Day storms into contention at rich PGA Tour event
Jason Day has roared into contention at the PGA Tour's lucrative Travelers Championship despite revealing he is not even firing on all cylinders.
Australia's former world No.1 repeated his first-round 66 with another four-under-par score on Friday (Saturday AEST) to jump into a tie for fourth, just one stroke behind the halfway leaders.
World No.1 Scottie Scheffler (62-69), fellow American dual major winner Justin Thomas (67-64) and Englishman Tommy Fleetwood (66-65) share the lead at nine under through 36 holes.
Day defied gusting winds to roll in seven birdies at TPC River Highlands, including four on a flawless back nine, to be right in the mix for the $US3.6 million winner's cheque.
"There was 40-mile gusts out there, so, you had to hit on the right wind," Day said.
"To be able to walk out at eight under - four under, four under - after two days, I'm very pleased with it."
Day continues to enjoy an impressive season, despite freak neck and wrist injuries derailing the former PGA Championship winner's campaign over the past three months.
After chalking up top 10s at The Masters, Arnold Palmer Invitational and The American Express, the 37-year-old had to sit out The Players Championship through illness then The Truist Championship after hurting his neck.
Compounding his troubles, Day then suffered triangular fibrocartilage complex damage to a wrist while moving a bike.
He couldn't play for almost a month between missing the cut for the first time at the PGA Championship and finishing a creditable joint-23rd at last week's gruelling US Open at Oakmont Country Club.
Little wonder he is chuffed to be back on the leaderboard at the $US20 million event in Connecticut.
"I feel pretty good," Day told the Golf Channel.
"Obviously I had the disc protrusion in my neck, and that feels like it's been a year-long thing.
"Unfortunately I haven't been able to hit it as hard as I'd like to. It's just like a little freak thing that happened, and unfortunately the wrist goes with that as well.
"So I had a little TFCC strain and I feel good now, which is great. I'm still trying to manage it all. From here (the neck) down, I feel tremendous.
"Everyone probably knows that I've battled some lower-back issues in the past, and I feel like I've had a pretty good handle on it. Then these two things have just come out of the blue and unfortunately just set me back.
"I missed five out of six weeks, missed two signature events on top of that. Then I really didn't have a great prep going into the PGA, a limited prep going into the US Open, so it's nice to be in the mix coming into this weekend."
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Significantly, unlike the first round when she dropped two shots in the last three holes, Lee hung tough down the stretch with three back-nine birdies after slipping four strokes behind at one stage. "I started a little bit shaky. Turned in two over but I knew there were a few opportunities on the (back) nine to make a couple birdies," she said. "I just tried to stay patient out there. It was really windy and quite hard to even hold the greens on some of them. "So I just tried to stay within myself and just be smart and play to my advantages." Her late rally left Lee level with Japan's Rio Takeda, who carded a one-under 71 to be tied for second. The pair are one shot ahead of sentimental favourite Lexi Thompson. The American continues to revel since retiring from fulltime professional golf, Thompson climbing to fourth with a two-under round on Friday morning (Saturday AEST). 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Significantly, unlike the first round when she dropped two shots in the last three holes, Lee hung tough down the stretch with three back-nine birdies after slipping four strokes behind at one stage. Her late rally left Lee alongside Japan's Rio Takeda, who carded a one-under 71 to be tied for second. The pair are one shot ahead of sentimental favourite Lexi Thompson. The American continues to revel since retiring from fulltime professional golf, Thompson climbing to fourth with a a two-under round on Friday morning (Saturday AEST). Japan's Chisato Iwai and American Auston Kim, who both posted second-round 72s, are the only other players in red numbers at one under par. World No.1 Nelly Korda (74) is tied for 16th at two over after managing only one birdie for the day. Steph Kyriacou (75) is the next best of the Australians, one shot behind Korda, at three over and equal 25th. 