Former Quail Hollow winner Rickie Fowler moved himself in to a strong position at the Wells Fargo Championship, where defending champion Rory McIlroy stayed in contention despite a poor finish to his second round. Latest leaderboard Wells Fargo Championship Fowler fired a four-under 68 at Quail Hollow to get within three strokes of leader Andrew Loupe, while McIlroy heads in to the weekend six shots adrift after closing his three-under 69 with back-to-back bogeys.Playing in the same group as McIlroy alongside Hideki Matsuyama, Fowler made progress by reeling in a hat-trick of birdies from the sixth during a bogey-free front nine. Rickie Fowlers last win came in Abu Dhabi back in January Last years Players Championship winner then recovered from missing a six-foot par save at the 13th to post successive gains over the next two holes, parachuting him in to a bunched group tied for fifth. The number was definitely a good score out there today, Fowler told Sky Sports. I had a couple of little mistakes, but it was nice to see some birdies and I made a good par at the last.Having holed 15-footers to save par at the third and fourth, McIlroy picked up his first shot at the par-five fifth but posted a three-putt bogey from 30 feet at the next. Rory McIlroy played a four-hole stretch around the turn in five under The Northern Irishman lit up his round with a chip-in eagle from just off the far side of the seventh green, before leaving a kick-in gain at the next and birdieing the ninth to reach the turn in 32.McIlroy continued his run on the back nine with another close-range birdie at 10, but had to settle for par at the next after leaving his approach short of the green. The world No 3 then missed the 12th green and took two attempts from 15 feet for a second bogey of the day, but got back to five under for the round with a tap-in gain at 14.After leaving approaches short over the next two holes and dropping a shot at 17, McIlroy sent his second shot in to the hazard and needed a smart up-and-down to get away with just a bogey. Loupe had missed the cut in four of his past five PGA Tour starts At the top of the leaderboard, Loupes one-under 71 was enough to cling on to the outright advantage ahead of Roberto Castro, who closed a round-of-the-day 66 with back-to-back birdies.Chesson Hadley and Mark Hubbard sit tied-third on six under, while a final-hole bogey from Phil Mickelson leaves the 2013 Open champion alongside Fowler in the large group three off the pace. Watch the Wells Fargo Championship throughout the weekend live on Sky Sports 4 - your home of golf Also See: Rory notices improvement Wells Fargo: R1 highlights McIlroys breakthrough win Golf live on Sky Sports 4 Wholesale Giants Jerseys . After slipping from the summit during the week, the Gunners overcame struggling Crystal Palace 2-0 on Sunday thanks to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlains second-half brace. Fake Giants Jerseys . PAUL, Minn. https://www.cheapjerseysgiants.us/ . Rob Manfred, baseballs chief operating officer, testified last week during the grievance filed by the players union to overturn Rodriguezs 211-game suspension. A person familiar with the hearing, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press on Saturday that Manfred testified the sport wasnt concerned whether Bosch distributed performance-enhancing drugs to minors because MLBs interest was his relationship with players under investigation. San Francisco Giants Gear . The incident occurred at 19:56 of the second period of the Kings 4-2 road win over Edmonton on Sunday. Nolan punched Oilers forward Jesse Joensuu in the jaw in front of the Kings goal during a scrum. Custom San Francisco Giants Jerseys . Giroud, who wasnt in the starting lineup for two matches after allegations about his private life and a decline in form, scored twice in the first half. Tomas Rosickys chip made it 3-0 before half time at Emirates Stadium, while defender Laurent Koscielny scored an unmarked header in the second half. As a young gymnast growing up in Oklahoma in the 1980s, I had one idol: Mary Lou Retton, who vaulted her way to victory at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Mary Lou was peppy, compact and full of explosive power. As a gymnast I was nothing like her. All the same, I was determined to carry on her legacy: to go out and achieve excellence at every single competition, no matter what the circumstances.Mary Lous accomplishments followed me and my future Olympic teammates to dream throughout our childhoods, and they accompanied us as we marched into the Georgia Dome for our own Olympic moment when we won gold in July of 1996.Fast forward 20 years, and the Final Five -- Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, Gabrielle Douglas, Madison Kocian and Laurie Hernandez -- are the undisputed queens of gymnastics. You cant really compare the victories: My teammates and I won Olympic gold by eight-tenths of a point in a close duel with the Russians. The Final Five stormed the Rio Olympic Arena and landed eight whole points above the nearest competition (still Russia). They are that good.No one word does this team justice, but when I think about it I keep coming back to the word strong. All gymnasts are physically strong, and behind every flawless routine is half a lifetime of work. But the mental strength displayed by these five young women surpasses age, natural talent, and even the assurance that springs from outstanding past results.It was an open secret that the American women were going to win the team gold medal in Rio, barring a stranger-than-fiction catastrophe. It was so clear they were the best that they didnt even need to do everything they were capable of to lock down that medal. They could have chosen to simplify their routines. To play it safe. To protect the gold. They could have accepted winning by seven points, or six, or five -- and it still wwould have been glorious.ddddddddddddBut they refused to go easy. They gave everything they had, performing to the maximum of their abilities. And they executed flawlessly, turning in the most dominant performance of any womens gymnastics team ever.We say its easier to be the hunter than the hunted. I always felt it was simpler to be the underdog, because when there are no expectations, whatever you do is going to be great. But when youre the team thats supposed to win -- when youve been splashed across the media and everyone is saying that you cant possibly lose this -- it can throw you off balance. What I love about the Final Five is that each of these young women was actually able to thrive on that pressure. They understood that they were walking in as the best and they were determined to maintain that. To be able to cross the finish line, to fight for every tenth of a point as though everything were riding on it, is as hard as most of the gymnastics they did so well in Rio.What better example could be set for all the little girls who were glued to their TV or computer screens watching them this summer? What more could we ask for in role models for our daughters, the next generation of Simones, Alys, Gabbys, Madisons and Lauries?More on the Final Five? They are the greatest! U.S. are best womens gymnastics team ever?Story ?? Simone Biles and Final Five meet Zac Efron?Story ?? The Final Five gymnasts play Hungry Hungry Humans with Jimmy Fallon?Story ?? 9 stunning photos of the U.S. Olympic gymnastics team?Photo gallery ?The IMPACT25 is espnWs annual list of the 25 athletes and influencers who have made the greatest difference for women in sports. Explore the 2016 list and more content at espnW.com/IMPACT25. ' ' '