Streb Shoots 63, Joins Walker in Lead at PGA Championship
SPRINGFIELD, N.J. — Robert Streb became the latest player to shoot 63 in a major, and hardly anyone noticed in a PGA Championship with endless action across Baltusrol on Friday.
Streb was on the far end of the rain-soaked course when he holed a 20-foot birdie putt on his last hole, the par-3 ninth, to become the 28th player with a 63 in a major. It was the fourth 63 at Baltusrol, following Jack Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf in the opening round of the 1980 U.S. Open and Thomas Bjorn in the third round at 2005 PGA.
It gave Streb a share of the lead with Jimmy Walker (66), and they tied the 36-hole record at the PGA Championship at 131.
Most of the crowd was at the par-5 closing holes at Baltusrol, and there was no shortage of entertainment.
Defending champion Jason Day went on a tear after taking a double bogey on No. 7 by making seven birdies over his next eight holes and having a chance at 63. He needed birdies on the final two holes, both pars, but instead drove left next to the hospitality tents, and then hit an iron into right rough off the tee at No. 18. He had to settle for two pars and a 65.
Even so, the world’s No. 1 player was in solid shape to try to join Tiger Woods as the only back-to-back PGA champions in the stroke-play era. Day was at 7-under 133 with Emiliano Grillo, who sent the tone for an afternoon of birdies on his way to a 67.
By the end of the day, it was easy to overlook a familiar figure — Henrik Stenson, the British Open champion who made eagle on the 18th at the turn and polished off another 67.
He was only four shots behind in his bid to match Ben Hogan as the only players to win two straight majors at age 40.
Phil Mickelson made the cut, and that might have been the most entertaining of all.
He began his round with a tee shot so far left that it sailed off the property, bounced along Shunpike Road and caromed to the left down Baltusrol Way. Wherever it finished, it was out-of-bounds, and Mickelson had to scramble for a triple bogey. He spent the rest of the day battling to get back, and he delivered on the 18th with a birdie to post a 70.
A dozen players were separated by five shots going into the weekend, a group that included Martin Kaymer and Patrick Reed, and even Rickie Fowler, who salvaged his round with a birdie-eagle finish.
LEADERBOARD
PGA Championship Scores
Friday
At Baltusrol GC (Lower Course)
Springfield, N.J.
Purse: $10 million
Yardage: 7,428; Par 70
Second Round
Jimmy Walker 65-66–131
Robert Streb 68-63–131
Emiliano Grillo 66-67–133
Jason Day 68-65–133
Henrik Stenson 67-67–134
Martin Kaymer 66-69–135
Patrick Reed 70-65–135
Brooks Koepka 68-67–135
Hideki Matsuyama 69-67–136
Harris English 67-69–136
Rickie Fowler 68-68–136
Jamie Donaldson 69-67–136
Yuta Ikeda 70-67–137
Jordan Spieth 70-67–137
William McGirt 70-67–137
Daniel Summerhays 70-67–137
Zach Johnson 71-66–137
Billy Hurley III 72-65–137
Adam Scott 70-67–137
Gregory Bourdy 69-68–137
Hideto Tanihara 71-66–137
John Senden 68-70–138
Alexander Noren 70-68–138
Webb Simpson 69-69–138
Louis Oosthuizen 68-70–138
