Martin Kaymer smiles as he leaves the 18th hole during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J., Friday, July 29, 2016. “I am happy to be part of that 63 club”.
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When the condensed major schedule for this summer, created to accommodate golf’s return to the Olympics, was announced, an exciting possibility emerged: A hot player could go on a six-week run in which he won the British Open, PGA Championship and Olympic gold in Rio.
The former world No. 1, now fourth in the rankings, has rarely been in contention this season but was top 10 at the British Open and the Masters as well as two World Golf Championship events. His second-round 65 puts him just a shot behind early clubhouse leader Henrik Stenson. 5 to 14 and finished with a 66.
Andrew Johnston continued to impress in the majors, after finishing tied for eighth at The Open, with a one-under-par 69 to reach halfway at one under. Doesn’t matter what tournament it is or where you’re at. Going to be an interesting weekend.
“A win is a win and it’s hard to learn to win”.
“It felt pretty good the last 12 or 13 holes”, Stenson said.
However, the 40-year-old Swede responded in superb fashion by hitting his 257-yard approach to the 18th to three feet to set up an eagle, before picking up birdies on the first and third.
Walker’s biggest challenge will be to hold off Day and Stenson.
One stroke behind the big Swede on five-under were 2010 PGA victor Martin Kaymer of Germany (69) and Patrick Reed (65). He is tied for sixth at 5 under.
Emiliano Grillo, in his first full season on the PGA Tour, had three birdies in a four-hole span to take the lead in the second round of the PGA Championship.
Three birdies over his second nine gave him his second successive 67 and the inside track to a second successive major title.
Johnson opened with a 7-over 77 at Baltusrol Golf Club that included two double-bogeys and just a single birdie. He made his first birdie of the tourney on No. 4 and birdied 6, but bogeyed the ninth. This year has been different, however, as Streb has made the cut just nine times in 23 tournaments.
Rory McIlroy only needed to birdie the par-5 18th, the easiest hole on the course, to make the cut.
Between those bookends, Spieth played his way into contention at the 98 PGA Championship.
The 46-year-old lefty bounced back with four birdies, including one on No. 18, to put himself above the 2-over cut line in a tie for 61st at 1 over.
“I’ve hit the ball really well this week and I’m walking away not playing the weekend”. It’s really disheartening. I need to go back to the drawing board and see where we go from here.
Heavy rain forced a brief suspension after the golfers had been on the course for a little more than an hour, but the rain let up on the humid, overcast day where possible thunderstorms remained in the forecast.
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Play was initially scheduled to resume at 8.45am but eventually restarted at 8.56am, a total delay of 41 minutes. World number three Jordan Spieth and Britain’s Andrew “Beef” Johnston charged up the leaderboard in today’s rain-hit second round of the PGA Championship while British Open victor Henrik Stenson stumbled back. The group was the first of the day to tee off at the 10th, and all subsequent groupings were informed of the change.
