USPGA Day 2 Wrap Up

Post by Sports Writer Derek Clements

WHISTLING STRAITS is the sort of golf course that can bite you where it hurts, suddenly and without warning. But not, it seems, if your name is Jordan Spieth.

Having already won The Masters and US Open in 2015 and coming up one shot shy in The Open at St Andrews, Spieth, it seems, wants another piece of history. After beginning the US PGA Championship with a 71 in the company of Rory McIlroy (who shot the same score), Spieth moved into overdrive, holing putts and bunker shots for fun on his way to a round of 67 and a 36-hole total of 138, six under par.

McIlroy, the defending champion, is playing his first tournament since the US Open at Chambers Bay after an ankle injury suffered while playing football. There are still signs of rust, and if he can eliminate them, he might yet win this thing. Starting at the 10th, he birdied the par-five 16th, but then dropped two shots at the 18th. An eagle three at the second, followed by a birdie at the sixth, got him to three under. But another shot went at the tough par-three seventh hole.  He finished with a second successive 71 to lie on two under par.

On a calm day made for low scoring, several players made hay while the sun shone. Henrik Stenson followed his 76 with a round that was 10 shots better. George Coetzee, of South Africa followed his opening 74 with a 65. He dropped shots at the ninth and 18th holes, but also found seven birdies and an eagle to move to five under overall.

Even more extraordinary was the performance of the little-known Japanese golfer Hiroshi Iwata, who seemed certain to be heading home after starting his challenge with a 77. He reached the turn in 34 to improve his score to three over par, before unleashing an astonishing burst of scoring. Iwata eagled the par five 11th and then birdied the 12th and 13th. A par followed at the 14th, before further birdies at the 15th, 16th and 17th holes. By this point he was nine under for his round and four under for the championship, with the intimidating 18th to play. A birdie would have given him a 62, the lowest score ever recorded in a major. He could 'only' manage a par and a 63.

Before Dustin Johnson, the first-round leader, had struck his opening drive, he had been overtaken at the top of the leaderboard by the ever-improving Swede David Lingmerth, who hasn't looked back since beating Justin Rose in a playoff to win The Memorial. Lingmerth opened with a 67 and followed it with a 70 that included eight birdies, four bogeys, a double-bogey and just five pars. At seven under he was one in front of Johnson.

Could the big American forget all his trials and tribulations in majors and keep it together? We were about to find out. Such is the twisted sense of humour of the US PGA that Johnson's playing partners were Jason Day, who set out on four under, and Rickie Fowler on one over. Like Johnson, Day and Fowler have come close without winning.

In the group immediately behind them was Tiger Woods, desperately trying to avoid missing the cut in a third successive major. And failing to do so.

Play was suspended with many players still out on the course, and the resulting thunderstorm meant that they were unable to complete their rounds. But there was plenty of time for Day to progress to nine under, tied for the lead with fellow Australian Matt Jones. One shot behind was Justin Rose, who played superbly and is five under for his round with one hole left to play.

And Johnson? After a promising start, he frittered shots away and was five under when he was forced off the course.

John Daly, a former champion, hit three balls into the water at the par-three seventh and walked off with a 10. He threw his club into Lake Michigan, whereupon a youngster who had been messing about in a boat, dived into the water and retrieved. It was just another day in the life of Daly, who recorded an 82. And spare a thought, too, for club pro Ryan Kennedy, who took 90 shots to negotiate the course - and now has to go back to his club and convince his members he is good enough to teach them!