Bryson DeChambeau managed to make it through his first nine Friday at the PGA Championship without breaking anything, except par.
Adam Scott, meanwhile, continued to look like a guy who didn’t accumulate any rust in his long break amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, with the Aussie keeping himself in contention through Friday’s first nine holes.
And Rickie Fowler, playing in that same grouping, looked determined to avoid a weekend break.
The problem for the trio was that Haotong Li was pulling away from them all.
DeChambeau birdied the 18th before making the turn, moving to 4 under overall, 2 under for the day. He got himself in the mix Thursday despite snapping the shaft of his driver. He opened with a 68 thanks to an emergency repair in that first round, as he was allowed to screw a new shaft into his driver head before he even had to another drive.
“That was weird, swinging too hard,” DeChambeau said.
He came out swinging hard again Friday. He drilled his opening tee shot 40 yards past Scott. At the 11th, his second hole of the day, DeChambeau hit a 7-iron into the 202-yard par 3, with Scott hitting 5-iron.
It could have been an even better first nine for DeChambeau. He lipped out three putts. He made four birdies against two bogeys.
DeChambeau was 5 behind Li before making the turn.
Scott, playing his first tournament since The Players Championship in March, made the turn at 3 under overall, 1 under for the day, with a single birdie against no bogeys. He also opened with a 68.
Scott, 40, stayed home in Australia, wary of joining the PGA Tour’s restart amid the pandemic, with the different international quarantine rules weighing in his reluctance to travel. The American quarantine rules were lifted for touring pros after Scott made the trip over to the United States to prepare in South Carolina for this week’s start.
“It had been probably 20 years since I'd been home in Australia at that time of year, and for that length of time,” Scott said. “I certainly enjoyed that very much, given whatever restrictions we were still under. It was nice to be there with the family, and I think the break in some ways is going to prolong my career. You don't get that break. The seasons kind of bleed into each other now.”
Fowler started Friday 3 over, but he moved to even par overall with three birdies and no bogeys.
