Storm swamps Tiger’s charge at Bellerive
Woodland clings to lead after four-under 66
>> ST LOUIS: Tiger Woods ran off three birdies in four holes on Friday before thunderstorms halted his fightback and suspended the second round of the 100th PGA Championship with Gary Woodland clinging to a onestroke lead.
A Bellerive Country Club course that had earlier flirted with surrendering the lowest rounds in major golf history was soaked by showers, leaving a tantalising prospect for 14-time major champion Woods as half the field of 156 that resumed play yesterday.
“I felt I was headed in the right direction,” former world No.1 Woods said.
Woodland fired a four-underpar 66 to lead on 10-under 130, one stroke ahead of British Open runnerup Kevin Kisner with two-time US Open champion Brooks Koepka third on 132.
Top-ranked Dustin Johnson, South African Charl Schwartzel and Belgium’s Thomas Pieters were on 133.
“I feel safe where my game is,” Woodland said. “I’m not too worried with what anyone else is doing out there.”
Koepka, Kisner and Schwartzel thrilled the crowd by chasing the alltime record low men’s major score of 62 set by South African Branden Grace in the third round at the 2017 British Open at the par-70 Royal Birkdale.
Schwartzel and Koepka settled for 63s, matching the tournament record with the first same-day 63s in the event’s 100-year history, while Kisner shot 64.
“I’m all right with it,” Kisner said. “I knew I was playing well and had made a few birdies. I like my position going into the weekend.”
Woods, a 14-time major champion in the eighth month of his comeback from spinal fusion surgery, was three under after seven holes. Only two rounds still on the course were better and those were from players further off the pace than the 42-year-old former world No.1.
Woods sank a 14-foot birdie putt on the second hole, a five-footer for birdie at the par-three third and a 10-foot birdie putt at the fifth. At the par-three sixth he blasted out to 14 feet and sank the clutch par putt, then parred seven before the storm struck.
Koepka, who started on the back nine, birdied the par-five eighth and had a 20-foot birdie putt at the ninth for 62 but rolled it three feet past and made the comeback to shoot 63.
“I didn’t know,” Koepka said. “I was just trying to make the thing. I thought I had made it. Sometimes you are in your own mind and don’t know where you are at.”
Koepka defended his US Open crown in June, the first back-to-back US Open winner since Curtis Strange in 1988-89.
Kisner, who also began off the 10th tee, sank a six-foot birdie putt at the seventh to reach seven under. But he found a bunker and parred the parfive eighth then chipped 23 feet past hole nine and two-putted for bogey.
Kisner birdied six of the first nine holes but opened his second nine with six pars.
“Couldn’t have asked for a better start. I was throwing darts at it,” Kisner said. “I hit it well on the second nine. I just didn’t make any putts.”
Woodland eagled the par-five 17th after his second shot landed five feet from the cup, then birdied the second and third and answered a bogey stumble at four with a 25-foot birdie putt at the eighth — all as Kisner watched.
“He’s rolling the rock and really striping it,” Kisner said. “We’re going to have a pretty good battle if I can keep up with him.”
Woodland has never finished better than 12th in 27 major starts but he has never started so well in one either.
“I’m very happy with where I’m at,” he said. “When I stand over a golf ball putting as comfortable as I am right now, I’m pretty excited.”
Eighth-ranked Jordan Spieth can complete a career Grand Slam with a victory this week, but the 25-yearold American shot three-under 67 to stand on 137.