And here’s Ewan Murray’s report at the halfway stage at Southern Hills:
Anyway, that’s your lot. Hope to see you again for Moving Day tomorrow ... and they’ll all be moving from here. Thanks for reading this live blog. Nighty night!
-9: Zalatoris -8: Pereira -6: Thomas -5: Watson -4: Ancer, McIlroy, Riley -3: Fitzpatrick, Cink -2: Young, Burns, Smith, Kuchar, Hatton, Kirk, Woodland -1: Na, Reed, Homa, Wiesberger, Niemann, Gooch
A lucky escape for Aaron Wise. Ewan Murray reports.
The 2019 US Open champion Gary Woodland is making a late charge up the standings. Birdies at 12, 13 and now 16 take the 37-year-old from Kansas, who has two top-ten finishes at the PGA on his resumé, to -3.
Bubba can’t make the birdie putt, so a 63 will have to do. (!) The two-time Masters winner is heavily involved in this tournament now at -5. On Sky comms, Brad Faxon makes the case that “this course favours the right to left ball flight ... like Augusta National, his left-handed play can help him get around.” He goes on to consider former winners at Southern Hills. “Nick Price was a drawer of the golf ball, Ray Floyd definitely was, Tiger could do anything he wants with a golf ball ... it could be Bubba’s chance.”
-9: Zalatoris (F) -8: Pereira (F) -6: Thomas (F) -5: Watson (F) -4: McIlroy (F), Ancer (F), RIley (16) -3: Fitzpatrick (F), Cink (F), Woodland (16)
A stroke of good fortune for Bubba on 18. He nearly sends his tee shot into the creek on the right, but just as his ball prepares to roll down the bank, it’s stopped by a collar of grass. He takes advantage by sending a high draw around the trees and into the heart of the green. He’ll have a 20-footer for birdie ... and a men’s major championship record-tying 62!
McIlroy sends his approach at 18 into a greenside bunker. He whips a lovely sand wedge to a couple of feet, and he’ll scramble his par. That’s a one-over 71, far from ideal, but he’s adding it to yesterday’s best-of-day 65, and at -4 overall, he’s fully in contention ahead of Moving Day. A calm two-putt par for Tiger. A 69, and he’ll make it to the weekend, some effort given it all. He’s +3. But Spieth, who found the creek down the right with an appalling hybrid from the tee, finishes with bogey. A 69, and he’s +1. A completion of the career slam looks unlikely this year, but never say never when Spieth is around. He is a bit of a magician, after all.
Bubba wedges into 17 from 100 yards. He gets a helpful bounce from the shoulder of a bunker, and his ball rolls to kick-in distance. He’ll knock that in to move up to -5. Improvement on his runner-up spot in this championship at Whistling Straits in 2010 is a live prospect all right!
Par at the last for Will Zalatoris. A 65 to go with yesterday’s 66 and he’ll be the 36-hole leader at -9. It’s some place to be, because all of the male golfers who have won a major here - Tommy Bolt, Dave Stockton, Hubert Green, Ray Floyd, Nick Price, Retief Goosen and Tiger Woods - have led at the halfway stage.
Cam Smith thinks he’s sent his tee shot at 18 into the creek down the right. He’s fuming, but cools down when he discovers he’s not got wet. He takes advantage of the big break by whipping his second straight at the flag, but then leaves his straight six-footer high on the right. Just a par. Out in 33, back in 37 for a level-par 70. A round of two halves all right. He’s -2.
A diminuendo end to the round for Tyrrell Hatton. A second dropped shot in the last three holes, the result of a wayward drive, then a tentative par-saving prod from six feet. A fine 68 that promised more, and he’ll be off for a wee seethe, I’ll be bound. He’s -2 going into the weekend.
Jordan Spieth isn’t giving up the career-slam dream this year quite yet. He follows birdie at 15 with another at 17, reward for sending a wedge from 100 yards to a couple of feet. He’s back to level par, and should the leading three players stumble, he’s well within striking distance. Pars for Tiger (+3) and Rory (-4).
