Bernd Wisberger was in the final pair with eventual champion Rory McIlroy in Valhalla at the 2014 PGA Championship. The 36-year-old may consider that there is some unfinished business that he has to solve, and accordingly he flew off the blocks today. Birdies at 11, 13 and now 15 raised him to -1 for the tournament. It is the hottest property this morning.
Scotty Scheffler sent his second at 1 over the back. He gets a free fall from the TV tower, but he doesn’t like his shot up and is extremely happy not to see his ball roll back to his feet. Instead, it somehow resists gravity by stopping at the top of the slope. He still has a hard hit from the periphery and can’t save his money, but he would get away for a split second as he watched that battered chip make his way apologetically up the bank to the green. Gods aren’t perfect, but that could be a lot worse. He is +2.
Scotty Scheffler on the 18th. Photo: Richard Heathcote / Getty Images
Updated at 17.05 BST
Two-time winner Brooks Koepka has been battling badly lately and shot the problematic 75 yesterday. But he has never missed a PGA cut and apparently has no plans to do so this week. After playing the back nine in a under 34, he just sent a tram line in the 3 cup for another bird. It rose to +3, which coincides with the current projected decline. He will be here for the weekend as it is.
That 17-year-old bird seems to have started a fire with John Ram. Or cool it. You can look at it in any way. He’s much happier, so to speak, and after dropping 1, he cuts his second to three feet and jumps in the shot to +1. The US Open champion is slowly returning to the tournament.
JT misses another opportunity to join Rory at the helm. He kills his second at 2 to 20 feet, leaving quite a straight shot, but his effort with a bird never looks like a fall and he stays at -4. Meanwhile, here’s Steve Buist: “I’m an investigative journalist during the day, so my job is to ask difficult questions. It’s time to turn to the Tiger … Uh, elephant … in the room with a question about a hen or an egg (that’s a lot of animals in one sentence). Does lameness lead to a bad result or does a bad result lead to a lameness? Discuss. ” Oh, heavy crowd! Does investigative journalism lead to cynicism or does cynicism lead to investigative journalism?
Good luck to Aaron Wise on the 13th par-5. Hitting three of the rough blows from the right, he boils a wedge and his ball is getting ready to hit the hole well. But he hits the flash stick and stops about a foot away. He ranks for his second bird of the day, with the first coming in at 11 and the 25-year-old Las Vegas player moving to -3. There he is joined by Joaquin Niemann, who comes from the other side after visiting the green sands at 15, and it’s time to publish an update of the rankings, right.
-5: McIlroy-4: Thomas (10 *), Hoge, Zalatoris-3: Fitzpatrick (7 *), Neiman (6 *), Wise (4 *), Anser, Kuchar
Scotty Scheffler almost drained 30 feet at 18 for a bird. His ball stops briefly. These are nine pairs in the back nine and he remains +1. Playing partner Colin Morikawa, after crashing into the creek on the right, limits his damage to backgammon and drops to +3. Meanwhile, at 2, Shane Lowry could not come close with his approach after sending his shot with the tee in the rough shot. He runs his long birdie putt miles past the bowl and can’t get the eighth to come back. He slips to -1 and looks like a man who will descend into complete smoke.
Justin Thomas sent a relatively average second in 1, failing to take advantage of the excellent driving. He almost drained the 20-foot birdie putt, but he stubbornly stayed high to the right and he stayed at -4. A great chance to regain some of the lead has disappeared. Thomas, by the way, came today dressed as a place on the Piccadilly line, or a tribute to the design gurus of the London Underground, or to the Arsenal football club, who are spinning in similar outfits this season.
The first bird of the day for John Ram, who has not yet come out of it. After a series of doubles, he rolled 20 feet to 17 to go to +2. This puts it above the current projected cut line … although expect that this will displace a few frames anyway. Wise owls suggest that the incision will probably be +5 or +6, but time will tell.
That’s the equivalent of Thomas at 18 and he played nine on the back in 33 strokes, like Lowry before him. He then moves on to the 1st and is about to pull the trigger with the driver when a shadow crosses him from above. A drone? Drone. Very strange. Too enthusiastic operator, no doubt. However, this does not repel him. Nor did the whirlwind wind, and he climbed one down the track. On the green, Lowry makes a parameter with two strokes to stay at -2.
