Still anyone’s tournament: Day
JASON Day believes US PGA Championship leader Brooks Koepka will struggle to run away with the tournament on a golf course as brutal as New York’s Bethpage Black.
Day, the 2015 PGA champion, emerged as Australia’s best hope to reel in Koepka, given the Queenslander was the only player to shoot under par among seven countrymen.
Former No.1 Day fought back from a two-over score through 10 holes, with three back-nine birdies giving him a first-round one-under-par 69.
He sits six shots behind defending PGA champion Koepka, who fired a course record 63 to lead at seven-under.
Koepka’s 63 was the 17th time the score has been recordwon ed in PGA Championship history, but he became the first player to do it twice. The 29year-old from Florida carded a 63 in round two of the PGA title he won last year.
Koepka has a one-shot lead over New Zealand’s Danny Lee, who navigated Bethpage with just 21 putts during a 64. England’s Tommy Fleetwood (67) is third at three under.
World No.3 Koepka has three of the past eight major championships. But Day is not ready to hand him the title after day one.
“It’s Bethpage,” Day said, referring to the Long Island course’s narrow, tree-lined fairways and thick rough.
“I feel like there’s going to be more bogeys than birdies out here. You never know where Brooks could be at the end of the week – he could be outside the top 10 or top 20.
“You can play tremendous golf one day and then wake up the next day and not know where it’s going. That’s just how golf is.”
Day admitted his 69 could have been a stellar opening round if his usually world-class putting hadn’t deserted him.