The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Thomas sets pace in Tulsa with second 67
Former champion Justin Thomas overcame testing conditions to set the clubhouse target on day two of the 104th US PGA Championship.
Thomas, who lifted the Wanamaker Trophy at Quail Hollow in 2017, carded a secondconsecutive 67 at Southern Hills for a halfway total of 134, six under par.
That took the world No 1 a shot ahead of overnight leader Rory McIlroy, who was among the later starters yesterday as he continued his bid to win a fifth major golf title and first since 2014.
The forecast of winds gusting up to 40mph had prompted tournament officials to opt not to cut the greens before play got under way in a bid to prevent balls moving on the undulating surfaces.
Thomas immediately found the speed of the greens to his liking as he birdied the 10th, his opening hole, and also picked up another shot on the 13th to join McIlroy at the top of the leaderboard for the first time.
That was short-lived as Thomas promptly bogeyed the 14th, but that would prove to be the only blemish on the former world No 1’s scorecard as he followed a run of eight pars with a birdie on the fifth and then completed a superb day’s work with a birdie on the ninth.
“(I’m) very pleased,” Thomas said. “Although I played solid yesterday, I played really, really well today.
“The conditions were obviously very difficult. I stayed very patient, tried to get in my own little world and get in a zone and just tried to execute each shot the best I could.
“I felt we did a great job of that and am glad to have a good round to show for it.
“We’re halfway through so it’s still a long way from home, but I’m very, very pleased with where everything is at and the frame of mind and state of mind that I’m in.
“I just need to try to maintain that the best that I can and keep trying to play good golf.”
None of the morning starters were able to get closer to Thomas than England’s Matt Fitzpatrick, who carded two birdies and one bogey in a patient 69 to lie three shots off the pace, despite admitting he was not initially a fan of the venue.
“My dad called me and he was asking how is the course looking and, no offence to the PGA here, but I was like, it’s a typical PGA, it’s long and tough and just not really my cup of tea,” Fitzpatrick said.
“(But) this year I’ve got a lot longer and it showed a lot the first two days with the clubs that I’ve been hitting into holes. Hopefully it’s a sign of things are changing a little bit for me and will open a
few more doors on other golf courses.”
A tie for seventh in the 2016 Masters is Fitzpatrick’s only top 10 in 27 previous majors and the 27-year-old admitted he gave himself no chance of contending at a number of courses used for the game’s four biggest tournaments.
But he is relishing next month’s US Open at Brookline, the Boston course where he won the US Amateur title in 2013.
Fitzpatrick said: “I feel like this is the best I’ve played ever in my career this year so far. I play well at places that suit me or I enjoy playing,
“Certainly in the last few years I feel like I’m getting closer to not necessarily challenging for a major, but at least putting myself in contention a little bit more often.”
World
No 1 and Masters
champion Scottie Scheffler looked set to miss the halfway cut after making a double bogey on his final hole to return a 75 and finish six over par.
Playing partners Jon Rahm and Collin Morikawa were safely through to the weekend, Rahm carding a 69 to lie two over and Open champion Morikawa recording a second consecutive 72 to be four over.
Meanwhile, at the time of going to press overnight leader McIlroy had covered his first six holes in one over par to fall two shots off the lead, while playing partner Tiger Woods played the same stretch in one under.
A birdie on the par-five fifth meant Woods improved to three over for the tournament and a shot inside the projected cut.