Woodland holds soggy lead
Rain shortens record-setting second round
ST. LOUIS — There are manually operated scoreboards with plastic numbers and letters on every hole of the PGA Championship. Most are small enough that they can accommodate only seven players at a time.
Charl Schwartzel, the 2011 Masters champion, matched the tournament record Friday morning by shooting 7-under-par 63 at Bellerive Country Club to get into a tie for fourth, and the volunteers never bothered to put him on the board.
This is a tough crowd tearing up an extraordinarily easy golf course for a major championship.
Before an afternoon thunderstorm suspended play for the day and dumped rain on the course, Brooks Koepka joined Schwartzel in scoring 63, and he couldn't get into the lead — or even second place.
Remember, Koepka won his second straight U.S. Open in June at Shinnecock Hills — at 1 over for the tournament.
The top spot at Bellerive again belonged to Gary Woodland, who recorded a 4-under 66 that put him at 10 under, one shot clear of Kevin Kisner, who shot 64.
That's four scorecards of 63 or 64 in the first two rounds. The 63s were the 14th and 15th in the 60-year stroke-play era of the PGA, and never had two been notched on the same day.
Another milestone: Woodland's 36-hole total of 130 is the lowest in tournament history, beating nine players at 131.
Woodland is on pace for a 260 total. The lowest 72- hole PGA Championship score is David Toms' 265 in 2001 at Atlanta Athletic Club, while Jason Day's 20-under 268 in 2015 at Whistling Straits is the lowest in relation to par.
“I'm happy with where I'm at,” Woodland said. “I'm very comfortable with how I'm driving the ball. Theirongame, the distance control has been phenomenal. And when I stand over a golf ball putting … as comfortable as I am right now, I'm pretty excited.”
Half the fieldwas still on the course when play was halted, forcing the players to return at 7 a.m. Saturday to resume the second round. The third round was scheduled to be played in threesomes, with golfers going off the first and 10th tees.
Among those still grinding was Tiger Woods, who was 3 under for the round through seven holes and inside the projected cut of even par.
The leaders are loving how they're playing without making much noise about how easy the course is — lest the PGA break out windmills and volcanoes overnight. As it is, setup man Kerry Haigh pushed the flagsticks on many holes as close to the edges of the greens as possible to attempt some defense.
“It's a bomber's paradise. It's a ball striker's golf course,” said Justin Rose, who was uncertain he would play this week because of a bad back but is 4 under.
Not everyone is happy, of course.
Jordan Spieth, who came into the week with a chance to complete the career Grand Slam, seemed out of sorts from his opening double bogey Thursday, and he wasn't complimentary of Bellerive, even after a second-round 66.
“A little frustrated at this place in general,” Spieth said. “It's tough to come to a venue with bent-grass greens and this kind of weather. This course probably is phenomenal if it's not playing so soft. … You can just fire in and get away with more, like you don't have to be precise.”
The leaderboard is not without appeal, however. Beyond Woodland and Kisner, who are trying to win their first majors at age 34, those among the top 15 who had finished included worldNo. 1 Dustin Johnson (66, 7-under total) and fellow major winners Schwartzel (7 under), Adam Scott (65, 5 under) and British Open champion Francesco Molinari (67, 5 under).
Woodland and Kisner played in the same group and fed off each other's play. They combined to make 11 birdies and an eagle in the second round.
“Gary and I are good buddies, had a great time, and if I could only hit it as far as he could, it would be a different game,” said Kisner, who shot 29 on the front nine with six birdies.
Koepka, who opened with a 69, birdied his first three holes and made seven total without a bogey in scoring 63. Finishing his round on the front nine, Koepka had a 22-foot birdie putt to set the tournament record.
“I just was trying to make the thing and I really thought I made it,” Koepka said. “My caddie said something (about the record). Rickie (Fowler) said something walking off on 18. I didn't even think of it. I've been so in the zone you don't knowwhere you are.”