Koepka and Schwartzel do level best
Duo dazzle with record-equalling 63s
By at Bellerive Country Club
Brooks Koepka and Charl Schwartzel equalled the lowest score in tournament history as the 100th US PGA Championship turned into a shootout in St Louis.
Koepka missed from 20 feet for birdie on his final hole of the day to match the only 62 in men’s major championship history, recorded by Branden Grace in last year’s Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.
But a flawless 63 at Bellerive Country Club left the double US Open champion just two shots off the clubhouse lead held by fellow American Gary Woodland, whose ten-underpar halfway total of 130 established a tournament record, with Kevin Kisner on nine under. Kisner also had the chance to shoot 62 after covering the back nine in 29 and picking up another birdie on the seventh, only to bogey the ninth, his final hole of the day.
Schwartzel had an outside chance to shoot 62 when he left himself a long birdie putt on the last, but the former Masters champion had to settle for a 63 to finish seven under.
“I played really well,” Koepka said. “I feel like yesterday I played really well too and sometimes you don’t really score very well. But today I drove it beautifully, my wedges distance control is very spot on and I was making those five, six-footers that you need to make.”
World No 1 Dustin Johnson is just three shots off the pace after carding five birdies in six holes on his way to a 66, with Open champion Francesco Molinari another two shots back after a 67.
Jordan Spieth was frustrated with the easy conditions on Leading second round scores (USA unless stated, par 70) Gary Woodland 64 66 Kevin Kisner 67 64 Brooks Koepka 69 63 Dustin Johnson 67 66, Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 70 63, Thomas Pieters (Bel) 67 66 Brandon Stone (Rsa) 66 68 Francesco Molinari (Ita) 68 67, Jason Kokrak 68 67, Adam Scott (Aus) 70 65, Jon Rahm (Spa) 68 67, Patrick Cantlay 68 67
Emiliano Grillo (Arg) 69 67, Zach Johnson 66 70, Justin Rose (Eng) 67 69.
day two, despite using them to keep alive his hopes of completing the career grand slam.
Spieth carded a bogey-free 66 to reach halfway at three under par. However, that was seven shots off the pace.
“[I’m] a little frustrated at this place in general,” said Spieth, who needs to win the US PGA to become the sixth player to have won all four major titles.
“You can just fire in and you get away with more, like you don’t have to be as precise. That’s frustrating in a major championship because typically what it does is you don’t really have to be as precise on and around the greens.
“That’s frustrating to me because I feel like that’s an advantage that I have.”