As Aussies shine, storm halts second round
Day, Jones lead by one; Spieth trails by three after completing his 67.
Hiroshi
SHEBOYGAN, WIS.— Iwata tied a major championship record with a 63. Jordan Spieth put himself into the mix for another major. John Daly lost his cool and a golf club when he heaved it into Lake Michigan.
The second round of the PGA Championship had just about everything Friday. Except a conclusion.
Jason Day ran off three straight birdies and was tied for the lead with fellow Australian Matt Jones at 9 under par when a thunderstorm packing 40 mph wind caused the second round to be suspended until Saturday.
The storm toppled the main scoreboard at the entrance and flags atop some grandstands were ripped off poles.
Justin Rose pulled within one shot of the lead with backto-back birdies and was headed to the 18th tee, relieved because it looked like he would finish his round.
“I opened my big mouth to the boys playing with us,”
Rose said. “I said, ‘The end is in sight.’ And 30 seconds later, they blew the horn. So my name is mud all over here.”
TigerWoods, for all his struggles in the majors this year, was 4 over with five holes to play, two shots away from the projected cut.
The leaderboard was as clouded as the sky over Whistling Straits.
Seven players had at least a share of the lead at some point Friday, when a strong breeze in the morning gave way to steamy sunshine and virtually no wind until the storms moved in. When players were evacuated from the course, 11 players were separated by three shots.
David Lingmerth of Sweden made only four pars in his wild round of 70 and was the clubhouse leader at 7-under 137. One shot behind was a group that included Spieth, the Masters and U.S. Open champion who is very much in the picture to joinWoods and Ben Hogan as the only players to win three majors in one year.
Scott Piercy (70) and Brendan Steele (69) joined Spieth at 6 under.
The star of the day was Iwata, a 34-year-old from Japan who had every reason to think his first appearance in the PGA Championship would be a short one. He opened with a 77 and still was 3 over when he reached the back nine. Iwata reeled off five birdies and an eagle, and he saved par on the 18th for a 63.
It was the 27th time that a player shot 63 in a major, 13 of those in the PGA Championship and most recently Jason Dufner at Oak Hill in 2013.
“When I came here, I was thinking just to make my game better and better and on Sunday, I can be in the top 10,” Iwata said through a translator.
Even with a record-tying score, he still has plenty of work ahead of him at 4-under 140.
Day was through 14 holes while Jones was through 12 holes and on the front nine.
Top-ranked Rory McIlroy, coming off an ankle injury that has kept him out since the U.S. Open, went cold with the putter in a 71 that put him at 2-under 142.
And Daly? He hit 4-iron into the lake at the seventh hole, then followed with two more with his 6-iron into the lake. After a fourth attempt found the green, Daly heaved his 6-iron into the lake and made 10. He shot 82.