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Mike Groll
Woe

Rory McIlroy's inconsistent form continues as he misses cut at US PGA

World number one Jason Day recorded seven birdies in a stunning eight-hole stretch to significantly boost his US PGA title defence.

Updated at 02.01

ROBERT STREB PRODUCED a stunning 63 to join Jimmy Walker at the top of the US PGA Championship leaderboard, as reigning champion Jason Day moved ominously into contention with a remarkable second-round charge at Baltusrol, while Rory McIlroy missed the cut.

After double-bogeying the seventh hole on Friday to slip back to level par for the tournament, world number one Day put together a remarkable run of seven birdies in the next eight holes, on a course softened by heavy morning rain.

Three closing pars saw the Australian complete a 65 to share third with Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo (67) at seven under.

Walker and Streb are two shots better off, the latter claiming a surprise share of the lead by becoming the latest in a long line of players to equal the lowest round in major history.

The unheralded Streb recorded eight birdies, including three in his last four holes, to match Walker, who followed his opening 65 with an impressive 66 despite a nervy finish culminating in a bogey on the last.

Open champion Henrik Stenson is just three off the pace and very much in contention for a second successive major win. The undoubted highlight of a second successive 67 for the Swede was a stunning approach to the par-five 18th, his ninth hole, with his trusty three-wood that led to an eagle.

That shot proved the catalyst for a Stenson surge, with birdies following on the first and third, but his efforts paled in comparison to Day’s subsequent birdie blitz.

After picking up shots at the eighth, ninth, 10th, 12th and 13th, Day rolled in a mammoth putt on the 14th before a laser-like approach to 15 continued his glorious run.

At that point, it looked as though Day may even catch Walker, who had briefly pulled clear of Grillo at the summit with three birdies in a row from the 12th.

Day could not make up further ground, though, and Streb unexpectedly earned a place in Saturday’s final group with his strong finish.

Patrick Reed (65), Brooks Koepka (67) and 2010 champion Martin Kaymer (69) are four shots off the leading pair, while Hideki Matsuyama (67) and Rickie Fowler (68) are among those at four under and Jordan Spieth (67) sits six back.

Phil Mickelson made the cut at one over despite beginning his second-round with a shocking seven, but two-time US PGA champion Rory McIlroy joined the likes of Sergio Garcia, Matt Kuchar and US Open winner Dustin Johnson in bowing out.

A birdie at 17 boosted McIlroy’s bid to sneak in for the weekend, but he then bogeyed the last and a 69 left him at three over.

There was disappointment also for Irish golfers Shane Lowry, Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell, all of whom failed to make the cut, though Padraig Harrington remains in the mix.

Scores on Friday from the second round of the 98th PGA Championship at par-70 Baltusrol Golf Club (USA unless noted):

131 – Jimmy Walker 65-66, Robert Streb 68-63

133 – Emiliano Grillo (ARG) 66-67, Jason Day (AUS) 68-65

134 – Henrik Stenson (SWE) 67-67

135 – Martin Kaymer (GER) 66-69, Patrick Reed 70-65, Brooks Koepka 68-67

136 – Hideki Matsuyama (JPN) 69-67, Harris English 67-69, Rickie Fowler 68-68, Jamie Donaldson (WAL) 69-67

137 – Yuta Ikeda (JPN) 70-67, William McGirt 70-67, Daniel Summerhays 70-67, Jordan Spieth 70-67, Zach Johnson 71-66, Billy Hurley 72-65, Adam Scott (AUS) 70-67, Hideto Tanihara (JPN) 71-66, Gregory Bourdy (FRA) 69-68

138 – John Senden (AUS) 68-70, Alex Noren (SWE) 70-68, Webb Simpson 69-69, Louis Oosthuizen (RSA) 68-70, Jon Curran 69-69, K.J. Choi (KOR) 68-70, David Lingmerth (SWE) 68-70, Branden Grace (RSA) 70-68, Paul Casey (ENG) 69-69, Scott Hend (AUS) 68-70, Andy Sullivan (ENG) 67-71, Ryan Moore 71-67

139 – Steve Stricker 69-70, Andrew Johnston (ENG) 70-69, Danny Lee (NZL) 69-70, Song Young-Han (KOR) 71-68, Tyrrell Hatton (ENG) 71-68, Lee Westwood (ENG) 69-70, Brandt Snedeker 73-66, Marcus Fraser (AUS) 71-68, Soren Kjeldsen (DEN) 70-69, George Coetzee (RSA) 72-67, Jhonattan Vegas (VEN) 68-71, Vaughn Taylor 68-71, Kevin Na 71-68, Ross Fisher (ENG) 66-73

