FORE! WAYWARD SHOTS PERILOUS ON TIGHT TRACK
Some of the intrigue heading into the PGA Championship at Southern Hills had to do with the compact nature of the grand old layout, where greens are often so close to tees that players get in logjams waiting for each other.
Turned out it was two relatively wide open areas of the course where noteworthy people have been hit.
On the par-4 second hole Friday, Cameron Smith followed up a birdie with a wild tee shot that sailed over the trees and into the seventh fairway. The ball wound up striking Aaron Wise, who had opened with a 69 and was on his way toward a second-round 72 that left him 1 over for the championship.
Wise, who was seen holding a water bottle on top of his noggin, managed to par the seventh hole. He also parred the long par-3 eighth before making bogey from the bunker on his final hole and heading in for some treatment. Wise’s management team said he was doing well and expected to play today.
Meanwhile, ESPN anchor Sage Steele was flying home to Connecticut on Friday after she was struck in the face by Jon Rahm’s tee shot and needed medical attention during the opening round of the tournament.
Rahm hooked his shot and the ball hit Steele near her nose and mouth about 280 yards away.
Locals watch
Xander Schauffele bogeyed three of the last five holes for a 3-over second round, but that was enough to place him tied for 30th going into the weekend at 1 over.
The San Diego native and San Diego State product lost some ground on the leaders, though, dropping from tied for seventh after the first and now 10 shots behind the leader instead of three.
Fellow former Aztec J.J. Spaun was not as fortunate. He wound up missing the cut right on the line with his 3-over performance in the second round, coming off a 2over card from Thursday.
Kyle Mendoza of the Farms Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe shot a 77 to finish at 12 over, five shots back from the top club professional.
For the second time in three years, no club professionals made the cut at the PGA Championship.