Golf: Mickelson turns green at PGA Championship

Phil Mickelson, in search of a 6th Major title which would be historic for his age, 50, leads the PGA Championship, with the South African Louis Oosthuizen, after a second round still refereed by the wind Thursday at Kiawah Island ( Caroline from the south).

Two of the biggest favorites, the world No. 1 Dustin Johnson and his runner-up Justin Thomas, who had already started badly the day before, missed the cut. At the top are Mickelson and Oosthuizen, with a total of -5 each.

“I’m approaching the weekend with a great opportunity and that really motivates me. If I had been told that I would be in the lead, I would really benefit from it. But here for now, there are still things to dosaid the first who is undergoing a makeover and can manage to get another Grand Slam coronation at an age where no one in history has.

The American Julius Boros remains for the time being the oldest winner, with his victory at the USPGA in 48 years in 1968. Mickelson had recently confided to work on his mind, the first victim of the passage of time, thanks in particular to meditation, to try to keep the same level of concentration over four laps.

Koepka “in the game”

This will be his challenge, but until Friday he has once again shown his ability to revive, despite a difficult start. He has indeed erased three bogeys conceded on his first half of the course, placing five of his six birdies on the second. The day before, he had managed to finish at -2 despite four bogeys committed on his first six holes.

Oosthuizen, winner of the British Open 2010, believed for a long time to overtake him with five successful birdies. But a bogey at the last hole deprived him of this joy. “This tour is one of the best I have produced“, nevertheless welcomed the 38-year-old South African.

Behind this duo follows the American Brooks Koepka at one stroke. In ambush the day before already in 2nd place, he confirmed his strength, despite a knee operated in March. “It was really a difficult day, complicated to putts. But I’m at -4, in the game“, commented the one who managed two superb eagles at N.7 and 11. Without his two bogeys at the end of the course, he could have been the leader.

In 4th place, at two lengths, point the South Africans Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Branden Grace, as well as the Japanese Hideki Matsuyama who returned, like Oosthuizen, the best card of the day (68), to operate a nice rise in the ranking since ‘he was 41st Thursday.

DeChambeau believes in it

A month after his coronation at the Augusta Masters, he can achieve a double that has not happened since 2018 and the victories at the US Open and the USPGA of … Koepka.

Among the other cadors, Bryson DeChambeau, winner of the last US Open, recovered slightly (-1) to occupy 12th place four strokes from the head. “I played pretty well despite the conditions. I climb the standings slowly but surely. I will be there on Sunday“, he warned.

Collin Morikawa, defending champion, crowned in August 2020 at Harding Park in San Francisco, saw his machine jam after a rather successful first round. He slipped to 25th place (+1). The Spaniard Jon Rahm, world No. 3, slipped even lower, to 39th place (+3) where Rory McIlroy managed to recover despite a neutral card (four birdies, four bogeys).

Behind, the American Jordan Spieth (50th, +4) seriously compromised his chances of winning the only missing Grand Slam. He can nevertheless take comfort in an assurance of going to the end of the tournament, unlike three of the top four in the world: Dustin Johnson, who had already missed the cut at the last Masters, Justin Thomas and Xander Sc Chaudele (82nd, +6).