Jimmy Walker hitting off the first tee on Sunday, July 31, 2016.
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However, similar conditions were forecast and any further delays would force the final major of the year into a fifth day, just as they did the last time Baltusrol staged the US PGA in 2005. The native of Italy birdied the final six holes in a 2-under 68 in the third round of the PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club.
In a most peculiar final day at a major, the PGA Championship allowed for preferred lies – that never happens in a major – because of almost 4 inches of rain during the week that drenched the Lower Course.
Unheralded Robert Streb became the 28th player to match the record low of 63 at a major in Friday’s second round on the rain-softened, par-70 layout to share the midway lead with fellow American Jimmy Walker at nine-under.
American Kevin Kisner also shot 65 to reach five-under for the tournament.
Ireland’s Padraig Harrington, who won this tournament in 2008, had a bogey-free 65 to move up to four under.
In a major championship season of endless theater, the PGA Championship lived up to its end of the bargain Friday. “Clearly there is some trouble if you get a long way from the pins and the greens, they are very hard to two-putt them”. Any stoppage in play was sure to mean one more day before the Wanamaker Trophy is handed out. Walker at least had time to rest in his travel bus – he’s a frequent neighbor of Day on the PGA Tour – and get right back out into the final round.
Now they face a marathon Sunday, with a reasonable chance they will not finish until Monday. “When guys are going to play good, they are going to play good”.
“Tee to green was good but it was just pathetic when I got on to the green”, McIlroy said after signing for his 69, a five-shot improvement on the first round. No major championship has ever allowed players to lift, clean and place their golf balls because of mud.
Yet, that poor tee-shot on the Par-3 fourth was the only time he was out of position and the shouts of “Go, Paddy!” that accompanied him around the course where akin to the days when he entered these championship as one of the main contenders and confirmation of his continued popularity stateside.
“I will be surprised if it wasn’t”, he said.
“If you get off to a bad start, you’re thinking about it”, he said. Kerry Haigh, the PGA of America’s Chief Championships Officer, explained that the forecast was similar to the first two tournament days, which included just one short delay. “When I tapped in to finish my round I felt like I was going to make the cut but as the day went on I felt I was going to miss it and we sweated it”.
Two weeks ago at Royal Troon, where Mickelson opened with a 63 and Stenson close with a 63, it was just those two players in a duel that ranked among the greatest.
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British Open champion Henrik Stenson, trying to join Ben Hogan as the only players to win back-to-back majors at age 40, faded with a double bogey on the 15th hole. He shot a 2-under 68 Saturday. I put a little bit too much pressure on myself and forced it a little bit. “With that said, being able to come back and birdie 8 and 9 really made things a lot better for me on the back side”. Even so, the Australian battled to the end with his driving iron off the tee at 18 and a 3-wood that led him to shout, “Get back there!”