Ryan Moore 71-67–138
Jon Curran 69-69–138
K.J. Choi 68-70–138
David Lingmerth 68-70–138
Branden Grace 70-68–138
Paul Casey 69-69–138
Scott Hend 68-70–138
Andy Sullivan 67-71–138
Andrew Johnston 70-69–139
Steve Stricker 69-70–139
Danny Lee 69-70–139
Young-han Song 71-68–139
Tyrrell Hatton 71-68–139
Marcus Fraser 71-68–139
Brandt Snedeker 73-66–139
Lee Westwood 69-70–139
Soren Kjeldsen 70-69–139
Vaughn Taylor 68-71–139
Kevin Na 71-68–139
George Coetzee 72-67–139
Ross Fisher 66-73–139
Jhonattan Vegas 68-71–139
Russell Henley 68-72–140
Marc Leishman 71-69–140
Russell Knox 70-70–140
Bubba Watson 71-69–140
Cameron Tringale 72-68–140
Kyle Reifers 70-70–140
Bradley Dredge 69-71–140
Brian Stuard 70-70–140
Daniel Berger 71-69–140
Aaron Baddeley 70-70–140
Kevin Kisner 71-69–140
James Hahn 67-73–140
Bill Haas 70-70–140
Rich Beem 69-72–141
Francesco Molinari 71-70–141
Jim Furyk 74-67–141
Thomas Pieters 71-70–141
Danny Willett 71-70–141
Padraig Harrington 71-70–141
Justin Thomas 69-72–141
Keegan Bradley 73-68–141
Phil Mickelson 71-70–141
Colt Knost 69-73–142
Ryan Palmer 71-71–142
Billy Horschel 72-70–142
Matthew Fitzpatrick 72-70–142
Jason Dufner 71-71–142
Kiradech Aphibarnrat 70-72–142
Thongchai Jaidee 72-70–142
Justin Rose 70-72–142
Charl Schwartzel 73-69–142
Joost Luiten 72-70–142
Freddie Jacobson 71-71–142
Patton Kizzire 71-71–142
Jason Kokrak 70-72–142
Ernie Els 73-69–142
Rafa Cabrera Bello 72-70–142
Matt Jones 74-68–142
Roberto Castro 72-70–142
Failed to make the cut
Scott Piercy 72-71–143
Y.E. Yang 72-71–143
Luke Donald 72-71–143
Chris Kirk 74-69–143
Chris Wood 69-74–143
Victor Dubuisson 69-74–143
Rory McIlroy 74-69–143
Ryan Helminen 72-71–143
Smylie Kaufman 73-70–143
Harold Varner III 72-72–144
Thorbjorn Olesen 70-74–144
Brendan Steele 71-73–144
Byeong Hun An 72-72–144
Si Woo Kim 71-73–144
J.B. Holmes 75-69–144
Vijay Singh 74-70–144
Rikard Karlberg 72-72–144
Rod Perry 73-71–144
Zac Blair 73-71–144
Kevin Chappell 72-73–145
Gary Woodland 73-72–145
Shane Lowry 72-73–145
Sergio Garcia 71-74–145
Ben Polland 72-73–145
Bryce Molder 74-71–145
Kevin Streelman 75-70–145
Jason Bohn 71-74–145
Matt Dobyns 73-72–145
Darren Clarke 74-71–145
Charley Hoffman 75-70–145
Rich Berberian, Jr. 72-74–146
Anirban Lahiri 73-73–146
Matt Kuchar 74-72–146
Bernd Wiesberger 75-71–146
Peter Malnati 73-73–146
Mark Brown 75-71–146
Kristoffer Broberg 72-74–146
Jonas Blixt 75-71–146
Rob Labritz 71-76–147
David Toms 74-73–147
Tony Finau 77-70–147
Soomin Lee 77-70–147
Brian Gaffney 74-73–147
John Daly 74-73–147
Jamie Lovemark 71-76–147
David Muttitt 73-74–147
Michael Block 72-76–148
Johan Kok 72-76–148
Fabian Gomez 75-73–148
Jim Herman 77-71–148
K.T. Kim 77-71–148
Jeunghun Wang 73-75–148
Josh Speight 77-71–148
Greg Chalmers 72-76–148
Nicolas Colsaerts 72-76–148
Joe Summerhays 76-73–149
Troy Merritt 77-72–149
Rocco Mediate 76-73–149
Dustin Johnson 77-72–149
Graeme McDowell 74-75–149
Brandon Stone 79-71–150
Mitch Lowe 74-76–150
Tommy Sharp 77-73–150
Omar Uresti 72-78–150
Shaun Micheel 77-74–151
Brad Ott 79-72–151
Wyatt Worthington II 76-76–152
James Morrison 78-76–154
Rick Schuller 78-76–154
Brad Lardon 83-74–157
COMMENTS