Matsuyama heats up at PGA Championship
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — Most meaningful of all the text messages Hideki Matsuyama received last week was the one from Jason Day congratulating the Japanese star for his 61 in the final round at Firestone to win his second World Golf Championship.
It read: “Congrats, mate. Unreal playing. See you next week.”
Matsuyama looked just as unreal Friday at the PGA Championship, even before the storms arrived and took so much of the bite out of Quail Hollow.
Starting with a 12-foot putt — the longest of his seven birdies in the second round — the 25-year-old Matsuyama ran off five birdies over six holes for a 7-under 64 that gave him a share of the lead with Kevin Kisner going into the weekend.
Kisner faced tougher, faster conditions in the morning and holed a 50-foot eagle putt from short of the green on the par-5 seventh hole. When his round was over, Kisner had a five-shot lead over the players from his side of the draw, and it didn’t look like anyone would get near him.
The storms arrived. Play was halted for nearly two hours. Quail Hollow looked vulnerable for the first time week.
Among those who failed to take advantage was Jordan Spieth, who looks like he’ll have to wait another year to try to complete the career Grand Slam. Spieth made only one birdie — at No. 12, the fourth-toughest hole on the course — and shot 73 to fall 11 shots behind.
“I kind of accept the fact that I’m essentially out of this tournament pending some form of crazy stuff the next couple of days,” Spieth said.
Matsuyama and Kisner were at 8-under 134. Day is starting to look like the No. 1 player in the world he was for most of last year, playing a four-hole stretch around the turn in 5-under par, posting a 66 and finishing two shots out of the lead.
Francesco Molinari also shot 64 and was three shots behind, along with Louis Oosthuizen (67). The second round was halted by darkness, leaving 26 players to finish Saturday morning. That included Chris Stroud, who was 5-under and had five holes remaining.
Graham DeLaet (73) of Weyburn, Sask., was the low Canadian and likely the only one to make the projected 5-over cutline as he finished the round tied for 23rd at 1-over par. Mackenzie Hughes (72) of Dundas, Ont., was 8-over and Adam Hadwin (76) of Abbotsford was 13-over.
Neither of the co-leaders has ever been atop the leaderboard in a major, and despite the difference in their pedigree, neither is afraid of the opportunity. Kisner, toughened by his time on the mini-tours, is a wizard around the greens and he is inspired by how he is hitting the ball.