Zalatoris makes no mistake with his uphill right-to-left slider from seven feet on 17 ... and some people maintain this man can’t putt! He regains sole ownership of the lead, then slams his tee shot at 18 down the middle. Another birdie to finish would send a few shocks down a leaderboard that’s beginning to get a little stretched.
-9: Zalatoris (17) -8: Pereira (F) -6: Thomas (F) -4: McIlroy (16), Watson (16), Ancer (15*), Riley (14) -3: Fitzpatrick (F), Kuchar (17*), Burns (14)
Xander Schauffele’s round kind of went south. Bogeys at 14, 16 and 18, and he’s signing for a 73. He’s +1 going into the weekend. Justin Rose is in the process of spoiling his earlier good work, meanwhile. Bogeys at 11 and 13 have sent him tumbling back to +1 overall.
One of the shots of the week by Will Zalatoris on 17! He nearly finds the creek down the right with his drive, but there’s nothing lucky about his second shot, which he fires out of thick rough, negotiating some overhanging branches, from 126 yards to seven feet! Big birdie putt coming up. Meanwhile back on 9, Mito Pereira sends his second to ten feet, but doesn’t really commit to a putt for the first time all afternoon. It dies left, and it’s just a par ... but he’s signing for a splendid 64, the best of the week so far. He’s the new clubhouse leader at -8, and has a tournament share with Zalatoris, though he might have something to say about that in a minute.
McIlroy drives into a trap at 14, and is forced to lay up. He gets up and down from 30 yards to cling on to -4. Tiger meanwhile creams his second from 209 yards to four feet, and makes a birdie that should - should - see him safe for the weekend, barring a meltdown on one of the last two holes. He’s +3, with the cut saving everyone at +4 and above.
Not for the first time today, Hatton nearly holes out from the fairway for eagle, this time on 17. Just like on 15, his ball spins back six feet, but just like on 15, it’s another good look at birdie. Sadly, unlike 15, he pulls his putt to the left. He blames a bobble, but it didn’t look a good stroke. He remains at -3. A no-nonsense par for Zalatoris at 16 meanwhile, and he stays put at -8. And a bounceback birdie for Bubba at 15. He’s -4 again.
It’s Sam Burns’ time to string together three birdies in a row. The 25-year-old from Louisiana already has two wins on Tour this season, and has suddenly arrived at -3. Meanwhile Davis Riley - who came second when Burns was winning the Valspar - follows up birdie at 10 with another at 13, and is currently on course for his second 68 of the week. He’s -4 with opportunities still to come.
Pereira sends his tee shot through the back of the long par-three 8th, but nearly bumps the chip back into the cup. He tidies up to save his par, and he’s one hole away from a sensational 64. He remains at -8 for the championship.
Hatton can’t get up and down from a deep bunker at the long par-four 16th, and his four-hole birdie run comes to a sorry end with bogey. He’s -3. Bubba’s sequence of success also comes to a clattering finish as he finds a bunker guarding the par-three 14th. He can’t get up and down, and off he fumes. He’s -3 too.
McIlroy gives another long birdie putt a good chance of dropping, this time at 15. It’s too much to ask, and he taps in for par. He remains -4. Spieth makes a much-needed birdie, though, sticking his second pin hight to eight feet; he moves to +1. Par meanwhile for Tiger, who is limping a little but battling to stay alive, pulling his second into a bunker to the back left of the green, where he’s slightly shortsided, but splashing out delicately to three feet and making the saving putt. He’s +4.
Bob MacIntyre is in with a 71. He’s +1 and Scotland’s great hope is here for the weekend. In other possibly more relevant news, Mito Pereira rolls in another birdie putt, this time at 7, and moves into a share of the lead at -8. Will Zalatoris had a chance to step clear again, but his birdie putt at 15 stayed short, and he exclaimed that the green, not mowed for two days now, is “like velcro”. Meanwhile another birdie for Bubba, this time at the par-five 13th. That’s four in five holes, and he’d be five on the spin but for his ball stopping an inch short on the 12th. Some run, this. Some leaderboard, as well!
