The Latest: Guess who? Spieth gets share of lead at PGA (The Associated Press)
SHEBOYGAN, Wis. (AP) -- The Latest from the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits (all times local):
12:30 p.m.
Guess who's got a share of the lead at the PGA Championship.
Spieth knocked in a 5-foot putt for his sixth birdie of the second round to get to 6 under par with three holes to play. He's tied with Dustin Johnson and David Lingmerth.
Spieth is trying to become the first player to win all three American majors in the same season. It looks as if he'll be a factor come the weekend.
Also getting in the mix is Henrik Stenson, who is 7 under for his round with two holes to play. That brought him to 3 under for the tournament.
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Noon
Talk about dramatic improvement: George Coetzee fired a 7-under 65 in scorching sunshine - nine strokes better than his opening-round 74 - to pull into third at the PGA.
It was the low round of the championship so far.
The 29-year-old South African played his college golf at the University of San Diego, so he knows all about heat. He made birdie at the first hole, an eagle at No. 16 and stumbled only twice with bogeys at Nos. 9 and 18.
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11:22 a.m.
Just like the weather, the battle between Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth for king of the hill is starting to sizzle.
McIlroy, the world's top-ranked golfer, made up for the short-game woes that produced a double-bogey 6 at his ninth hole of the day with a spectacular chip-in for eagle at par-5 second. The wedge shot came from 40 feet off the green, took two hops and then rolled into the cup to put him at 2 under.
Spieth, ranked No. 2, made birdie there as well with a tap-in to go to 4 under.
Both are now closing in on leader Dustin Johnson, who is at 6 under.
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10:42 a.m.
Rory McIlroy may be ranked No. 1, but he just took a backseat to Jordan Spieth, his latest challenger for the throne.
The Northern Irishman had trouble with both his wedge and putter and wound up with a double-bogey 6 at the last hole of their front nine. Spieth made birdie there and was at 2-under 34 for his front nine, and in the mix for the lead as the tournament nears the midway point.
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10:25 a.m.
David Lingmerth finally found some trouble at Whistling Straits. Scott Piercy - he's still cruising along.
Lingmerth hit his tee shot onto the beaches of Lake Michigan on No. 7 en route to a double bogey. He followed with a bogey on No. 8, and suddenly a two-shot lead has turned into a one-shot deficit.
Lingmerth is at 5 under in the second round of the PGA Championship. That's one shot behind Dustin Johnson, who plays this afternoon, and Piercy. Piercy has two birdies over his first five holes and now shares the lead with Johnson at 6 under par.
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10:13 a.m.
Early in the second round, Henrik Stenson and George Coetzee have found the formula for Whistling Straits.
Both have gone 5 under par to open their second rounds of the PGA Championship.
Stenson has made five birdies over his first eight holes to get to 1 under for the tournament - in a tie for 32nd place.
Coetzee, the South African, is now at 3 under with seven holes to play. That's good for a tie for 12th. He has two victories on the European Tour this year.
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9:48 a.m.
Turns out, David Lingmerth plays pretty well in good weather, too.
Lingmerth took to the calm and muggy Whistling Straits on Friday morning and picked up where he left off the day before.
The 28-year-old Swede made three birdies over his first five holes to get to 8 under in the PGA Championship. That's two shots in front of first-round leader Dustin Johnson, who tees off later.
Lingmerth shot 67 in the blustery wind Thursday afternoon. He was one of only two players to break 70 in an afternoon round.
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9:22 a.m.
Alex Cejka was supposed to be on the tee box first thing this morning. Instead, he withdrew, citing an ankle injury.
Cejka shot a 76 on Thursday, and would've had to work hard to make the cut.
His absence means the other players in his original threesome, Bob Sowards and Koumei Oda, are going it alone - the first group off the 10th tee box at the PGA Championship.
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8:55 a.m.
There's a new leader at the PGA Championship.
David Lingmerth birdied two of his first three holes and is now at 7 under. That's one shot ahead of Dustin Johnson, who doesn't start his second round until this afternoon.
Also getting back into contention is British Open champion Zach Johnson. He has opened his day with three straight birdies to draw back to even par.
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8:29 a.m.
Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth are on the course to start their second round at the PGA Championship on Friday.
Both players opened with routine pars and are 1 under for the tournament. They are five shots behind Dustin Johnson and David Lingmerth, who began his round with a birdie to get to 6 under. Johnson tees off later in the day.
Seven players are at 4 under. All play in the afternoon, except Scott Piercy. He joined Lingmerth as the only other player to break 70 in an afternoon round Thursday at Whistling Straits.
- PGA Championship
- Dustin Johnson
- Jordan Spieth
- David Lingmerth
- Whistling Straits
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