, meanwhile, has posted rounds of 67 and 65, and has seen his stock jump from No. 152 to No. 114. He sits tied for second with Shelton.

As for your leader, Justin Lower goes low again

Lower was among a three-way tie after the conclusion of the first round, which came Friday morning after Thursday's action was called for darkness with 21 golfers still on the course.

Lower, seeking his first PGA Tour win, has posted back-to-back 65s and is at 12 under, two shots clear of Robby Shelton and Ryan Moore. He has 13 birdies and just one bogey so far, a continuation of the solid play he displayed last week en route to a tie for second in Cabo at the World Wide Technology Championship.

"They're all learning experiences," he said of contending. "Definitely feeling more comfortable with it. It's tough, it's not easy. You feel like you've got a lot of eyes on you at times and I know how guys are out here, they're trying to chase you down. Just trying to play as good as I can and keep my head down and keep it below the wind, I guess."

Earlier this summer, he got emotional after qualifying for the U.S. Open for the first time. This week marks his 30th event of 2024. Maybe it'll also be his breakthrough.

As far as his standing in the points, he's jumped from No. 74 to No. 51. If he stays inside the top 60 through the RSM, he will punch his ticket to the first two signature events of 2025, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Genesis Invitational via the Aon Next 10.

Hooping it with Nick Hardy

Hardy was 2 over after his first 18 holes and was even through his first seven on Friday. Playing the back nine first, the 17th hole was his eighth of the day and that's where Hardy found what he was hoping was a spark to his week.

With his second shot on the par 5, Hardy didn't just make an albatross, he slam dunked it with a 7-iron from 180 yards. From there though, he followed with four straight pars before making back-to-back bogeys. He would birdie two of his last three holes to post a 68 to get to 2 under, but that is one shot shy of the projected cut, which will officially come on Saturday due to the suspension of Friday's play.

Francesco Molinari is back on the scene

It has not been a great stretch for Molinari but he's playing well and having fun this week in Bermuda.

Playing the tournament for the first time, he enjoyed calmer wind conditions than everyone had to face on Thursday. He says he likes the golf course, too.

"It's really good, I like it. I think obviously it needs some wind to be somewhat of a challenge, but on a day like yesterday and like it looks we're going to get on the weekend, it's definitely not easy," he said. "You get an advantage from being in the fairways. There's not a lot of rough, but you get flyers from this kind of rough so you want to be in the short stuff. Yeah, nice course. Obviously, the scenery's unbelievable, so really happy to be here this year."

Molinari shot 68-66 so far this week and is 8 under with 36 to go.