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Brooks Koepka extends lead as Tiger Woods misses cut at US PGA Championship

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Brooks Koepka extends lead as Tiger Woods misses cut at US PGA Championship
By Alistair Magowan

BBC Sport

  • 3 hours ago
  • From the sectionGolf


US PGA Championship second round leaderboard, Bethpage Black Course
-12
B Koepka (US); -5 J Spieth (US), A Scott (Aus); -4 D Berger (US), D Johnson (US), K Kraft (US), M Wallace (Eng), L List (US); -3 J Rose (Eng)
Selected others: -2 T Fleetwood (Eng), L Oosthuizen (SA), R Fowler (US); Level M Fitzpatrick (Eng), P Mickelson (US), T Hatton (Eng), F Molinari (Ita); +1P Casey (Eng), D Willett (Eng); +2 G McDowell (NI), +3 R McIlroy (NI), J Day (Aus)
Missed cut: +5 T Woods (US), S Garcia (Spa); +6 I Poulter (Eng)
Leaderboard
Brooks Koepka extended his lead at the US PGA Championship with the lowest 36-hole score in major championship history as Tiger Woods missed the cut.

The defending champion leads by a tournament record seven shots on 12 under after a five-under 65 in round two at Bethpage Black on Long Island.

Masters champion Woods missed a sixth cut in his past 11 majors on five over.

Jordan Spieth (66) is joint second with Adam Scott (64) on five under, while England's Matt Wallace is a shot back.

Wallace had a run of six birdies in seven holes to put himself at six under but successive bogeys on the seventh and eighth, his 16th and 17th holes, meant he slipped to join a group on four under following a second-round 67.

Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, who was among the early starters, posted an improved 71, helped by four birdies on his back nine, but he had an anxious wait to see if his three over par was good enough to make the cut.

The cut mark eventually came at four over, meaning Woods missed out by one shot.

"I made too many mistakes and didn't do the little things I needed to do," said Woods. "I did a lot of little things wrong.

"I've enjoyed being the Masters champion again and the PGA was a quick turnaround. Unfortunately I just didn't play well."


Woods and Koepka polar opposites
Woods, who was chasing a 16th major after ending his 11-year wait to win title number 15 last month, had another mixed round to add to his opening 72.

Having not played since his victory at Augusta National, his driving was inconsistent and putts failed to drop. After remaining at two over through the front nine, he started the back nine with four bogeys in five holes.

Needing a birdie on the last to make the cut at four over, the 43-year-old missed the green with his second shot and sent his must-make chip several feet past the hole as he finished 17 shots behind fellow American Koepka.

The tournament leader, attempting to win a fourth major after also winning the 2017 and 2018 US Opens, was a class apart.

His driving continually made a mockery of one of the toughest courses in golf, and his approach play and putting remained sound.

The 29-year-old recovered from his first bogey of the tournament, after 27 holes, on the 10th to card a further three birdies. And despite a further bogey on the 17th, it will take a huge turn of events to stop him winning successive US PGA Championship titles.

"This probably sounds bad, but it was a battle," said Koepka. "I didn't strike the ball that well. I was leaking a few to the right but I hung in there and battled.

"I think that was probably more impressive than Thursday, not having your 'A' game but still being able to shoot a great score."

In addition to his 36-hole major record, he now holds the the 18, 36 and 72-hole scoring records for the US PGA Championship.


Wallace shows class as McIlroy hangs on
Wallace, who narrowly missed out on victory at the British Masters last week and won three times on the European Tour last season, hit an incredible run of form over his back nine, having started on the 10th.

At one point, the 29-year-old was second behind Koepka but late bogeys proved costly, as they did for fellow Englishman Tommy Fleetwood, who also reached six under par.

But the Southport golfer carded four bogeys on the back nine and his one-over par 71 saw him finish the day on two under.

Olympic champion Justin Rose moved ahead of Fleetwood after carding a 67 to reach three under, while England's Matt Fitzpatrick had a sparkling round, hitting a five-under 65 to move to level par.

McIlroy, who struggled from his start on the 10th, dropped five shots over the first three holes to slip to seven over, but the 2012 and 2014 US PGA champion said he was "proud" of the way he battled back to make the cut.

"I could have let my head drop and hopped on a plane home to Florida but I wanted to be around for the weekend," the 30-year-old told Sky Sports.

"I was four over through three at a tournament in Boston two years ago and I ended up winning, so that was in my head."


Spieth and Scott in touch
Spieth, who has struggled for form this season, showed his major pedigree by setting the clubhouse target among the early starters.

Should the 25-year-old prevail at the US PGA, he would become only the sixth golfer to complete a career Grand Slam of all four majors.

"I putted beautifully, especially inside of 12 feet," said Spieth. "This golf course makes you stay patient. The ultimate goal for the week is to have a chance to win on the back nine on Sunday."

He was joined later on at five under by 2013 Masters champion Scott, who drained several monster putts on a run of four birdies in his first five holes.

Three further birdies followed in four holes on the back nine, with his only blemish coming on the par-three 17th when the 38-year-old three putted.

Former champion Phil Mickelson, playing alongside McIlroy and Australian Jason Day, frequently found the rough with errant tee shots but the five-time major winner still posted a one-over par 71 to sit on level par going into the weekend.

New Zealand's Danny Lee, who finished the opening round second behind Koepka on six under carded a four-over 74 to slip back to two under.
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