Spieth off to good start in Round 2

He played some of his best golf ever only 11 days ago at the British Open.

Patrick Reed watches his tee shot on the sixth hole during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J., Friday, July 29, 2016.

Germany’s Martin Kaymer tees off on No. 3 Thursday during the first round of the PGA Championship. He hit another handsome approach into the 11th hole at Baltusrol, 10 feet below the hole, and missed that.

The PGA of America Rules Committee did not notice the hole had been cut in the incorrect location until after each member of the first group of the day had hit his second shot to the green. He wasn’t driving very well.

Grillo made a 30-foot birdie putt at the the par-3 fourth to lighlight his day. After the frustrating start, the 46-year-old rallied for a 1-over 71 with three birdies over his last seven holes. From the 649-yard par 5 17th to the 501-yard par 4 7th, the course’s length is one of its most prominent features.

Grillo, who won the Frys.com Open to start his season, said he gained confidence from his tie for 12th at this month’s British Open.

That downpour followed an inch (2.54 cm) of rain overnight that made the tricky Baltusrol greens more receptive for approach shots, yet players said the greens were still fast. All because I was trying to control the results rather than just swinging and playing the game.

“I can’t remember the last time I went without a birdie”, he said. If I miss that fairway, I probably have to lay up and fight for par again. “If you miss the greens in the wrong spot, you re going to have trouble getting up and down”.

Walker was far from a runaway leader with three golfers one stroke back and four more two behind including British Open champion Henrik Stenson.

Mickelson finished second for the 11th time in his career in a major.

And for Henrik Stenson, a great year might get even better.

The “first-name-only-necessary” threesome of Sergio, Jordan and Bubba (it’s Garcia, Spieth and Watson if you need the last names) had a total of two birdies through the first seven holes.

There was a substantial draw bias yesterday and of the 35 under-par rounds shot in round one, only 10 came from the afternoon wave of starters. A large water hazard sits on the left side of the fairway and the rough and fairway bunkers pose a hard challenge.

“The variety of good golfers is fantastic”, Fisher said.

“Just lost focus”, Mickelson said. “Just antsy, little jumpy, just lost the rhythm and made some bad swings”.

While Mickelson got off to a subpar beginning, he said the crowd support was what really carried him along.

Kaymer, who slipped outside the world’s top 50 after an indifferent season so far, was delighted with his form in New Jersey as he defied the tougher, afternoon conditions to get within a shot of the lead. My iron play feels good, it’s just, when I get on the greens, it’s just a different story. I left quite a few short which a lot of people did.

When video evidence proved inconclusive, McIlroy and European Tour chief referee John Paramor headed back to the par five to examine the area in question and it was determined that McIlroy’s left foot had been touching the white line denoting the crossing.