Kisner charges into PGA lead
St. Louis, Aug. 10: British Open runner- up Kevin Kisner birdied six of his first nine holes Friday to charge into the lead early in the second round of the 100th PGA Championship, while Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy prepared for an afternoon start.
Kisner’s sizzling backnine start at Bellerive Country Club left him on 9under par after an opening 67 and one stroke ahead of fellow American and playing partner Gary Woodland, who eagled the par- 5 17th to reach 8- under.
Kisner, whose two PGA wins came in 2015 at home on Sea Island and last year at Colonial, shared seventh in last year’s PGA and that had been his best major showing until his British Open success.
Last month at Carnoustie, Kisner opened with a 66 to lead and shared the lead after the second and third rounds before a closing 74 left him trailing Italy’s fast- finishing Francesco Molinari.
Stung by the loss, Kisner attacked early on Friday, a three- foot birdie at 10 followed by an approach inches form the cup to set up a birdie at 11.
He made a 3- footer at the par- 3 13th and a nine- footer at 15 for birdies, put his approach to two feet ahead of a birdie at the par- 5 17th and sank a 14- foot birdie putt at 18 to seize the outright lead.
South African Brandon Stone, coming off a victory in last month’s Scottish Open, was third on 6- under, one stroke ahead of Molinari, US Open winner Brooks Koepka and afternoon starter Rickie Fowler. Another pack on 4under included 2013 US Open winner Justin Rose of Britain and 2013 Masters winner Adam Scott of Australia.
Woodland, who has never finished better than 12th in 27 major starts, put his second shot inches from the cup at 17 for an eagle.
STEADY STARTS FOR
LAHIRI, SHARMA India’s Shubhankar Sharma shot his first subpar round at a Major as he compiled a one- under 69 to lie tied 33rd after the first round. While Sharma, playing his fourth Major of the year, had three birdies against two bogeys in his 69, his senior colleague Anirban Lahiri shot even par 70, despite five birdies, to lie tied 48th. Lahiri had just two pars in his first nine, which was the back stretch of the Bellerive Country Club.