“Hopefully I can get things moving on second day and hopefully on the weekend”.
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A resurgent Jordan Spieth moved into contention at the PGA Championship following Friday’s soggy start to the second round.
“To come out and hit shots like I hit those first 11 holes was very disappointing”, said the American, who waged a sensational duel with Stenson at Royal Troon, shooting 65 in finishing runner-up at the Open. Spieth hit only two fairways on the back nine, and he was particularly wild on the third hole until a risky play – a 3-iron under the trees, with just enough pop to clear a creek.
“I played good today”.
After squandering a great opportunity at Augusta, where he had five-shot lead on the back nine, Spieth hasn’t had a chance in the other two majors.
Spieth only regretted one hole, the par-4 seventh, when he lost his ball so far to the right he had to chip back into thick rough and wound up three-putting for a double bogey. British Open champion Henrik Stenson posted the best score with a 67, and Masters victor Danny Willett had a 71.
Kaymer’s 66 was the best score of the later starters on the opening day at Baltusrol as conditions became trickier throughout the afternoon, and he ended the round just one shot adrift of early pacesetter Jimmy Walker.
SPRINGFIELD, N.J. -When the first round of the PGA Championship was over there was plenty to talk about and a whole lot to look forward to.
Spieth, a two-time major victor, began with back-to-back birdies and was two-under through six holes while fellow back-nine starter Johnston, the English crowd pleaser with the meaty nickname and hefty tee shot, birdied the par-5 17th and 18th.
The PGA Championship has completed its first round of action and a recent major victor is now favored. Summerhays parred the hole while the others bogeyed it. I literally asked every question I could ask and I got every answer I could to be content.
Choi and Hend both mixed their cards with four birdies and two bogeys to share ninth place with 10 other players that include world number one Jason Day and Major victor Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa at Baltusrol.
That’s what U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson did, opening with a 77 and backing that up with a 72.
Play was initially scheduled to resume at 8:45am but eventually restarted at 8:56am, a total delay of 41 minutes.
Twenty players were at 68 or better, a list that included defending champion Jason Day.
Watching the replay on the telecast, CBS Sports announcer Gary McCord suggested that Spieth might be subject to a two-shot penalty because he didn’t take full relief from the casual water. The first group that began on No. 10 was given a bad pin sheet, meaning the hole was not where they were told. The waiting around didn’t exactly cool Spieth and he opened with three birdies in his first four holes. Each of the last 17 Major champions have been five shots or less off the lead after round one.
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Forecast for day two sees hard conditions for the players with rain and possible thunderstorms predicted.
