The constant rain Saturday and impending Sunday forecast will likely call for a Monday finish at Baltusrol.
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Robert Streb matched the all-time major low-round record with a seven-under-par 63 on Friday at rain-softened Baltusrol, where storms were forecast in the late afternoon for the lead groups. Baltusrol has surrendered four major 63s, the most of any course, and the PGA has allowed 14 63s, as many as the United States and British Opens combined.
Kevin Kisner made a move up the leaderboard after being one of a few players to complete their third round at the2016 PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club. Former PGA champion Padraig Harrington also posted a 65 and was at 4-under 206.
After heavy rain suspended play for the day on Saturday, 10 players returned Sunday morning to start their rounds while 37 others finished theirs, including Marc Leishman who came back for a 12-foot birdie putt on No. 18 only to leave it short for a par that gave him a 3-under 67. Players were upset about stops, starts and preparations around a first-round rain delay at the U.S. Open at Oakmont in June. Watson is tied for 47th place after an even-par 70, Mickelson shot his best round of the tournament with a two-under 68 and Spieth played a single hole and notched a par. He shot a 2-under 68 Saturday.
Walker and Streb are leading at nine-under par after tying the PGA Championships 36-hole scoring record of 131. “Every hole I didn’t play today, I’m going to have to play that tomorrow”, said Stenson, who is fifth at 6-under and has yet to begin his third round.
Baltusrol had already been soaked by three inches of rain this week, creating soft conditions that had five-time major victor Phil Mickelson, the 2005 PGA victor at Baltusrol, predicting a major-record 62 or better for the weekend. Despite three birdies in his first five holes, Watson scrambled through an equally disastrous stretch of three bogeys in four holes on the back.
Walker had no problem with the stifling heat at Baltusrol, and he was thrilled to see some putts finally go in. The challenge of the greens are how much contour is on them. It’s nice when you score better than you play.
“Hit the right shots at the right time and any of the shots that I didn’t hit well didn’t do me any harm”, Harrington said. “The greens are pristine, warm and lovely. That’s the nature of the game”.
Kisner was slowed by a pair of bogeys on the front nine, though he bounced back with two straight birdies and finished with three birdies in his last four holes.
“I really think someone is going to shoot 62 or 61 over the weekend”.
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“I’ll probably try to not get caught up in what everyone else is doing”, Streb said of the big names near the top. They’re soft, so you can get the ball very close.
