GRACE TAKES LEAD AS OCEAN COURSE TESTS EARLY PGA STARTERS

KIAWAH ISLAND (USA): South Africa’s Branden Grace holed out from 70 feet in a sandy waste area for birdie and owned a one-stroke lead early in Friday’s second round of the PGA Championship at windy Kiawah Island.

The 33-year-old from Pretoria defied gusting breezes to stand 5-under for the tournament and 3-under for the round as the longest course in Major history humbled an elite field.

Grace holed a seven-foot birdie putt at the par-five second, dropped his approach inches from the cup for a tap-in birdie at the par-five seventh, rescued par from eight feet at the eighth and then made his pitch in at the 10th to take command.

It wasn’t easy, with Grace laying down on the fairway and stretching at the par-five 11th to stay in shape for the closing challenge.

World No.92 Grace, who won his second US PGA title in February at the Puerto Rico Open, made his best Major result of third at the 2015 PGA but is best known for firing a Major record-low round of 62 at the 2017 British Open at Royal Birkdale.

Standing second was South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout, who sank a 31-foot eagle putt at the par-five seventh and added a birdie at the par-five 11th to reach fourunder.

England’s Ian Poulter, chasing his first Major title at age 45, eagled the par-5 seventh and added back-to-back birdies at nine and 10 to share third on three-under after an opening 74 on Thursday.

Poulter has eight top-10 Major finishes, the best a 2008 British Open runner-up effort, but hasn’t had one since the 2015 Masters.

Americans Richy Werenski and Kevin Streelman had reached 3-under from among morning starters but faded with back-nine bogeys.

Afternoon starters on 3-under 69 included four-time Major winner Brooks Koepka, 2011 PGA winner Keegan Bradley, fellow American Aaron Wise and Norway’s Viktor Hovland. Two-time US Open champion Koepka, who plays through pain after right knee surgery in March, put himself in contention for a third PGA crown in four years.