-8: Pereira (16*), Zalatoris (15) -6: Thomas (F) -4: Hatton (15), McIlroy (14), Ancer (13*), Watson (13)
McIlroy is so close to draining an (admittedly fairly straight) monster birdie putt across 14. Fine effort, and he taps in for another par. It’s not really happening for Rory today, but he’s hanging on in there at -4. Speaking of which, so is Tiger, who duffs a chip from the bottom of a bank to the right of the green, but then sinks the 15-foot putt he leaves himself. He’s still +4.
Hatton does indeed make it four birdies on the bounce! He rolls in his putt on 15 and joins Ancer and McIlroy in a tie for fourth at -4.
McIlroy sends his third at 13 over the flag to 12 feet. He’s left with a gentle left-to-right slider for his birdie, but it’s always dying to the right. He remains at -4. Tiger, from a very similar position, makes no mistake. “Tiger! Tiger” chant the gallery, as he rises to +4, his head now just above water. On 12, Bubba is one dimple’s width away from making it four birdies in a row, but the ball annoyingly stops short. He stays at -3. Meanwhile on 15, Hatton nearly slam-dunks his second into the cup from 160 yards. Spin takes his ball six feet back, so what’s left is hardly a gimme, but it’s a decent chance for his fourth birdie in a row. Safe to say, whatever happens there, this course is playing completely differently now the wind has gone. The luck of the draw, huh.
These three-birdie blitzes are getting old. You’ll have noticed Watson (11) on the leaderboard we just posted. That’s Bubba! He’s picked up strokes at 9, 10 and now 11, and Watson, who lost a play-off to Martin Kaymer 12 years ago at Whistling Straits, is in the mix to go one better!
Tyrrell Hatton, still high on life after Liverpool’s FA Cup victory no doubt, arrows his tee shot at the par-three 14th to a couple of feet. If - surely when - he knocks that in, it’ll be his third birdie in a row, and he’ll move up to -3. Speaking of three birdies in a row, Will Zalatoris completes his set by wedging from 80 yards to seven feet at 13 and tidying up! Mito Pereira makes it three in four holes, meanwhile, rolling in a 20-footer at 5. It took a while, but with the wind finally dropping, so is the scoring. To quote the great Danny Boon, it’s all ‘appenin’!
-8: Zalatoris (13) -7: Pereira (14*) -6: Thomas (F) -4: McIlroy (12), Ancer (11*) -3: Fitzpatrick (F), Hatton (14), Smith (13), Kuchar (12*), Cink (12*), Watson (11), Riley (10)
Matt Kuchar joins the group at -3 with birdie at 3. He’d been going the wrong way after yesterday’s fine 67, with bogeys at 12 and 16. But birdie at 18 stemmed the bleeding, and now he’s back to where he began the day. Hopefully his caddy has all the Is dotted and Ts crossed on his retainer. Meanwhile on 12, finally some joy for Rory! He rolls in his first birdie of the day from 12 feet, the most confident stroke he’s made all day. Suddenly there’s a little spring in his step again ... and the crowd following his match are in very good voice, not least because Tiger, struggling to get back above the cut line, sends another poor bunker shot well past the flag, but rattles in the very missable 12-foot par putt. He stays at +5. Still going home, but still in with a shout of making it for the weekend ... and still generating the biggest roars from the gallery, despite it all. If they love you, they love you. That’s showbiz!
Mito Pereira’s not in a share of the lead for long! That’s because Will Zalatoris pings his second at 12 from 120 yards to seven feet, and rolls in calmly for birdie! He becomes the first player to make it as high as -7, and seeing we’re doing the history thing, if he were to win, he’d become only the sixth player to win the PGA on his second try. The others? Bob Rosburg (1959), Gary Player (1962), Jack Nicklaus (1963), Hal Sutton (1983) and Rich Beem (2002).
