So I just need to be a little bit more aggressive, a little bit more free-flowing with my stroke.
Advertisement
Martin Kaymer, Emiliano Grillo and Ross Fisher were all one stroke back at Baltusrol Golf Club.
But a better schedule for everyone should make Olympic golf stronger and will make the PGA Championship a bit more of an exciting event.
If the forecast holds true, it’s anyone’s guess as to what PGA officials will do to combat the conditions of the course or what time Round 2 will start on Friday, but combined with the 2 inches of rain Springfield, N.J., already got earlier in the week, it’s a good bet that Baltusrol will play softer the rest of the week than it did in the first round.
“Tee to green is not the problem, but when I get to the greens it’s a different story”, said the 27-year-old, who won in 2012 and 2014 and has recorded three other top-eight finishes in seven appearances in US PGA Championship.
Day sunk a 15-foot birdie on the 11th hole, his second, before a run of seven straight pars had the Queenslander a little frustrated.
The five-time PGA Tour victor took advantage of flawless scoring conditions in the morning.
Grillo, who is from Resitencia, Argentina, and will play in the Olympics in two weeks, shot 66 on Thursday at Balrusrol Golf Club, getting on the leaderboard in just his second PGA Championship.
Day’s playing competitors Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson did not fare as well.
American Jimmy Walker is the leader following Thursday’s morning wave of the first round of the 98th PGA Championship.
T9. Jason Day (-2): Day could not pour a putt in.
SHOT OF THE DAY: Kaymer hit a 35-yard bunker shot to 3 feet on No. 8, his 17th hole, to save par. Making the cut is the one thing I haven’t done. Hopefully we’ll see some fireworks from the big boys, though, because they were pretty disappointing with the way they played over the first 18 holes. He took 35 putts in posting a score that failed to yield a single birdie – a fate which last befell him in the Irish Open at Royal County Down past year – and his plight was highlighted no so much by that three-putt on the second but rather the number of birdie putts that moved left, or right, but refused to drop.
They spend most of the year teaching golf, not spending hours working on their own games or competing against the best from January to December.
Sullivan, who is on course to secure his Ryder Cup debut this season, said: “I’m buzzing with that start”. “A couple of bad tee shots led to some bogeys”. I’ll work on the putting green before I tee off tomorrow.
And the trio teeing off ahead of that offers two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson, another American in two-time major victor Jordan Spieth and Spain’s Sergio Garcia, trying to win his first major title in his 73rd try and 70th consecutive major start dating to the 1999 British Open.
Walker’s best finish on tour this season was a tie for fourth at January’s Farmers Insurance Open.
Through their first four holes – they started on the back nine – Day, the defending champion, had the group’s only birdie on the par-4 11th.
His fellow Sheffielder Matt Fitzpatrick, the British and Nordea Masters champion, handed in an opening two-over-par 72.
Grillo was inspired by watching countryman Angel Cabrera win US Open and Masters titles.
CLUB PROS: Rob Labritz had a 71, the low score among the 20 club pros at Baltusrol.
Stenson, US Open victor Dustin Johnson of the United States and Masters victor Danny Willett – this year’s major winners – tee off in the afternoon feature group off the first tee, with only three final trios behind them.
Advertisement
Defending PGA Championship victor Jason Day of Australia was 2 under, tied for 7th place.
