LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Collin Morikawa shot one of the day’s lower rounds, a 6-under 65, Friday at Valhalla Golf Club to move to 11 under, one stroke behind PGA Championship leader Xander Schauffele.
Morikawa entered this week trying to clear up the feeling of a disappointing result at last month’s Masters.
He finished tied for third behind Scheffler, but his final round 74 left a bad taste.
“It sucked to end like that after Augusta, and it sucked to lose to the Scotties, but at the end of the day, we have three more majors coming up, so we’ve got to prepare for them. , I knew I needed to take things as sharply as possible, “Stay strong,” Morikawa said. “Obviously it’s great to get off to this start.”
Morikawa said winning these two major championships gave him “confidence” that he could win more.
“I know I still have it in me, and that’s what’s exciting,” he said.
Morikawa took control of the round with five consecutive birdies on the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th.
Morikawa’s five consecutive birdies were the longest in his major championship career.
“The little five-run birdie was just me playing solid golf and sometimes the putts fall and that’s what happens,” Morikawa said. “That’s the kind of golf I’m going to ask of myself over the next two days and 36 holes.”
Local hero Justin Thomas remained in contention for the championship on Friday with a 4-under 67, six strokes behind the leader, and a total of 6 under for the tournament.
“I feel great, I feel good about the game, and I played really, really well today,” he said.
Thomas said her hometown experience was “somehow better than I expected,” adding, “It was fun and I’m going to enjoy it to the fullest.”
Braden Shattuck is one of 21 PGA of America club pros competing this week. He had two holes to play on Friday and thought he needed to birdie one, if not both, to make it into the weekend.
He made a 35-footer for birdie on the par-3 eighth hole (17th of the round).
And on the final hole, he recovered from a poor drive into the bunker, put his second shot into a greenside bunker, faced a 4-foot par, and made it. This puts him at 1 under for the week.
“The cup looked about the size of a thimble in the last four feet,” Shattuck said. “But thankfully, it hit the middle.”
Shattuck, 29, competed in last year’s PGA Championship at Oak Hill after winning the PGA Professional Championship, but missed the cut.
California club pro Michael Brock, who captivated the golf world by tying for 15th in last year’s PGA at Oak Hill, missed the cut this week at 7 over. …Matt Dobbins, a club pro from Meadowbrook, Long Island, finished the second round at 14 over and missed the PGA berth for the fifth time in his career. …Among the big names who missed out were Jon Rahm, reigning U.S. Open champion Windham Clark and Phil Mickelson. …Jersey Shore native and former Rutgers player Chris Gotterp missed the cut after finishing 3-over a week after his first PGA Tour win in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
