First-round leader Gary Woodland was still ahead when thunderstorms halted play on the second day of the 100th PGA Championship.
The 34-year-old Woodland, seeking his first major victory, was in the clubhouse after recording a 4-under-par 66 when the end came at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis and he held a one-stroke lead over Kevin Kisner.
Much of the field will return Saturday morning to complete round two before the 36-hole cut is made.
“I probably played as well as I did in the first round, but I didn’t see as many putts go in,” said Woodland, who claimed his third PGA Tour victory earlier this year in the Waste Management Phoenix Open. “I had putts that I thought I made lip out on the last hole both days. But the iron game really kept me in it today.
“I chipped pretty well, too. I think I’m a pretty good chipper, but I’m even better on this type of grass because this is what I grew up playing on in Kansas and play on every time I go home.
“(But) for me as a whole, the putting was kind of just the last piece of the puzzle. When I see putts go in, I’m a completely different player. I didn’t make as many today, but I hit a lot of good putts and I can live with that.”
Woodland, who opened with a 64, sank a five-foot eagle putt on the 17th hole to highlight his round and posted a 36-hole score of 10-under 130.
Kisner, who held at least a share of the lead after each of the first three rounds in the Open Championship at Carnoustie last month before finishing second, was tied for the lead until making a bogey to finish a 64 on the ninth hole, and two-time U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka, ranked fourth, was two shots behind in third after a bogey-free 63 that tied the PGA Championship record.
Top-ranked Dustin Johnson birdied five of his last seven holes to cap a 65 and was one more back in a tie for fourth with Charl Schwartzel, who also tied the tournament record at 63, and Thomas Pieters of Belgium, who carded a bogey-free 66.
Ninth-ranked Rickie Fowler of Murrieta was still on the course in the tie for fourth at 2-under for the round after 10 holes and 7-under overall.
Brandon Stone of South Africa was four behind in solo eighth after a 68, while Adam Scott of Australia shot 65 despite a bogey on the last hole and was five back in a tie for ninth with sixth-ranked Francesco Molinari of Italy, seventh-ranked Jon Rahm of Spain, Patrick Cantlay of Los Alamitos and UCLA, and Jason Kokrak, who all came in at 67.
Also in the tie for ninth was Pat Perez of San Diego, who was 2-under for the day and 5-under for the tournament after nine holes, and Billy Horschel, who was 3-under after 10.
Third-ranked Justin Rose of England shot 69 and was in a tie for 16th that included 10th-ranked Jason Day of Australia, who was 1-under for the day after eight holes.
Eighth-ranked Jordan Spieth, who will complete the Career Grand Slam with a victory, carded a bogey-free 66 and was in a tie for 23rd that included four-time PGA champion Tiger Woods, who was 3-under after seven holes when play came to a halt.
Defending champion and second-ranked Justin Thomas, who won the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational last week, was 1-under through seven and tied for 23rd, fifth-ranked Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland was even par after seven and tied for 64th, and 2005 PGA champ Phil Mickelson was 3-over after eight holes and in danger of missing the cut in a tie for 100th.
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