David Lingmerth seeks major step forward at PGA Championship

Asked what he had learned over the years about being in the lead at majors or trying to play catch-up, Johnson replied: “It doesn’t really bother me either way”.

Among those who will be teeing off in the more hard afternoon wave are first-round pacesetter Dustin Johnson and former world number one Tiger Woods, who struggled badly with his putting on the way to an opening 75. The storm was severe enough to topple the main scoreboard at the entrance and rip flags off the poles atop some of the grandstands.

Both players will have to return to the Straits Course at 8 a.m. ET to complete the second round. He headed to the 18th tee, feeling good about being able to finish.

Given his hot form, the delay appeared to come at a bad time for Day, although he was unfazed by the earlier than expected finish to his second round. He made the cut at the Masters. The close call at the British Open to end the Grand Slam. There was still hope at the PGA Championship, though he was 4 over with five holes to play, two shots away from the projected cut.

Wednesday, Spieth compared the layout at Chambers Bay on Puget Sound in Washington state where he won the US Open in June to Wisconsin’s Whistling Straits.

He added: “Being very efficient with your game, getting up and down when you miss greens, getting into scoring positions – that’s the stuff that takes some getting used to”. If not, he will have missed the cut in the last three majors he’s played.

US-based Swede David Lingmerth made eight birdies, including a 35-footer at the last, in a round of 70 to move to seven-under par.

The American dominated leaderboard sees Spieth joined on six-under by home favourites Scott Piercy, Brendan Steele, Russell Henley and J.B Holmes.

Rory McIlroy found the right answers in his first competition in just under two months, and the score was only part of the equation. He thought about that round Thursday when he made five birdies in his opening five holes, and had a good look at another on the par-3 17th.

Jason Day and Matt Jones were at 9 under when the second round was suspended by thunderstorms Friday afternoon.

“When I came here, I was thinking just to make my golf better and better”, Iwata, who shot a 77 Thursday, said through an interpreter. Day had played 14 holes, Jones was through 12 and Rose had one hole remaining.

Johnny Miller hit the mark first, at the U.S. Open in 1973.

Hiroshi Iwata hits on the 18th hole during the second round of the PGA Championship.

“Today was a nice, solid day, and we knew it was going to be easier to score today”, Spieth said on TNT. That was easily the toughest hole of the day.

PGA Tour rookie Tony Finau was 6 under through 13 holes, taking him to 7 under and just two shots back. More trouble. Another bogey.

Watched by massive galleries, all three provided their share of the spectacular, along with a few missteps along the way, before McIlroy and Spieth wound up with matching 1-under 71s and Johnson with a 3-over 75.

A second successive 71 left the Northern Irishman feeling a little underwhelmed, after an eagle, just two birdies and a double-bogey at the 18th – his ninth.