-7: Zalatoris (12) -6: Thomas (F), Pereira (13*) -4: Ancer (10*) -3: Fitzpatrick (F), Smith (12), McIlroy (11), Cink (11*), Hoge (9*)
Mito Pereira joins the leaders at -6! He clips his second at 4 to eight feet, and rolls in the right-to-left slider. What a debut this is turning out to be! Could he become only the tenth man to win the PGA Championship on debut? For the record, the others are: Jim Barnes (1916), Tom Creavy (1931), Bob Hamilton (1944), Doug Ford (1955), Bob Tway (1986), John Daly (1991), Shaun Micheel (2003), Keegan Bradley (2011) and Collin Morikawa (2020).
McIlroy can’t make the right-to-left swinger he leaves himself from 20 feet at 11, but par will do. He’s still struggling with his game today, but he’s also still -3. Spieth can’t get up and down after his shank, and he’s back to +2. And it’s disaster for Tiger, whose chip up from the back flies over the green and into a bunker on the other side. His splash out isn’t close, and he can’t make the bogey putt. A double, and he drops dramatically to +5. As it stands, he’ll miss the cut.
Birdies for Viktor Hovland and Will Zalatoris at the par-three 11th. Hovland moves into the red at -1; Zalatoris helps himself to a share of the lead. Once they clear the green, Spieth steps up and ... shanks. Oh dear. In front of Tiger as well. Mind you, Tiger’s effort isn’t much better: he flies one over the back and nearly sends his ball into the penalty area down the bottom of the swale. It stays live, but he’ll face one heck of a chip back up. Rory splits the difference and finds the green. Meanwhile, another birdie for Stewart Cink, and the veteran 2009 Open champ continues to move on up!
-6: Thomas (F), Zalatoris (11) -5: Pereira (12*) -4: Ancer (9*) -3: Fitzpatrick (F), Smith (11), Cink (10*), McIlroy (10), Hoge (8*)
Jordan ‘Hurricane’ Spieth takes advantage of his lucky snooker-style break, and rolls in his birdie putt from ten feet. He rises to +1, and the career-slam dream is not yet kaput. Tiger, having replaced his ball on its original spot, follows him in to return to +3. Rory continues to feel the frustration, though: his putt from 20 feet dies off to the right on the final turn, and he’s still searching for that first birdie of the day.
Some long-range billiards by Jordan Spieth on 10. Tiger has knocked his second to ten feet in front of the cup. Spieth lands his approach ten feet behind, then gets a ludicrous amount of spin on his ball. It’s destined to whistle a good 30 feet back down the green, but clacks Tiger’s ball and he’ll have a good look at birdie from there! Two points for the cannon. Meanwhile yet another birdie for Justin Rose, who pings his second pin high to 15 feet, then rolls in for his fourth birdie in five holes ... and the other hole was a chip-in par! He turns in 33, and he’s in red figures for the tournament at -1.
The wind has totally dropped. It’s currently wafting across Southern Hills at 2 mph. It was gusting at 35 mph this morning! But nobody’s taking advantage. Yet. On 10, Cam Smith pulls his approach from the centre of the fairway down a swale to the left of the green, and his chip back up is no good. He hands back the shot he gained at the previous hole in short order. He’s -3.
Mito Pereira’s dream debut continues apace. A birdie at 2, and the 27-year-old from Santiago grabs a share of second at -5! He won’t have to share it with Tom Hoge, though; the 32-year-old North Carolinian doubles 16 to undo most of the good work of the previous three holes. He slips back to -3.
Justin Rose, on the other hand, has rediscovered his mojo in some style! A 71 yesterday, followed by a double at 2, saw him +3 and looking over his shoulder at the cut line. But he’s suddenly sparked into life, with back-to-back birdies at 5 and 6, a chip-in to save par at 7, and a 20-yard rake for another birdie at 8! Suddenly the 2013 US Open champion is back to level par, and right in this tournament!
McIlroy keeps spraying it around like a cat on heat. He hoicks his tee shot at 9 into the gallery down the left. He does pretty well to find a route through the trees and onto the green, but though he’s pin high, he’s a good 30 feet from the hole. Par is the result, no disaster after the drive, but he really needs something to happen. No birdies on the front nine, out in 37. The spring evident in his step yesterday is long gone.
