The PGA Championship is halfway complete and some big names made some big moves on Friday.
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Former world number one and two-time major victor Spieth had five birdies in his opening nine holes to get to four under par but missed several opportunities to better his score on his back nine, while a bogey saw him close on three under. Something like this had to eventually happen with him at a major, just because simple club selection can so often turn into the opera with this kid and his caddie, Michael Greller, on whom eavesdropping is even more fun that it has always been with Phil Mickelson and his own brilliant caddie, Jim “Bones” Mackay.
“But recently, I’ve quickened my step”, Spieth told reporters.
He may be well off the lead in the PGA Championship, but Pensacola resident Bubba Watson still found a way to the top of the PGA Tour standings.
Walker was joined at nine under by compatriot Robert Streb, who quietly put together the round of the week.
“I think I placed myself in a very good spot”, Kaymer said. The ball striking and the putting have been hard.
“It’s coming together this week, which is nice”.
Jordan Spieth might be the one golfer whose stride says more about how he’s playing than his swing.
“It’s going to be a great season for me”, Stenson said. But I’ll still take two weeks off from tournaments, but I’ll have to see what practice schedule looks like.
Walker, off to his best major start by two shots, had only led once before after 18 holes, that in 2011 at the US PGA Houston Open where he settled for a share of 30th. His lone slip-up was a bogey on the par-3 16th hole.
Stenson picked up three more birdies on the front nine and felt as if he could have made more.
“It was noisy for the 15 people out there”, Streb said.
But they ultimately figured out a solution, and Spieth followed with a second shot that went over the green.
So did Streb as he watched his 20-foot birdie putt on No. 9 near the hole. “I was waiting on it to break, waiting on it to break, and it finally turned at the end”.
“My tee to green game, there’s not much wrong with that”, McIlroy said after missing his first cut in his career at a PGA Championship and second in a major this year. He finished tied for tenth previous year, so his last four rounds at the PGA make for some good reading: 67-67-68-63!
Day was nearly as hot as Streb on Friday, making birdies on seven of his last 11 holes while shooting 64 in the second round.
Streb’s sparse on-course following was somewhat understandable given the exploits of Jason Day on other side of the course.
“I just tried to find out exactly all the options I had and ultimately taking relief from casual water gave me the best opportunity to still drop it on the cart path, play it on the cart path”, Spieth said.
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What Stenson has going for him is that aside from being good enough, he is both focused enough and relaxed enough.
