US PGA Championship: Hideki Matsuyama and Kevin Kisner share the lead after rain delays

A delay of one hour and 43 minutes due to the threat of lightning meant 25 players were unable to finish their rounds as scheduled on Friday

Phil Casey
Saturday 12 August 2017 14:43 BST
Comments
The Japan shot a brilliant seven-under-par 64 for his second round
The Japan shot a brilliant seven-under-par 64 for his second round

Hideki Matsuyama and Kevin Kisner share the lead on eight-under after the weather-affected second round of the US PGA Championship was completed on Saturday.

A delay of one hour and 43 minutes due to the threat of lightning meant 25 players were unable to finish their rounds as scheduled on Friday.

American Chris Stroud was among them and picked up a birdie on the par-five seventh, his 16th hole, when play resumed to finish six under par alongside 2015 champion Jason Day, two behind Matsuyama and Kisner.

Day had been one of the players to benefit from a scramble to finish in near-darkness on Friday evening, with playing partner and world number one Dustin Johnson running to the 18th to tee off and ensure his whole group could finish.

"That's the biggest or most clutch thing I've ever seen anyone do for me," Day said. "I had to give him a hug for it. He was happy as well obviously, to be able to finish and not have to wake up at 5.30."

Open champion Jordan Spieth had also been caught up in the delay, but then failed to take advantage of a rain-softened course and conceded his bid to become the youngest winner of the career grand slam was effectively over.

Kisner of the United States lines up a putt on the ninth green 

No player has ever won the US PGA after trailing by more than nine strokes after 36 holes. Spieth's 73 left him three over and 11 behind, with pre-tournament favourite Rory McIlroy 10 adrift following a second successive 72.

"I kind of accept the fact that I'm essentially out of this tournament pending some form of crazy stuff the next couple of days," Spieth said. "I'm sure going to give it a try.

"It was more gettable after the rain delay, no doubt about it. I played even par after the delay and that's not very good in my opinion on those holes that we had left."

For the second successive major the cut fell at five over par, with 75 players qualifying for the final two rounds.

Austria's Bernd Wiesberger would have made the cut four over par with a birdie on his final hole, but bogeyed it instead to miss out by a shot and end his streak of 26 consecutive events earning world ranking points.

PA

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in