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The one-time world No.2 trails Thailand's now-world No.2 Jeeno Thitikul by three shots after the superstar Thai shot to six under with a late flurry. Chasing a maiden major, Thitikul birdied her last two holes in a second-round two-under 70 at PGA Frisco's Fields Ranch East course. The 22-year-old one-time world No.1 will carry the 36-hole lead into a major for only the second time, having tied for 12th after being the halfway pacesetter at the 2024 Chevron Championship. Playing as close to a home game as the Perth-raised, Dallas-based Lee gets, the Australian offset three bogeys with three birdies to stay firmly in the mix for a third major title of her own. Significantly, unlike the first round when she dropped two shots in the last three holes, Lee hung tough down the stretch with three back-nine birdies after slipping four strokes behind at one stage. Her late rally left Lee alongside Japan's Rio Takeda, who carded a one-under 71 to be tied for second. The pair are one shot ahead of sentimental favourite Lexi Thompson. The American continues to revel since retiring from fulltime professional golf, Thompson climbing to fourth with a a two-under round on Friday morning (Saturday AEST). Japan's Chisato Iwai and American Auston Kim, who both posted second-round 72s, are the only other players in red numbers at one under par. World No.1 Nelly Korda (74) is tied for 16th at two over after managing only one birdie for the day. Steph Kyriacou (75) is the next best of the Australians, one shot behind Korda, at three over and equal 25th. World No.8 Hannah Green is another stroke back after producing the shot of the day, a hole-out eagle at the par-5 13th, in a rollercoaster round of 74 that also featured a double bogey, four bogeys, two birdies and 10 pars. At five over after a 74-75 start, Karis Davidson also earned a weekend tee time after taking a sabbatical from golf last year to complete an aged and disability care course on the Gold Coast. At seven over, fellow Australians Gabriela Ruffels (77-74), Hira Naveed (75-76) and Grace Kim (73-78) all survived the cut by a shot. Minjee Lee has overcome more brutal conditions to remain equal second at the halfway point of the Women's PGA Championship in sweltering Texas. On a day when the average score soared as high as the mercury to almost 77, Lee carved out an even-par second round of 72 to stay strong at three under for the championship. The one-time world No.2 trails Thailand's now-world No.2 Jeeno Thitikul by three shots after the superstar Thai shot to six under with a late flurry. Chasing a maiden major, Thitikul birdied her last two holes in a second-round two-under 70 at PGA Frisco's Fields Ranch East course. The 22-year-old one-time world No.1 will carry the 36-hole lead into a major for only the second time, having tied for 12th after being the halfway pacesetter at the 2024 Chevron Championship. Playing as close to a home game as the Perth-raised, Dallas-based Lee gets, the Australian offset three bogeys with three birdies to stay firmly in the mix for a third major title of her own. Significantly, unlike the first round when she dropped two shots in the last three holes, Lee hung tough down the stretch with three back-nine birdies after slipping four strokes behind at one stage. Her late rally left Lee alongside Japan's Rio Takeda, who carded a one-under 71 to be tied for second. The pair are one shot ahead of sentimental favourite Lexi Thompson. The American continues to revel since retiring from fulltime professional golf, Thompson climbing to fourth with a a two-under round on Friday morning (Saturday AEST). Japan's Chisato Iwai and American Auston Kim, who both posted second-round 72s, are the only other players in red numbers at one under par. World No.1 Nelly Korda (74) is tied for 16th at two over after managing only one birdie for the day. Steph Kyriacou (75) is the next best of the Australians, one shot behind Korda, at three over and equal 25th. World No.8 Hannah Green is another stroke back after producing the shot of the day, a hole-out eagle at the par-5 13th, in a rollercoaster round of 74 that also featured a double bogey, four bogeys, two birdies and 10 pars. At five over after a 74-75 start, Karis Davidson also earned a weekend tee time after taking a sabbatical from golf last year to complete an aged and disability care course on the Gold Coast. At seven over, fellow Australians Gabriela Ruffels (77-74), Hira Naveed (75-76) and Grace Kim (73-78) all survived the cut by a shot. Minjee Lee has overcome more brutal conditions to remain equal second at the halfway point of the Women's PGA Championship in sweltering Texas. On a day when the average score soared as high as the mercury to almost 77, Lee carved out an even-par second round of 72 to stay strong at three under for the championship. The one-time world No.2 trails Thailand's now-world No.2 Jeeno Thitikul by three shots after the superstar Thai shot to six under with a late flurry. Chasing a maiden major, Thitikul birdied her last two holes in a second-round two-under 70 at PGA Frisco's Fields Ranch East course. The 22-year-old one-time world No.1 will carry the 36-hole lead into a major for only the second time, having tied for 12th after being the halfway pacesetter at the 2024 Chevron Championship. Playing as close to a home game as the Perth-raised, Dallas-based Lee gets, the Australian offset three bogeys with three birdies to stay firmly in the mix for a third major title of her own. Significantly, unlike the first round when she dropped two shots in the last three holes, Lee hung tough down the stretch with three back-nine birdies after slipping four strokes behind at one stage. Her late rally left Lee alongside Japan's Rio Takeda, who carded a one-under 71 to be tied for second. The pair are one shot ahead of sentimental favourite Lexi Thompson. The American continues to revel since retiring from fulltime professional golf, Thompson climbing to fourth with a a two-under round on Friday morning (Saturday AEST). Japan's Chisato Iwai and American Auston Kim, who both posted second-round 72s, are the only other players in red numbers at one under par. World No.1 Nelly Korda (74) is tied for 16th at two over after managing only one birdie for the day. Steph Kyriacou (75) is the next best of the Australians, one shot behind Korda, at three over and equal 25th. World No.8 Hannah Green is another stroke back after producing the shot of the day, a hole-out eagle at the par-5 13th, in a rollercoaster round of 74 that also featured a double bogey, four bogeys, two birdies and 10 pars. At five over after a 74-75 start, Karis Davidson also earned a weekend tee time after taking a sabbatical from golf last year to complete an aged and disability care course on the Gold Coast. At seven over, fellow Australians Gabriela Ruffels (77-74), Hira Naveed (75-76) and Grace Kim (73-78) all survived the cut by a shot.
Perth Now
6 hours ago
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Minjee Lee well in the hunt at Women's PGA Championship
Minjee Lee has overcome more brutal conditions to remain equal second at the halfway point of the Women's PGA Championship in sweltering Texas. On a day when the average score soared as high as the mercury to almost 77, Lee carved out an even-par second round of 72 to stay strong at three under for the championship. The one-time world No.2 trails Thailand's now-world No.2 Jeeno Thitikul by three shots after the superstar Thai shot to six under with a late flurry. Chasing a maiden major, Thitikul birdied her last two holes in a second-round two-under 70 at PGA Frisco's Fields Ranch East course. The 22-year-old one-time world No.1 will carry the 36-hole lead into a major for only the second time, having tied for 12th after being the halfway pacesetter at the 2024 Chevron Championship. Playing as close to a home game as the Perth-raised, Dallas-based Lee gets, the Australian offset three bogeys with three birdies to stay firmly in the mix for a third major title of her own. Significantly, unlike the first round when she dropped two shots in the last three holes, Lee hung tough down the stretch with three back-nine birdies after slipping four strokes behind at one stage. Her late rally left Lee alongside Japan's Rio Takeda, who carded a one-under 71 to be tied for second. The pair are one shot ahead of sentimental favourite Lexi Thompson. The American continues to revel since retiring from fulltime professional golf, Thompson climbing to fourth with a a two-under round on Friday morning (Saturday AEST). Japan's Chisato Iwai and American Auston Kim, who both posted second-round 72s, are the only other players in red numbers at one under par. World No.1 Nelly Korda (74) is tied for 16th at two over after managing only one birdie for the day. Steph Kyriacou (75) is the next best of the Australians, one shot behind Korda, at three over and equal 25th. World No.8 Hannah Green is another stroke back after producing the shot of the day, a hole-out eagle at the par-5 13th, in a rollercoaster round of 74 that also featured a double bogey, four bogeys, two birdies and 10 pars. At five over after a 74-75 start, Karis Davidson also earned a weekend tee time after taking a sabbatical from golf last year to complete an aged and disability care course on the Gold Coast. At seven over, fellow Australians Gabriela Ruffels (77-74), Hira Naveed (75-76) and Grace Kim (73-78) all survived the cut by a shot.
