It’s hard to believe, but we’re already at the halfway point of the 2020 PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park. With two rounds now in the books, here’s everything you need to know as the third round gets underway on Saturday in San Francisco.
1. Moving Day should be very interesting
With some fresh names atop the leaderboard, Moving Day should provide some excellent drama. Haotong Li posted a 65 early on Friday morning, bringing his two-day total to eight under par, and no one from the afternoon wave was able to catch him. With an afternoon tee time looming and the spotlight blazing, will Li keep his momentum going in the third round?
Another unfamiliar name in contention — at least for fans in the U.S. — is 35-year-old European Tour player Mike Lorenzo-Vera. His rounds of 66-68 brought him to six under and only two shots shy of Li’s lead.
Lorenzo Vera shares second place with a bevy of other big names, including defending champion Brooks Koepka, Tommy Fleetwood, Jason Day, Justin Rose and Daniel Berger, all of whom trail Li by just two shots.
2. Three-peat watch continues
Brooks Kopeka remains in contention into Round 3, so his hopes of completing a three-peat of PGA Championship victories lives on. Koepka is six under — only two strokes behind Li.
3. Assessing Tiger’s chances
After a tough second round, Tiger finished with two-day total of even par — eight shots off the lead. While a run for the Wanamaker looks unlikely at this point, it’s still possible for Tiger to post a low number on Saturday that gets him into a late afternoon tee time on Sunday. And hey, you never know with golf, but one thing’s for sure: the Big Cat will need to find a way to warm up that putter if he wants to have any chance.
Can Tiger Woods still play his way into contention at the PGA Championship?
4. Notables to miss the cut
Seventy-nine players will continue playing this weekend, but several big names will not be among them. The cut was set at one over, and Rickie Fowler, