PGA: Hot Day sweats on leaders Walker, Streb

BY JOHN HUGGAN at BALTUSROL

Day's putting was outstanding on the back nine, when he seemingly couldn't miss.
PHOTO: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images.

ROUND two of the 98th USPGA Championship at Baltusrol started wet but evolved into a day when the nine Australians in the 156-man field – eight of them anyway – produced some fine golf in what were ultimately ideal conditions for scoring.

Only Greg Chalmers, who dropped five shots in five holes midway through his back nine to finish with a 76 to be eight over, will not be around for the weekend. The rest are all on or inside a cut that fell at 142, two over par.

Best-placed of the bunch is World No.1 and defending champion, Jason Day. After adding a 65 – that included a remarkable run of seven birdies in eight holes immediately following a double-bogey – to his opening 68.

The 28-year old Queenslander is two shots behind leaders Jimmy Walker and Robert Streb, who shot the 30th 63 in major championship history, courtesy of eight birdies and a lone bogey. Day is in a tie for third place alongside Emiliano Grillo of Argentina. Open champion Henrik Stenson is alone in fifth place, six under the card.

“I kind of gave myself a little bit of a kick in the bum, especially with the double bogey on seven,” said Day. “It was a bit of a mess there. With that said, being able to come back and birdie eight and nine really made things a lot better for me on the back side. I just kept on setting myself up for opportunities. Even when I was kind of out of position, either in a fairway bunker or just in the rough, I had perfect angles.

“It was pretty receptive out there today. I think if you could be a little bit aggressive, but also play it safe on some of the holes that you needed to. If you had the putter rolling you could get a score going.

“It's always good to be in contention at a major championship. Being that I won it last year it would be nice to get number two under the belt. Right now I've got to focus on resting up tonight and be as patient as possible over the weekend. We may have delays, we might be coming in and out. Hopefully the storms miss us. If it does rain, you've got to be pretty aggressive.”

American Robert Streb fired a 63, the 30th in major history, to move to the top of the leaderboad alongside Jimmy Walker.
PHOTO: Andrew Redington/Getty Images.

Next Aussie on the leaderboard is Adam Scott. Round in 67 to be three under and tied 13th, the former Masters champion nevertheless left the course a frustrated figure. After his opening 70 he had talked of ending something like 67 on day two, but after making a closing birdie on the par-5 18th he had clearly revised that estimation.

HOW THE AUSSIES ARE FAIRING

“It was too easy out there today,” he sighed. “That was really the worst score I could have shot. I’m playing better than that. My iron play was especially good – much better than yesterday – so I should have been aiming straight at every pin. The greens are so soft a really low score was there for the taking. But I hit it to 15-20 feet too much and didn’t make anything until near the end.

“Sometimes It’s hard to adjust your thinking though. Especially at a major where the penalties are always greater. But it wasn’t anything like that today. It’s frustrating that it took me almost a whole day to make the adjustment as to what was going to be a good score. I stood on the 10th tee thinking I had to shoot five-under on the back-nine. It’s not often you honestly do that in a major.

Adam Scott's ball-striking was again first-class. PHOTO: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images.

“I’ve given the guys ahead of me something like a four-shot start. I feel like there is good stuff in me though. One of the next two rounds will definitely need to be in the mid-60s. If we get more rain it will be a bit of a shoot-out.”

Special mention must also go to Marcus Fraser. Two days after describing the Baltusrol course as “one-dimensional” and playable only by long-hitters – and one day on from bemoaning his own perceived lack of ability at major championship level – the likeable 38-year old Melburnian nipped round the premises in 68 and sits one-under par for the 36-holes played.

THE FULL LEADERBOARD

“I have to say I am very pleased with that round,” he said with a rather bashful smile. “It was especially nice to make some good putts at the end. I played just as well in the first round and made some rubbish bogeys at the end. That’s the kind of thing I’ve been doing for the last few months, to be honest. But today was better.

“Upon reflection I was maybe a bit unfair to the course. It’s a good layout. And what I had to say was more a result of my poor form recently than it was the course itself. It just built up a bit. You have to play well to score well and I feel like I have for the last couple of days.”