140 – Russell Henley 68-72, Marc Leishman (AUS) 71-69, Russell Knox (SCO) 70-70, Cameron Tringale 72-68, Bubba Watson 71-69, Kyle Reifers 70-70, Bradley Dredge (WAL) 69-71, Daniel Berger 71-69, Aaron Baddeley (AUS) 70-70, Kevin Kisner 71-69, Brian Stuard 70-70, James Hahn 67-73, Bill Haas 70-70

141 – Rich Beem 69-72, Thomas Pieters (BEL) 71-70, Francesco Molinari (ITA) 71-70, Jim Furyk 74-67, Danny Willett (ENG) 71-70, Justin Thomas 69-72, Padraig Harrington (IRL) 71-70, Keegan Bradley 73-68, Phil Mickelson 71-70

142 – Colt Knost 69-73, Ryan Palmer 71-71, Billy Horschel 72-70, Jason Dufner 71-71, Kiradech Aphibarnrat (THA) 70-72, Thongchai Jaidee (THA) 72-70, Joost Luiten (NED) 72-70, Matthew Fitzpatrick (ENG) 72-70, Justin Rose (ENG) 70-72, Charl Schwartzel (RSA) 73-69, Freddie Jacobson (SWE) 71-71, Patton Kizzire 71-71, Jason Kokrak 70-72, Ernie Els (RSA) 73-69, Rafael Cabrera-Bello (ESP) 72-70, Matt Jones (AUS) 74-68, Roberto Castro 72-70

Missed the Cut

143 – Yang Yong-Eun (KOR) 72-71, Scott Piercy 72-71, Luke Donald (ENG) 72-71, Chris Kirk 74-69, Chris Wood (ENG) 69-74, Victor Dubuisson (FRA) 69-74, Rory McIlroy (NIR) 74-69, Ryan Helminen 72-71, Smylie Kaufman 73-70

144 – Harold Varner 72-72, Thorbjorn Olesen (DEN) 70-74, Brendan Steele 71-73, An Byeong-Hun (KOR) 72-72, Kim Si-Woo (KOR) 71-73, J.B. Holmes 75-69, Vijay Singh (FIJ) 74-70, Rikard Karlberg (SWE) 72-72, Rod Perry 73-71, Zac Blair 73-71

145 – Gary Woodland 73-72, Kevin Chappell 72-73, Bryce Molder 74-71, Shane Lowry (IRL) 72-73, Sergio Garcia (ESP) 71-74, Ben Polland 72-73, Kevin Streelman 75-70, Darren Clarke (NIR) 74-71, Jason Bohn 71-74, Matt Dobyns 73-72, Charley Hoffman 75-70

146 – Bernd Wiesberger (AUT) 75-71, Peter Malnati 73-73, Rich Berberian 72-74, Anirban Lahiri (IND) 73-73, Matt Kuchar 74-72, Mark Brown 75-71, Kristoffer Broberg (SWE) 72-74, Jonas Blixt (SWE) 75-71

147 – Rob Labritz 71-76, David Toms 74-73, Lee Soo-Min (KOR) 77-70, Tony Finau 77-70, Brian Gaffney 74-73, John Daly 74-73, Jamie Lovemark 71-76, David Muttitt 73-74

148 – Michael Block 72-76, Johan Kok 72-76, Fabian Gomez (ARG) 75-73, Jim Herman 77-71, K.T. Kim (KOR) 77-71, Wang Jeung-Hun (KOR) 73-75, Josh Speight 77-71, Nicolas Colsaerts (BEL) 72-76, Greg Chalmers (AUS) 72-76

149 – Joe Summerhays 76-73, Troy Merritt 77-72, Rocco Mediate 76-73, Dustin Johnson 77-72, Graeme McDowell (NIR) 74-75

150 – Brandon Stone (RSA) 79-71, Mitch Lowe 74-76, Tommy Sharp 77-73, Omar Uresti 72-78

151 – Brad Ott 79-72, Shaun Micheel 77-74

152 – Wyatt Worthington 76-76

154 – James Morrison (ENG) 78-76, Rick Schuller 78-76

157 – Brad Lardon 83-74

Additional reporting by AFP

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