All was well with a 3-wood from almost 260 yards, into a slight breeze, on the par-5 18th that set up his eagle.
Advertisement
The 40-year-old Stenson, who won the British Open this month, is looking for consecutive major titles.
Rain-soaked Baltusrol, where play was halted for 41 minutes when morning showers left the course unplayable in areas, was surrendering low scores to star shotmakers.
Whether he was in the lead was irrelevant to Stenson.
All Stenson cared about was being in the mix. “You’re not winning anything on a Thursday and a Friday, but you can put yourself in the wrong direction early days”.
It was a weekend to forget for reigning U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson.
McIlroy struggled badly on the greens and missed making the cut by a stroke.
He began his round with a tee shot so far left that it sailed off the property, bounced along Shunpike Road and caromed to the left down Baltusrol Way. Wherever it stopped didn’t matter – it was still out-of-bounds.
The five-time major victor set about steadying himself, writing the triple bogey on the scorecard and leaving it behind.
At least he knew where he was aiming.
England’s Ross Fisher parred the 10th hole, his first of the day going off in the penultimate group of back-nine starters.
PGA Chief Championships Officer Kerry Haigh met with the players – Colt Knost, Joe Summerhays and Yuta Ikeda – after they signed their cards to offer an explanation and apologize.
“It’s golf”, Walker said.
Wales’ Jamie Donaldson (67) is the highest-placed Briton on four under, one ahead of world number three Jordan Spieth, who also shot 67. So did Reed, along with Johnson, Stenson and Masters champion Danny Willett.
Most of the crowd was at the par-5 closing holes at Baltusrol, and there was no shortage of entertainment. There was a total of five eagles on 18. I had a bit of a wobbly start and I had a six-footer on 14 to avoid making three straight bogeys. “I was waiting on it to break, waiting on it to break and it finally turned there at the end”. Mark O’Meara in 1998 and Jack Nicklaus won two majors in their 40s in the same year but not consecutively.
Streb then made four birdies on the front nine, which he finished in 30.
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.
“You watch him with a driver and it’s the sweetest thing you can imagine”, he said. “Hopefully it makes it easier on Sunday when you know you’ve got one in the bank already”.
Kaymer is hopeful his odd trend of playing his best golf in even-numbered years continues. He settled for pars at both for a 65.
“I didn’t need to worry too much”.
“I’ve hit the ball really well this week and I’m walking away not playing the weekend”.
“It was a really solid round and I’m back in contention”, said the American.
Advertisement
“I’m having a hard time right now managing my expectations, because I know how well I’m playing and I’m so result-oriented that I’m not playing very relaxed, free golf like I did at the British, like I did in the preparation here”, Mickelson said. He did well to save par from the trees on No. 3, though he couldn’t escape with par on No. 7 when he drove just right of a tree and onto a cart path.
