Solid Koepka atop St. Jude leaderboard
Brooks Koepka is tuning up quite nicely for the U. S. Open at the event he added at the deadline.
Koepka, who had a share of the lead after the first round, shot a 3- under- par 67 Friday to lead the St. Jude Classic in Memphis by a stroke after 36 holes. He turned in a four- birdie, onebogey round for a 9- under 131.
“Playing solid golf, no mistakes, being very patient, waiting for my opportunities to come,” Koepka said. “And when they have come, I’ve kind of taken advantage of them, but I still feel like I could be about 5-, 6- under- par ... Really haven’t been firing on all cylinders, but good enough to be at the top.” Austin Cook ( 64) was at 132. TPC Southwind played firmer, with temperatures in the 90s drying out the course, and that has greens playing faster. There also were some tricky pin placements Friday.
Koepka hit 14 of 18 greens for a second straight round and needed 28 putts Friday. The Floridian who won his first career title in February is trying to join Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Jimmy Walker as multiple winners on tour this season.
Steve Alker briefly had the lead at 10- under with two holes to play only to finish bogeydouble bogey. He had a 68- 133 total and needed only 23 putts Friday.
Phil Mickelson was tied with seven others at 137 after a 69. LPGA Tour: Sei Young Kim of South Korea eagled the 15th hole for a 5- under 68 to take a oneshot lead after the second round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, the second major of the season.
Kim overtook Hall of Famer Karrie Webb, who birdied the 18th for a 71. Two- time defending champion Inbee Park ( 68) joined Webb a stroke back.
Kim, 22, a two- time winner this season on the LPGA Tour, shot bogey- free golf to finish at 8- under 138 at the Westchester Country Club at Harrison, N. Y.
Top- ranked Lydia Ko ( 76) missed the cut, which was 2over, ending her streak of made cuts at 53. Champions Tour: Bernhard Langer posted a second consecutive 6- under 65 in what he called a “stressless” bogey- free round that gave him a four- shot lead halfway through the Senior Players Championship at Belmont, Mass. European Tour: Gregory Bourdy widened his lead at the Lyoness Open in Atzenbrugg, Austria, by shooting a 5- under 67 to go four strokes clear of fellow Frenchman Gary Stal and Chris-Wood of England.