“So I switched my driver to my old driver, and went in today, hit the driver better. It s nice that s what showed”.
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By the end of the day, it was easy to overlook a familiar figure – Stenson, the British Open champion who made eagle on the 18th at the turn and polished off another 67.
“It felt pretty good the last 12 or 13 holes”, Stenson said.
And this would be a good place to start.
Defending champion Jason Day went on a tear after taking a double bogey on No. 7 by making seven birdies over his next eight holes and having a chance at 63.
“But we’re playing this week here, and this is the important one”.
“Missed a lot of opportunities. I just can’t get a putt to go in from beyond 10 feet”. “I hit two really good shots”. That left the saturated 7,428-yard layout susceptible to scoring and some quickly took advantage.
Walker was far from a runaway leader with three golfers one stroke back and four more two behind including British Open champion Henrik Stenson. He found something in his swing a few weeks ago, birdied the last four holes a week ago Friday in the Canadian Open just to make the cut, and grabbed a sliver of history at Baltusrol.
“I haven’t started off a tournament with a low round in quite a while, which is a bit of a bummer”, Spieth said.
“Hopefully I m not shutout tomorrow”.
“Stay patient, try to hit greens in regulation”.
Asked to sum up his year, McIlroy answered: “Disappointing”. So I was playing with that a little out there.
“He just didn’t have a good day out there”.
Five-time major victor Mickelson, the 46-year-old U.S. left-hander who was British Open runner-up two weeks ago, made four bogeys in his first 11 holes but rallied to finish on 71 – six adrift alongisde Spain s Sergio Garcia, two-time Masters victor Bubba Watson and reigning Masters champion Danny Willett. He got off to a rugged start, bothered by the delay and the rain, though he settled into a rhythm and recovered for a 69 to complete 36 holes in 5-under 135.
He dropped back with a four-foot par miss at the third hole for his first bogey of the round but sank a four-footer for birdie at five to rejoin the leaders. He made par on both. “Pleased to grind out even par”, Spieth said. But I’m only five back. “Once that comes and my putting gets back, then I’m firing on all cylinders”.
The 31-year-old is comfortable at the course, which is hosting the event for the first time since 2005. I think yesterday, I was definitely on the right side of the 50/50 putts and today I probably broke even on the 50/50s.
As he walked off the ninth green after his final hole on Thursday, he let out a long sigh. “We just need to keep on grinding”.
His 4-under-par 66 Thursday at Baltusrol had him one stroke behind Jimmy Walker’s lead. He was wild off the tee, couldn’t make short putts and was 4 over until he rallied for a 71 that kept him in the game. He hit another handsome approach into the 11th hole at Baltusrol, 10 feet below the hole, and missed that.
“It s very tricky out there”, Grillo said.
The other members of his group, Sergio Garcia and Bubba Watson, weren’t able to get their rounds going.
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“You have to drink way more than you think”.
