Schauffele leads Morikawa by 1 entering weekend at PGA

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Xander Schauffele adopted up his record-tying, main championship-low 62 on Thursday with a 3-under 68 on Friday and holds a 1-stroke lead over Collin Morikawa heading into the third spherical of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Membership.

Schauffele made his first bogey of the event on the eleventh gap, however it was the one blemish the world No. 3 had, as he made 4 birdies and was in a position to maintain on to his first-round lead in seek for his first main championship victory.

“I believe as quickly as 62 was posted there’s simply blood within the water,” Schauffele stated. “I really feel like everybody — if it was roles had been reversed, it is type of like everybody type of feels they will shoot low now. That is simply sort of the way it goes out right here. So, yeah, I believe it undoubtedly helps to maintain the top down, a minimum of for now. It is solely two rounds.”

Regardless of arising quick final week in opposition to Rory McIlroy on the Wells Fargo Championship, Schauffele’s recreation has not missed a beat. He is ranked second at Valhalla in strokes gained off the tee, and nobody has hit extra greens in regulation (83%).

If the Thursday 62 was a show of his supreme expertise, then Friday’s 68 was a showcase of Schauffele’s persistence.

“When you have not received a golf event in a number of years, it’s a must to be fairly resilient,” stated Schauffele, who final received on the 2022 Scottish Open. “I am simply affected person and making an attempt to play one of the best golf I can and keep out of my very own approach.”

Nonetheless, Schauffele is aware of he’ll must conjure one thing nearer to Thursday’s opening spherical come the weekend if he desires to engineer a wire-to-wire win right here.

“I believe while you’re making an attempt to climb this mountain right here — let’s put Scottie Scheffler on the very tip high of it and everybody else type of someplace down on the hillside grabbing on for expensive life is what it appears like. You simply get snug in sure occasions,” Schauffele stated. “The extra occasions I’ve a lead, the extra snug I will really feel, the higher I will sleep. I believe I will simply get extra confidence the extra I can do it.”

Morikawa performed his final 12 holes Thursday in 7 underneath par and continued that scorching stretch Friday by carding seven birdies and one bogey en path to an 11-under complete.

The 2-time main champion, most just lately on the 2021 Open Championship, was within the remaining group with Scheffler at this yr’s Masters, however in the end completed third after a final-round 2-over 74.

“I do know I nonetheless have it in me, and that is what’s thrilling,” Morikawa stated. “After Augusta, it sucked to complete like that and it sucked to lose to Scottie, however on the finish of the day, I knew I had three extra majors arising and to prep for that and get issues as sharp as doable and simply come out robust. It is clearly good to get off to this begin.”

Morikawa final received a PGA Tour occasion on the Zozo Championship in 2023, however has struggled to return to the winner’s circle at occasions with one of the best gamers on the earth. A few of these struggles may be attributed to his putter. Regardless of three top-10 finishes this season, he ranks 128th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: placing.

That has modified in current months, evidenced by his outcomes at Valhalla. Morikawa stated Thursday that his putter “feels nice,” and thus far this week, he has had three totally different stretches the place he has made three straight birdies.

On Friday, he one-upped himself by making 5 straight birdies in his remaining six holes — the longest birdie streak of his profession.

“I have been placing nice thus far since Augusta, so it is good to only sort of hold that pattern going,” stated Morikawa, who added that he has been helped by a stronger grip on his putter.

Morikawa’s spherical might need been the spotlight of the early wave, however loads of different gamers made their strikes and took benefit of the smooth situations on the rain-filled morning, together with Scheffler, who shot 5-under par to remain 2 pictures again of Morikawa as part of a “chaotic” day for the world No. 1.

Sahith Theegala had one other one of many low rounds Friday (4 underneath) regardless of hitting it into the hospitality tent off the tenth tee and getting reduction not as soon as, however twice. He bogeyed that gap — his solely of the day — and now sits alone in third at 10 underneath.

Bryson DeChambeau, the 2021 U.S. Open winner, quietly rose up the leaderboard and tied Morikawa’s low spherical of Friday (6 underneath). He is tied for fourth at 9 underneath, alongside Scheffler, Germany’s Thomas Detry (67) and Mark Hubbard (68).

DeChambeau missed a birdie putt 18 minutes after play was suspended for darkness at 8:41 p.m. with only a few teams left on the golf course.

Austin Eckroat is at 8 underneath after a 67 alongside reigning Tour Championship winner Viktor Hovland, who’s placing collectively his strongest efficiency of the yr.

In the meantime, Harris English, one other participant on the leaderboard on the lookout for his first main win, was a part of the group at 7 underneath after a 67.

“That is why I observe and put together. That is why I began taking part in golf once I was 7 or 8 years outdated is watching Tiger [Woods] win these items,” English stated of the potential for profitable a significant. “It will be big. It will be big for my profession and a validation of all of the work I’ve put in. I really feel like if I hold placing myself in these positions and hold getting nearer and nearer and hopefully knock the door down fairly quickly.”