Tiger sends his tee shot at the par-three 8th over the back of the green, then doesn’t get his chip up onto the putting surface. From the fringe, he nearly steers in a left-to-right 40-footer with a huge swing, but the ball stops one turn short. Bogey, and he slips back to +4. As things stand, he’s right on the cut line, but he’ll be here this weekend. Up on 9, Cam Smith tidies up for his birdie and moves to -4. He is one entertaining golfer, well worth the price of admission. Parental advisory, explicit content, all those caveats.
More opportunity for Cam Smith to use his special words, as he pulls his tee shot at 9 into the trees down the left, then nearly blades his chip in from 60 yards. That ball’s travelling, but it smacks the flagstick and stops three feet from the flag. That could have turned ugly, but he’ll have a great chance for birdie now. Up on 17, a bounceback birdie for Abraham Ancer, who wedges to eight feet from 100 yards and nails the putt. He’s -4 again.
What a turnaround by Tom Hoge! He responds to dropping two shots in three holes by making three birdies in a row! This latest one comes at 15, where he sends his second shot from 170 yards to seven feet, and rolls it in. Meanwhile bogey for Abraham Ancer on 16, as he fails to get up and down from greenside sand. It’s changed a fair bit at the top ... apart from the obvious, of course.
-6: Thomas (F) -5: Zalatoris (8), Hoge (6*) -4: Pereira (9*) -3: Fitzpatrick (F), Smith (8), McIlroy (7), Ancer (7*) -2: Cink (8*), Riley (5)
Cam Smith sizes up a 30-foot birdie putt on the par-three 8th. His ball covers 29 feet. “Get it to the f-ing hole,” he says, where f equals the f-word, which is “fuck”. UK broadcaster Sky Sports immediately apologises to its audience of grown adults, despite it coming up to 10pm BST, quite some time past the watershed, all the little kids in bed. Anyway, he tidies up for par and remains at -3. Will Zalatoris also pars, and he stays at -5.
The 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed has been quiet of late. He looks to be finding a semblance of form this week, though. A 69 yesterday, and he’s bounced back from an opening-hole bogey today with a gorgeous tee shot at 6 to a couple of feet. He tidies up for birdie, and he’s into red figures again at -1. Meanwhile on 7, Woods and Spieth salvage their pars, but McIlroy leaves his long first putt well short, then pulls the attempt to save par. Just as he could do little wrong yesterday, he’s able to do next to nothing right today. He slips to -3, and the overnight leader is suddenly three off the pace set by Justin Thomas!
A fine up and down from a bunker at 7 by Will Zalatoris. He remains at -5, while partner Cam Smith pars as well to stay at -3. Once they clear the green, Tiger nearly sends his approach into the drink on the right, Spieth finds the bunker guarding the front of the dancefloor, and McIlroy pulls one that is fairly lucky to stay on the back-left portion of the green, albeit nowhere near the flag. Nobody’s making any sort of coherent move on Justin Thomas ... though it’s worth remembering that nearly all of the overnight leaders started this afternoon at hole 1, and the front nine is considered more of a test than the back. So plenty of time for drama this evening yet.
Rory leaves the driver in the bag and splits the 7th fairway with his 3-wood. For once he’s not playing catch-up from the get-go. Let’s see how this pans out, then. Meanwhile over on 15, it’s par for Ancer, who remains in a tie for third at -4.
Three decent, if not spectacular, irons into the green at the par-three 6th from Tiger, McIlroy and Spieth. All three are left with mid-distance birdie putts. Tiger and Spieth shave the lip, and Rory isn’t too far away either, but nothing drops and it’s pars all round. Meanwhile Hoge, buoyed by that birdie at 13, draws a lovely iron into 14, and he’ll surely tidy up from a couple of feet to move back to -4.
Cameron Smith and Will Zalatoris go extremely close with birdie putts at the par-three 6th. Neither drop. Shame. Meanwhile birdie at 15 for the rejuvenated 2009 Open champion Stewart Cink, and bounceback birdie for Tom Hoge at 13.
