Jason Day does not have the lead after 36-holes at the PGA Championship.
Doesn’t matter.
The defending champion at the season’s final major made himself the man to beat with a five-under par 65 on Friday that got him in the clubhouse at seven-under par.
It doesn’t matter that he’s two shots behind co-leaders Jimmy Walker and Robert Streb when you consider what’s a stake.
Walker’s 66 at a rain-softened Baltusrol got him to nine-under par with Streb, who tied the mark for lowest score in a major with a dazzling seven-under par 63.
It is the first time at the top in a major for both.
Walker, despite his five PGA Tour wins, has never finished in the top five in a major championship.
Streb has but one PGA Tour win, the 2014 McGladrey and has never been one to contend at a major.
It’s old hat for Day, who became the first man to shoot 20-under in a major last year at Whistling Straits when he captured the PGA.
“It was better speed today,” said Day, whose putting started to come around. “I’m a little disappointed I didn’t birdie any of the par fives, hopefully I can save that for the weekend. I feel pretty good about my game,” said the world’s No. 1 player.
Day was probably also disappointed by the double-bogey at the seventh hole that cost him a shot at shooting 63.
“I was pretty excited about it, it was a great round. Happy to be part of that 63 club,” said Streb, the surprise contender who will play with Walker in Saturday’s final pairing.
“The greens were nice and soft, so if you were in the fairways, you had chances to score,” said Walker, who now leads for the second straight day. He sounded unfazed by the moment. “I’m gonna play with my kids tonight. It’ll be fine. It’s gonna be fun this weekend.”
There were plenty of low scores to go around. Rookie Emiliano Grillo was one of 11 players who shot 67 and when you added that to his opening 66, he was in at seven-under and will play for the first time in his career with Day on Saturday in the next-to-last pairing.
Patrick Reed and Billy Hurley joined Day with 65s. Reed is in threesome at five under with two-time major champ Martin Kaymer and Brooks Koepka.
Henrik Stenson kept his big for a second straight major alive with a 67 for the second day and he’s at six-under.
It took two-over par or better to stay for the weekend and some huge names will not be around.
Rory McIlroy’s putter was horrible and he finished at three-over. Sergio Garcia came in at five-over and the favorite coming in to Baltusrol, Dustin Johnson, showed how tough golf can be by finishing at nine-over par.
