Patrick Reed sank a 15-foot birdie putt at the second hole to match fellow American Jimmy Walker for the lead in Friday’s second round of the 98th PGA Championship.
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CHASING HISTORY: Stenson can put himself in rare company as he is trying to become the first player since Ben Hogan in 1953 to win back-to-back majors at age 40.
Baltusrol: Anirban Lahiri got off to a rough start with a three-over 73 that placed him way down in 107th place on the opening day of the first round of the 98th PGA Championships.
Jordan Spieth tries to direct the ball on the seventh tee.
Playing a provisional on the 478-yard hole, Mickelson messed up once more, the ball landing far from the fairway, nestling near a path. His next shot nearly landed in the backyard of a home adjoining the golf course.
Defending champion Jason Day, who played only one practice round Wednesday at Baltusrol, kept it in play and made enough putts for a solid 68.
In a summer of scoring records at the majors, Walker looked as though he would set the 36-hole mark when he was at 10 under with two par 5s remaining.
The Americans have never won a major and while Walker has five victories on the PGA Tour, Streb has just the one and has missed nine cuts in 23 events in 2016.
The hole wasn’t where it was supposed to be. It didn’t help. Johnson was nowhere near the cutline after shooting a 2-over 72 Friday at Baltusrol Golf Club to leave him 9-over.
By the end of the day, it was easy to overlook a familiar figure – Henrik Stenson, the British Open champion who made eagle on the 18th at the turn and polished off another 67.
Three birdies over his second nine gave him his second successive 67 and the inside track to a second successive major title. There was a total of five eagles on 18.
Walker will play in the afternoon wave.
Jimmy Walker continues to lead at 5-under par.
Walker, despite two adventurous closing holes, shot a 4-under 66.
And he outshone them both despite bogeys on the 12th and 13th.
The other members of his group, Sergio Garcia and Bubba Watson, weren’t able to get their rounds going. “I haven’t started off a tournament with a low round in quite a while, which is a bit of a bummer”, said Spieth. Playing the front nine after a 1-under 35 on the back at Baltusrol Golf Club, Woodland had a triple-bogey 7 on No. 1.
It was a precursor for more misery with his putting at the PGA Championship. Three-over and lying way behind and eight shots behind the leader was disappointing and once again my putting was the big reason.
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FALLING: U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson opened with a 77, his worst score to par in the opening round of a major since Turnberry in the 2009 British Open. The greens were still quick despite the morning rain that suspended play for 41 minutes. Once the spot was determined where Spieth could play the shot he wanted, he had the option to play a different shot, even if his stance was still in casual water.
