The second round of the 100th USPGA Championship is not one that will be easily forgotten. All kinds of records fell on a day when no wind, soft (and therefore wide) fairways and slowish greens combined to render the Bellerive Country Club all but defenceless.
The course’s only reprieve came when a thunderstorm halted play at 3.35pm local time, with players due to return at 7am Saturday. Some examples:
For only the second time in major championship history two men – Charl Schwartzel and Brooks Koepka – shot rounds of 63 on the same day.
Seven years ago, only one player – Nick Faldo at Muirfield in the 1992 Open – had shot 130 for the first two rounds of any major. Since then, four more have done it. Gary Woodland (64-66) is the latest this week, almost incidentally breaking the 36-hole championship record.
Of the 78 men who completed their second rounds, as many as 38 shot in the 60s, the halfway cut looking likely to fall at 140 (level par) – what would be another record low.
And when the mud had been thoroughly trampled – no settling of dust at soggy Bellerive – first and second on the leaderboard, Woodland and Kevin Kisner, were two-thirds of the same three-ball. One can only imagine how the third member, Sergio Garcia, was feeling en route to (probably) missing the cut.
Anyway, Woodland – as is the way of things these days – was quick to give credit to his coaches for the stellar quality of his play both through the green and, unusually for him, on the putting surfaces.
“For me, the putting was kind of just the last piece of the puzzle,” said Woodland, one of the longest hitters on the PGA Tour. “Butch (Harmon) and I focused so hard this year on driving the golf ball. When I drive it in play, I'm playing a game a lot of guys aren't playing out here. That’s a huge advantage.
“Once that started to come around, the putting was really the last piece. When I see putts go in, I'm a completely different player, especially when I can be as aggressive as I am right now. So it was nice to get some work in with Phil (Kenyon) at The Open.
“I’ve had a couple weeks to work on it. And it just feels comfortable. Today I felt like I putted it as good, if not better, than I did yesterday. I just didn't see putts go in, but I can live with hitting good putts.”
“65 at a major is always a good score. I said last night I felt like there was a 65 in the way I was playing; I just have to do it. And I did." – Adam Scott
There was a similar message too from former World No.1 Adam Scott, who is now ranked 76th. Showing a welcome return to form, the former Masters champion nipped round in 65, despite a bogey on his final hole. So it could have been better, but Scott did at least have the satisfaction of out-scoring – by a shot – his playing partner, the current World No.1 Dustin Johnson. And, perhaps most notably, using his putter only 26 times.
“I’m definitely moving in the right direction,” said the Queenslander, whose last victory was two-and-a-half years ago. “65 at a major is always a good score. I said last night I felt like there was a 65 in the way I was playing; I just have to do it. And I did. I made a couple of extra putts for par today to keep the momentum going - and that's probably the difference between today and most of my golf over the last 12 months.
“I feel like I've been doing all the right stuff. I just haven't been doing it on the golf course. There's no excuse. It's just one or two extra putts from ten-feet for par or birdie. That changes the momentum of your round so much. Whether it's a poor shot through technique or a poor shot through lack of discipline or mental, a mental block, I've been doing it a lot, and today I didn't. I just tried to hang in there as long as I could.
Still, on five-under par and five shots behind Woodland, Scott is realistic enough to know he will need another round in the mid-60s – and maybe two – if he is to win his second major title.
“Everything's kind of felt good here for the last two days,” he continued. “I'm trying to not think about it too much and keep the good vibes going. Hopefully there are a couple more low ones on the weekend.”
Indeed. He is at least heading in the right direction: Six shots behind after 18-holes, he is now only five back.
For the record, the other four Aussies in the field had a mixed day. Jason Day was one under through eight holes of his second round and four under-par for the tournament. Marc Leishman’s 71 was good enough to see him into the weekend. But both Craig Hocknull and Cameron Smith have some serious work to do if they are to follow suit. When play was suspended, Hocknull was three-over par, one better than Smith.
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