Henley turns in monster round at getting-crowded PGA Championship (updated, play suspended)

7:45 p.m. edition

By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

Hey, while you're here, visit the site - all your local/regional/state coverage is here - and keep coming back. And head over to like/follow
 https://www.facebook.com/Thesportsreportofcentralgeorgia

centralgasports@gmail.com
 

          Russell Henley went from a round that put him in jeopardy of not making the cut at the PGA Championship to a round that gives him some quality momentum.

          Henley shot a 5-under 65 on Friday to move into the top 50 midway through the afternoon with a 139 and serve as a nice turnaround from his first round. In fact, the 65 is the third-best score for Friday with some players yet to tee off just before 3 p.m.

          Gary Woodland’s 64 gave him the first-round lead. He followed with a 66 for a one-stroke lead midway through the afternoon over Georgia’s Kevin Kisner, with the field shooting low scores.

          Woodland enters Saturday with the lead, tournament play being halted at little after 7 p.m. because of weather. Play resumes at 8 a.m. Saturday.

          As it stands, Henley is tied for 49th, with nearly two dozen ahead of him not having finished the second round.  He is safely within the cut line of the top 70, plus ties.

          Brooks Koepka and Charl Schwartzel tied the PGA Championship record with 63s on Friday.

          Henley got things going on Thursday dubiously with a bogey, and followed with a bogey three holes later, and three more on the back nine. He was three over on the back nine alone on Thursday, sneaking in only one birdie through all 18.

          Friday was very different.

          The world’s No. 54 player opened with four straight pars, then birdied three of the next five holes to come in 4 under for the front nine.

          The 29-yer-old added only two birdies on the back nine, but had a bogey-free day.

          He parred on Friday all the holes he bogeyed on Thursday, and each birdie through two rounds has been on a different hole.

          Henley is at 78.5 percent driving accuracy and has hit 83.3 percent greens in regulation.

          After four solid rounds in five, Henley missed the cut in his last tournament, The Open Championship three weeks ago.

          Henley is six strokes better than last year’s PGA Championship after two rounds. He shot a 12-over 296 to tie for 71st, a third-round 77 the hiccup.

          It’s Henley’s third 65 of the season, topped only by a pair of 63s.