Walker’s year has been so mediocre that he has finished within five shots of the victor only once this year, at Torrey Pines. That will likely change this week.
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He has suffered a below-par season – and Rory McIlroy’s recent woes showed no sign of abating at the PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club.
Just like Walker and Streb, he has never even contended in a major. Jack Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf each had 63 in the opening round of the 1980 US Open, and Thomas Bjorn shot 63 in the third round in the 2005 PGA Championship.
He and Walker were at 9-under 131, tying the PGA Championship record for 36 holes.
“I just wanted it too bad”, he said afterwards, his voice shaking. “But it was a great round. Happy to be a part of that 63 club, I guess”.
Walker, who posted a 65 Thursday, could have had the scoring record all to himself after three straight birdies on holes 12 through 14 got him to 10-under.
Streb closed with three birdies in his last four holes to reach the majors’ magic number. “I mean, I’ve been in these situations before, not in a major”. Any tour event, you still have to go out and hit the golf shots. And you still have to go perform, doesn’t matter what tournament it is.
Co-leaders Jimmy Walker and Robert Streb had been scheduled to tee off at 2:55 p.m.
But he still lamented not being more attacking after a 45-minute rain delay. Still, it may have been the quietest 63 in major championship history.
Walker, despite two adventurous closing holes, shot a 4-under 66.
Day shot a 5-under 65. He had seven birdies in a eight-hole stretch to earn a spot with Grillo in the penultimate pairing. Fortunately for me, the back side was nice.
Open champion Henrik Stenson is also well in the mix heading into the weekend and is just three shots off the lead.
The cut came at 2-over 142.
Among players squeezing in on the number were former U.S. Open victor Justin Rose of England (70-72), former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel (73-69) and his fellow South African, four-times major victor Ernie Els (73-69).
Phil Mickelson, the 2005 PGA victor who is coming off a second-place showing behind Stenson at Royal Troon, rallied to make the cut at 1 over after a insane triple bogey on the first hole that included smacking his tee shot so far off line, it landed on a road.
“It’s always good to be in contention at a major championship being that I won it previous year it would be nice to get number two, my second major and get that under the belt”, he said.
However, coming into this week, Streb said he tweaked his golf swing to where “it kind of feels normal again”.
Grillo, a tour rookie from Argentina, held the lead at one point in the afternoon.
“I wanted this my whole life. It’s not indicative of how I’m playing”, he said.
NOTES: Overnight rainfall (measured at 1.1 inches) and early morning showers caused a almost 30-minute suspension of play Friday.
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“We all have periods where we have mental blocks on the greens”, Mickelson said.
