Bernie McGuire, St. Louis ….
Russell Knox remains upbeat there’s a low round in his bag after a 68 on the second day of the 100th PGA Championship in sauna-like St. Louis.
The lone Scot in the field turned around a first day 71 to post five birdies and two less bogeys for one-under par Bellerive tally.
It left Knox trailing nine shots behind the clubhouse-leading Gary Woodland who added a 66 to his opening 64 to move to 10-under par.
The effort is the first occasion Knox has been under-par over the opening 36-holes in five PGA Championships.
Scotland’s Russell Knox leaves the course with a second round 68 for a one-under par total. (Photo @tourmiss)
He had been 3-over in missing the cut in 2014, four-over also in being cut in 2015, level par in 2016 and eight-over a year ago in missing the cut.
+Knox admitted he had ‘gone to sleep’ in starting with first round with three 5s and the result of three, three-putt bogeys.
But he brilliantly turned that around with six one-putts over his inward half to get back to one-over par.
Knox took Thursday’s closing nine effort into Friday’s opening half with birdies at two and three and while he dropped a shot at four, the reigning Irish Open winner pulled off the ‘shot-of-the round’ at the par-4 fifth hole in landing a 178-yard 6-iron to 15-feet.
A signed ball for the officials walking with Knox’s group on day two of the 2018 PGA Championship (Photo @tourmiss)
It was a second day running Knox had birdied five in playing a 5-iron to 13-feet.
Knox bogeyed the next but got back to two-under for the day with a birdie at seven before the highwater mark of his day in holing a 15-footer for birdie on 14.
Then at the last, Knox was in a greenside bunker with his second and with the poor lie seeing his third land 50-feet from the flag for an eventual two-putt bogey and his 68.
“He said: “I played the front nine well today with a lot of birdies and overall I am just happy the way I battled away in fighting back from my start on Thursday to make the cut.
Knox heads to the weekend rounds of the 2018 PGA Championship at one-under par. (Photo @tourmiss)
“Though in saying that I just felt awful with the driver in my hand today and just lost all confidence.
“But I battled away and made some good swings in the end.”
The other aspect of this week affecting not only Knox but the intense heat and humidity and with Knox knowing the importance of staying hydrated.
He said: “The heat is just oppressive and it was getting to me near the end, as it just so hot out there.
“I was drinking a lot of fluids out there but some of my bad swings were due to a little bit of fatigue from the heat but at the same time if you are swinging it well, the heat would not have been a concern.”
Knox ended his round near 1.30pm local time and given he heat was reluctant after lunch to spend time belting balls on the Bellerive range,
Instead, he was more focussed on thoughts of a ‘super low’ Saturday score.
He said: “I’m sure there’s a super low score in my bag as I’ve been putting beautifully while my iron-play has been decent but not great.
“So, I’m not far off and I can get the driver working early tomorrow there’s that score in the bag.”
Knox is contesting his fifth straight PGA Championship and he’s now made the cut in two and with the last occasion he’s played all four PGA rounds in 2016.