The wind whirled around the Southern Hills. As a result, players hold back instead of making serious inclines at the top. Lowry and Neiman are the main drivers this morning; the only other player at the moment with two less for his round is Kevin Kisner, who just followed the bird at 13 with another at 14. The 38-year-old South Carolina player is level in the tournament.
Shane Lowry finished the back nine in 33 strokes. He does well at -2 for both the round and the tournament. We remind you that he tied for fourth in this championship last year and third for the Masters last month. Is it included? It may be included.
Shane Lowry played his second shot on the 18th. Photo: Richard Heathcote / Getty Images
Updated at 16:38 BST
Some drama on the 18th. Dustin Johnson (+3) sends a huge piece into the creek down to the right. His partner in the game, Justin Thomas, frightened by the wind at 25 miles per hour, sends his drive in exactly the same direction. He groans in trouble, but the ball somehow goes around the shore and stays dry. Inches away from disaster; now he will think of getting up and going down for a bird.
From the center of the 12th fairway, 121 yards remain, Joaquin Niemann is not really sure about the spinning wind. He leaves the frame several times and needs his sneakers to convince him to carry out his plan. He is wise to listen and catch nettles. He wedges himself up to four feet, then arranges for balance, which takes him into the density of things.
-5: McIlroy-4: Thomas (7 *), Neiman (3 *), Hoge, Zalatoris-3: Fitzpatrick (3 *), Anser, Kuchar
Thomas fights well at 16. After sending his approach down to the left of the green, he chips, bounces, stops. Turn on to keep its face value and stay at -4. Meanwhile, two birds in three holes for 2015 champion Jason Day, 13 and 15, the latter being the prize for a lavish approach from 170 yards to several feet. The 34-year-old Australian was almost always present at the top of the main charts in 2010. Not so much in the last few years, although the tie for fourth place in this championship in 2020 stands out. It would be great to see him compete again. It’s up to date for the week, so it can happen right now.
At one point last night, Lucas Herbert threatened to join Rory McIlroy at the helm. But a slightly discouraging finish – two tapas in the last four holes – made him finish the day at 68. Still very good, but the 25-year-old Australian would dream of more. He continues to move in the wrong direction today, with a bogey of 2. He goes back to -1.
Matt Fitzpatrick has not yet won in America, but now would be a good time to start. He follows brilliantly, battling 68 yesterday with a birdie at 11 this morning. He rises to -3, where he joins Joaquin Niemann, another young player who would not be flattered at all if he lifted the Wanamaker trophy this week. Discovery bird at 10 for the 23-year-old Chilean.
-5: McIlroy-4: Thomas (6 *), Hoge, Zalatoris-3: Fitzpatrick (2 *), Neiman (1), Anser, Kuchar
World number one Scotty Scheffler didn’t really get that far this week, his disappointment was evident last night when he repeatedly shoved his bag with his driver after finding water at 18. He eventually got one over 71, which he could was much worse. There is no big change today. He starts with four consecutive bucks, the last one is slightly disappointing at par-five 13th, any chance of the bird disappearing after spending all his life moving pebbles in a bunker under the supervision of the referee, only to take too much of the ball with his chip pulled out. The Masters champion remains +1.
Reaching the top, Justin Thomas immediately fell from it. He plunges his shot at the 14th pair into a bunker in front and can’t spray over the ridge that runs through the green. He leaves himself a complicated climbing curtain that he can’t do. Returns to a draw in a second.
-5: McIlroy-4: Thomas (5 *), Hoge, Zalatoris
Justin Thomas plays his shot from the 11th. Photo: Richard Heathcote / Getty Images
Updated at 15.26 BST
KH Lee is a man in shape. Last week, the 30-year-old South Korean became only the fourth man in history to successfully defend Byron Nelson. This is not a bad feat, considering that the other three are Sam Sneed, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson! However, he has an extremely terrible record in major leagues: five appearances, five missed cuts. However, he looks good to end this regret this week. 69 yesterday and a 30-yard rake for a birdie at 6 moved it to -2 overall.
Par-5 13th was the easiest hole on the golf course yesterday, averaging 4.84 shots and giving up 42 birds. It’s no surprise, then, that Justin Thomas has just picked up his second bird of the day. He seems in the mood to publish …
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