-6: Thomas (F) -5: Zalatoris (6) -4: Pereira (8*), McIlroy (5), Ancer (5*) -3: Fitzpatrick (F), Kirk (8*), Smith (6), Hoge (4*) -2: Schauffele (8), Kuchar (6*), Cink (6*), Riley (3)
Ancer can’t get particularly close with his chip up from the back of 14, and he slips back to -4. McIlroy can’t make his long birdie putt at 5 and has to settle for par, as does Spieth, but Tiger, who opted against playing crash-bang golf down the long par-five, makes a textbook no-nonsense birdie. All straight down the middle, no heroics. He’s +3. And a fine par for Schauffele on 7; he sends an 8-iron way left of the green, but scrambles from 30 yards for his seventh par in a row. He’s -2.
McIlroy punches out from the trees down the left of 5. That drive went a path-assisted 385 yards. He’s able to squirt his ball into a bunker at the front of the green, but he doesn’t get particularly close with his splash out. Two putts coming up for par, though he could do with a momentum changer. It’s all a bit reactive at the minute. Meanwhile a second bogey in three holes for Tom Hoge, who drops to -2.
Mito Pereira rolls in a 25-footer at 16 for birdie, and the 27-year-old Chilean debutant is back up to -4. Back on 5, Will Zalatoris doesn’t give his 25-foot right-to-left birdie curler enough, and cocks his head back in disappointment, a Pez dispenser of despair, as he taps in for par. Birdie would have given him a share of the lead. Not yet. Meanwhile on the par-three 14th, Abraham Ancer flies the green with his tee shot and will have a job getting up and down from the swale for his par. In the clubhouse, Justin Thomas has his feet up. A cigar on. Rolling a ball of brandy around a tumbler. Nobody’s got to him yet.
McIlroy continues to spray the ball around wildly off the tee. This time he sends one out left on the par-five 5th ... and it’s not coming back towards the fairway. Off it flies in a straight line. There’s out of bounds over there, though it doesn’t look like he’s that much off line. But the ball goes bounding off down a cart path, which could either be a lucky break or some very bad news indeed. Stay tuned for more cartoon fun!
Abraham Ancer looks in the mood all right! He sends a wedge at 13 screaming to a halt six inches from the cup. He’ll tap that in to move to -5 and a tie for second.
-6: Thomas (F) -5: Zalatoris (4), Ancer (4*) -4: McIlroy (4)
Robert MacIntyre is this close to draining a 40-footer at the par-three 8th. So unlucky. That would have brought the 24-year-old Scot into red figures; he remains at level par as it is. Meanwhile some Austrian admin to tie up: you may recall Bernd Wiesberger making three birdies in five holes earlier on to move to -1 overall. His round subsequently threatened to spiral out of control, after bogeys at 16 and 18, but he recovered wonderfully on the front nine, with birdies at 5 and 6. He got home unscathed for a fine 67. He’s -1 going into the weekend.
Jordan Spieth makes up for that opening-hole bogey with a superb birdie at 4. He sends his approach over the flag to 12 feet, then guides in the right-to-left swinger. He’s back to +2, and won’t consider himself out of this, not by a long chalk. Yet another level-par four for Tiger, who remains at +4. Then finally par for McIlroy, who made a meal of the 366-yard hole after battering a drive 320 down the middle.
Last week, Xander Schauffele only just survived the cut at the Byron Nelson. He then shot 65 on Saturday and 61 on Sunday to spring from the pack and nearly snatch the title, missing out by just one shot to KH Lee. The short version: he’s in form. A 68 yesterday, and now he’s started up with five pars in a row. He’s hovering around quietly at -2, just four off the lead, and with more than enough time left to make his mark.
Abraham Ancer had a top-ten finish at Kiawah Island last year, the 31-year-old Mexican’s best performance at at major. He’s looking to go even better this time round, and follows up yesterday’s fine 67 with a birdie at 12. Meanwhile a birdie for Viktor Hovland at 4. It’s only his second of the week so far ... but he’s only made one bogey. The young Norwegian has been super-steady so far, and gets his reward by moving into the red at -1.
-6: Thomas (F) -5: Zalatoris (3) -4: McIlroy (3), Ancer (3*) -3: Fitzpatrick (F), Pereira (5*), Smith (3), Hoge (2*)