Smylie surges in RBC Canadian debut

Here are nine tidbits from the incomplete second round of the 100th PGA Championship gamers can use tomorrow, this weekend or down the road. Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis plays 7,316 yards to par-70. Pain or Gain These were the top-10 selected golfers (plus one) in the PGA TOUR Fantasy One & Done presented by SERVPRO: Play was initially suspended at 3:35 p.m. local time and then for the day altogether at 6:35 p.m. The players will be back in place Saturday morning at 7:00 a.m. to complete Round 2. Playing in threesomes off two tees, Round 3 will commence 30 minutes after the conclusion of the completion of Round 2. Here’s what we know: Good Night’s Sleep Part II Gary Woodland had never led after any round in a major championship but gamers couldn’t tell by his performance in the morning wave of Round 2. He backed up 64 from Round 1 with 66 in Round 2 and has a one-shot lead over Kevin Kisner on 10 under par. After making a career-best 152 feet of putts Thursday his putter naturally cooled in Round 2. His ball-striking picked up as he circled four birdies and an eagle against two bogeys for a very solid loop. His best finish in a major is T12 so there are plenty of goals yet to attain this week. People’s Choice Justin Thomas was the No. 1 choice in both PGA TOUR Fantasy formats this week as he looks to join his playing partners this week with at least two wins at the final major of the season. Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have six titles between them and Woods is the only player to successfully defend. He’s currently 1 under and bogey free on his second round thru seven holes and 2 under for the week. He’s hardly out of it. Amber Wave of Pain For the second round running, Bellerive Country Club was ripped to pieces by the best in the business. The PGA Championship record was equaled TWICE in the morning wave as Brooks Koepka and Charl Schwartzel added their name to the event’s history book. It’s the first time that two players have posted 63 at the PGA Championship since 1980 at Baltusrol. Tom Weiskopf and Jack Nicklaus were the record-setters that year. The morning wave also conceded NINE rounds of 65 or better, the best since 1983 at Riviera. Now with more rain on the course I can’t imagine scores getting higher tomorrow. Big-Game Hunter Not only did Brooks Koepka’s 63 move him up 30 spots to solo third, it was also bogey-free. The two-time and reigning U.S. Open champ hasn’t made a bogey in his first two rounds as his only blemish was a double in Round 1 on Hole No. 5. He’s played his last 26 holes in 10 under so I think he’s figured it out. Finding 23 of 28 fairways and 29 of 36 greens should provide all the clues necessary as to why he’s in contention. The last player to win the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship was Woods in 2000. South African Second Home Gary Player won the career grand slam at Bellerive in the U.S. Open in 1965. Nick Price, born in South Africa, won the 1992 PGA Championship on this track. Charl Schwartzel matched Koepka’s 63 and puts his name into the PGA Championship record book. Gamers who paid attention last week will tell you he closed with that same score at the South Course last Sunday. His last three rounds (63-70-63) include 19 birdies, 12 this week, and an eagle. Alarmed Rory McIlroy will have 11 holes, including two par-5 chances, to secure his place in the second half of Saturday. With a strain in his forearm lingering he’s been quiet in conditions that gamers thought he would destroy. He’s also thru seven holes (playing with Woods and Thomas) but is yet to circle a birdie and sits T64 (E). After just two birdies were wiped out by two bogeys in Round 1, EVERYONE is waiting for his fuse to light. His record on long, wet courses is immense and here’s to hoping it continues tomorrow! MC HOF Every major there is always plenty of top-ranked golfers that are heading home early. As it stands Friday evening, these top players are not going to be around for the final two rounds unless something changes drastically Saturday morning: No. 12 Patrick Reed (+3) No. 14 Bubba Watson (+8) No. 15 Paul Casey (+8) No. 17 Henrik Stenson (+4 thru 9) No. 23 Sergio Garcia (+1) No. 26 Kyle Stanley (+1) No. 28 Matt Kuchar (+1) Study Hall The Round 1 scoring average was 71.378 (+1.378) as the AM/PM splits were almost identical. The scoring average in Round 2 at the time of the suspension of play was 69.685 (-0.315). … There were five bogey-free rounds from the morning wave as Thomas Pieters (-7), Jon Rahm (-5), Jordan Spieth (-3) and Russell Henley (-1) kept their cards clean.  … The only PGA Professional that looks on track to make the cut is Ben Kern (E), unless the line moves Saturday morning.

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PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Tiger Woods pleaded guilty Friday to reckless driving and agreed to enter a diversion program to settle a charge of driving under the influence that began when he was found passed out in his Mercedes. Woods, 41, spoke only briefly during a hearing at a Palm Beach County, Florida, courthouse that coincidentally is on PGA Boulevard. He answered the judge’s questions about his plea agreement with prosecutors but did not make any broader statement. In the diversion program, Woods will spend a year on probation and pay a $250 fine and court costs. He also must attend DUI school, perform 20 hours of community service and attend a workshop where victims of impaired drivers detail how their lives were damaged. The judge indicated he had completed those requirements. Since he was intoxicated with prescription drugs and marijuana, according to court records, he will also be required to undergo regular drug tests. The judge warned Woods to stay out of trouble. “This particular plea agreement has no jail time on it. However, if you violate your probation in any significant way, I could revoke your probation and then I could sentence you to jail for 90 days with a fine of up to $500, is that understood?” Judge Sandra Bosso-Pardo said. Woods, 41, nodded. Woods arrived at a Palm Beach County courthouse in a sport utility vehicle, wearing sunglasses and dark pants and a sport coat. Police officers surrounded him as he walked down a hallway inside the courthouse. Woods was arrested about 2 a.m. May 29 when officers found him unconscious in his Mercedes-Benz, which was parked awkwardly on the roadside and had damage to the driver’s side. It’s not clear how he damaged the car. Officers checked the area but didn’t find that he had hit anything. He was about 15 miles from his home. His arrest was recorded by an officer’s dashcam video and released to the public. Woods had the active ingredient for marijuana, two painkillers — Vicodin and Dilaudid — the sleep drug Ambien and the anti-anxiety drug Xanax in his system but no alcohol, according to a toxicology report released in August. He completed a drug treatment program in July. Woods has said he had been self-medicating to relieve the pain from his fourth back surgery and insomnia. The DUI arrest was the first time Woods had been in trouble since Thanksgiving weekend 2009, when he plowed his SUV into a tree and a fire hydrant outside his then-Windermere, Florida, home. That led to revelations that he had multiple extramarital affairs and a divorce from his wife Elin Nordegren, the mother of his two children. He spent 45 days in a Mississippi clinic where he was treated for an addiction. Woods’ 79 PGA Tour victories and 14 major titles both rank No. 2 all-time. He has not competed since February because of his back injury and is not expected to return this year. His last win was in August 2013. Woods has said his back is improving. Even though he has been a non-factor on the PGA TOUR, Forbes Magazine lists Woods as the 17th best-paid athlete in the world in 2017, making $37 million, almost exclusively from endorsements.

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