American Jimmy Walker produced the goods on Thursday to claim a one-shot lead after the opening round of the US PGA Championship.
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“All in all it was a great day”, Walker said.
“Sometimes it’s hard, I’m not going to lie, ” Walker said. “It s nice that s what showed”.
Stenson had his struggles on the greens, too, but the British Open champion he was rolling right along at the end with three birdies over his last seven holes for a 67.
“I have to play a good round to get into the weekend (Friday)”, McIlroy said. “I couldn t ask for anything more than this”.
Among the crowd at 68 was defending champion Jason Day and Jhonattan Vegas, who didn’t qualify for this tournament until winning last week’s Canadian Open. The Australian hung three off the pace despite fighting fatigue and illness and playing only one practice round. “You want to get off to a good start”. He needed 35 putts and the total length of his 18 made putts was just over 37 feet-an average of just over two feet per putt.
The sun was baking Baltusrol in the morning, and it was expected to be steamy in the afternoon when the other traditional group of major champions teed off. Masters champion Danny Willett, U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson and British Open champion Henrik Stenson tee off at 1:45 p.m.
And two-time major victor Spieth, who also shot an opening 70 thanks to birdies on the 16th and 18th, had matched Reed’s back nine of 32 thanks to five birdies and a solitary bogey.
“Hopefully I m not shutout tomorrow. But over time, I think it will”.
“I’m not going to go in a cave and stay there until I die because I didn’t win a major or anything like that”. “It’s just been stale and stagnant all year”.
“The last few weeks, I’ve been playing very solid golf”. “It just wasn t my day”.
Walker wound up with a one-shot lead over two-time major champion Martin Kaymer, Emiliano Grillo and Ross Fisher.
“I’ve been playing very well at the British and in my preparation”, said Mickelson, who is also tied for 55th, “and to come out and hit shots like I hit those first 11 holes was very disappointing”. It’s when I get on the greens that it’s a different story.
Third-ranked Jordan Spieth took a double bogey at seven but birdied the par-3 16th and par-5 18th to finish on 70. “Pleased to grind out even par”, Spieth said. “But I’m only five back”. (Brandt) Snedeker and I played Rickie and Rory, and they clipped us.
A birdie on 10th gave him hopes of revival but bogey on 13th and a double on par-4 15th meant he was four-over with three to play.
Walker, starting his round on the 10th hole, took advantage with four birdies over his first nine holes. He has a sense of urgency this week with double points at stake and a chance to become the year’s fourth first-time major victor.
“I don t think it s coincidence or anything”, Walker said. “You’ve just got to keep plugging along”. That put him in a share of fifth place entering Friday’s second round. “Then, it was a lot of golf course for me”.
QUOTEWORTY: “My wife and I were just joking, ‘Hey, you’ve already won two majors”.
“First day (Tuesday), we played a 12-hole because you guys wanted Rory at 1.30, and it played so slow, we made a decision to have a 12-hole match”.
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The PGA of America Rules Committee did not notice the hole had been cut in the incorrect location until after each member of the first group of the day had hit his second shot to the green.
