12 August, 2017
But it took years of discussion and "a full-blown analysis", as Bevacqua described it, to make a schedule change that, on the surface, seems pretty obvious.
Kiwis Ryan Fox and Danny Lee are well off the pace after the opening round of the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. "I'm looking forward to the weekend and having an opportunity to keep making birdies and playing well". It was tough. The greens got very grainy as the day went on as well.
He added: "That could easily have been a six or seven there, esepically as I was a bit unlucky with my second shot".
It didn't look as though anyone would get close.
"These guys going out this afternoon, they break 70, they've done a hell of a job", Rory McIlroy said after a 73 that put him 10 shots back.
A light rain began falling not long after McIlroy's prediction.
The in-form Japanese player overcame the distraction of a two-hour delay due to a stormy weather warning to shoot a seven-under-par 64 and join Kevin Kisner at the top of the leaderboard.
Shots left pitch marks on the green.
The University of Georgia product who resides in Aiken, South Carolina - just down the road from Augusta, Georgia - is a two-time PGA Tour victor and has risen to No. 25 in the Official World Golf Ranking this year. After those tournament-saving birdies McIlroy smashed his drive fully 365 yards, hit his approach to 14 feet and rolled his putt to the lip of the hole. He missed a 10-foot par putt and tapped in for bogey.
"I don't think I missed any short putts today. Still in the top 10 or 20 going into the weekend is in good shape". Given the size of Quail Hollow, Kisner drew up a simple plan.
"I birdied them all today", Kisner said.
"Thinking about it, if I went bogey, bogey, I'd be very devastated right now sitting here".
His best shot was the 7-iron on No. 17.
"There were too many".
Walker said he would welcome an offseason, if only so the schedule could save him from his competitive self, which struggles to sit out a tournament (or a few) because he worries he will fall behind in the points race for the FedEx Cup playoffs. "Somehow, my worst shots were finding the fairway".
The second round was halted by darkness, leaving 26 players who had to return Saturday morning. American Chris Stroud is also at five under, but still has five holes to complete after play was suspended.
"It's a very demanding golf course". "I would like to play more over here, definitely. I just had really poor speed on my long ones".
"The first 15 holes, especially, I was driving the ball very, very well and that made it a bit easier", said the world No. 78, a four-time European Tour victor. A lot of averages finishes. When I start hitting it the way I am now, I play well.
Day hasn't won since last May, though his confidence is building with each round. This was his 10th consecutive round under par in the PGA Championship, nine of them in the 60s. He is driving well and putting well, two elements missing from his game. "I have a 3-year-old running around all day".
