Langer’s 65 good for four-shot edge
Kim leads Webb, Park by one stroke at Women’s PGA.
Jesper Parnevik took one look at the tree-lined, hilly Belmont (Mass.) Country Club this week and immediately found a favorite.
“This is very much a Bernhard Langer-type of golf course,” Parnevik said he remembered thinking.
Langer has proved him right, posting a second consecutive 6-under 65 Friday in what he called a “stressless” bogey-free round that gave him a four-shot lead halfway through the Senior Players Championship.
“Somebody said, ‘That’s pretty boring stuff: 65, 65,’” Langer said after hitting all but one green in regulation. “I don’t think it is. I’d like to do it every day.”
Russ Cochran’s 65 left him alone in second, while Steve Pate set a course-record with a bogey-free 63. That put him in a three-way tie for third and six shots back with the weary Lee Janzen and Parnevik, the Champions Tour newcomer who shot 66.
All have plenty to do to catch Langer on the oldschool Donald Ross layout hosting this tournament for the first time. Langer took command by sinking a 40-foot putt on 16 for his sixth birdie. His lone hiccup was a threeputt par from just off the 17th green.
“That German engineering,” Parnevik said of Langer. “He never breaks down. He’s tough to beat at a place like this. He’s so systematic.”
Women’s PGA Championship: Sei Young Kim of South Korea eagled the 15th hole for a 5-under 68 to take a one-shot lead after the second round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, the second major of the season.
Kim overtook Hall of Famer Karrie Webb, who birdied the 18th for a 71. Two-time defending champion Inbee Park (68) joined Webb a stroke back.
The 22-year-old Kim, a two-time winner this season on the LPGA Tour, shot bogey-free golf to finish at 8-under 138 at the Westchester Country Club in Harrison, N.Y.
Suzann Pettersen rallied with seven birdies for the best round of the day at 66 and tied Canadian teenager Brooke Henderson (73) at 6 under. Overnight leader Jenny Shin (75) and third-ranked Stacy Lewis (71) were three shots behind.
Top-ranked Lydia Ko (76) missed the cut, which was 2 over, ending her streak of 53 consecutive made cuts. She had a double bogey on No. 2 to start her day.
The 40-year-old Webb had three birdies and a bogey on the par-3 16th on another steamy day with temperatures in the 80s, which helped dry the greens.
Michelle Wie, bothered by ankle and hip injuries, birdied the 18th for a 72 to make the cut.
The tournament is being run by the PGA of America for the first time.
PGA Tour: Brooks Koepka is tuning up quite nicely for the U.S. Open at the event he added at the deadline.
Koepka, who had a share of the lead after the first round, shot a 3-under 67 Friday to lead the St. Jude Classic in Memphis by a stroke after 36 holes. He turned in a four birdie-one bogey round for a 9-under 131.
Fellow American Austin Cook (64) was at 132.
Steve Alker briefly had the lead at 10 under with two holes to play only to finish bogey-double bogey. He had a 68-133 total.
Chris Smith (67), Russell Knox of Scotland (64) and Greg Owen (70) were among seven tied at 134. Ryan Palmer (71), who shared the first-round lead with Koepka and Owen, was among four tied at 135.
Phil Mickelson — also trying to sharpen his game for next week’s Open — shot a 1-under 69 and is six strokes back.
Among those missing the 1-over cut by a shot were Retief Goosen and Cameron Tringale.