SPRINGFIELD, N.J. (AP) – When the first round of the PGA Championship was over there was plenty to talk about and a whole lot to look forward to.
There was the heat – temperatures in the low 90s with no cooling breezes until late Thursday. There was the surprise leader in Jimmy Walker who posted a 5-under 65 in the morning and the shocking round of 77 from U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson and the rather surprising 74 from Rory McIlroy.
The course stayed true to its reputation as one where you better drive the ball in the fairway but it still gives players a chance to move up the leaderboard late with closing par-5s on 17 and 18.
Walker was far from a runaway leader with three golfers one stroke back and four more two behind including British Open champion Henrik Stenson. Among the crowd at 68 was defending champion Jason Day and Jhonattan Vegas, who didn’t qualify for this tournament until winning last week’s Canadian Open.
Some things to look for in Friday’s second round: