Zalatoris sails into PGA Championship lead while others blown off course
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[May 21, 2022] By
Steve Keating
TULSA, Oklahoma (Reuters) - It was smooth sailing for Will Zalatoris
at the PGA Championship on Friday, taking the second round lead
after whipping winds at Southern Hills Country Club left many major
hopes in tatters.
On a far from perfect day for golf Zalatoris took full advantage of
improving conditions late in the round to return an error free
five-under 65 to sit one clear of little known Chilean Mito Pereira
with a midway total of nine-under 131.
While there is plenty of golf to be played still the result is a
good omen for the 25-year-old American.
Seven previous majors have been contested at Southern Hills, and in
each of them the winner owned at least a share of the 36-hole lead.
"I've got a long 36 holes ahead of me," cautioned Zalatoris. "I
think history to me, it is what it is, but I'm going to go out and
do my job, and hopefully it's enough at the end."
Pereira, playing in just his second major, also benefited from a
late start, carding a 64 to get to eight-under and move two ahead of
Justin Thomas, who was out early and spent much of his round
battling gusting winds on way to 67.
Bubba Watson, another late starter, turned in the round of the day,
a 63 to equal the PGA Championship 18-hole scoring record, to sit
alone in fourth, one ahead of first round leader Rory McIlroy, who
laboured to a 71.
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The day was one of sharp contrast with the morning and afternoon
waves played in dramatically different conditions.
Faced with gusts of up to 40 mph (65 kph) morning starters were left
cursing their luck as they watched shots sail wide and long, while
the afternoon groups enjoyed improving conditions that allowed them
to attack pins.
"We lucked out with the draw for sure," said Zalatoris. "I played
the last eight holes with not much wind, but take it when you can
get it.
"I got away with murder a few times today for sure."
While Zalatoris was among those to enjoy a bit of good fortune
seeing his name on the leaderboard at a major is not an unfamiliar
sight.
He has contested only six majors, missing the cut in two, but in the
four others finished no worse than a tie for eighth, including a
solo runnerup result at the 2021 Masters.
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![](../images/052122pics/sports19.jpg)
Will Zalatoris plays his shot from the seventh tee during the second
round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Southern Hills
Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
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Pereira, though, is an outright golfing mystery
man. His only other major appearance came at the 2019 U.S. Open
where he missed the cut.
"I've kind of had an attitude with the majors, especially since the
Masters, where I wanted to enjoy the experience as much as I could,"
said Zalatoris. "I just make sure that after really every single
shot I hit, it's just -- I don't want to say life or death, but make
sure I'm fully committed to everything that I do because we only get
four of them a year."
Tiger Woods, in his second start since a February 2021 car crash
that almost resulted in the amputation of his right leg, spent
Friday fighting to make the cut.
That battle seemed over when a double bogey at the par three 11th
sent him to five-over but as always Woods refused to wave the white
flag,
The 46-year-old showed once again why he is recognised as one of
sport's great battlers, hitting back with birdies at 13 and 16 for a
69 to slip under the four-over cut.
Woods has always maintained he never enters a tournament unless he
can win and even though he just scraped into the weekend would not
rule out his chances of hoisting the Wanamaker trophy on Sunday,
"You can't win the tournament if you miss the cut," said Woods.
"I've won tournaments -- not major championships, but I've won
tournaments on the cut number.
"There's a reason why you fight hard and you're able to give
yourself a chance on the weekend.
"You just never know when you might get hot."
(Reporting by Steve Keating; Editing by Martyn Herman, Ken Ferris
and Richard Pullin)
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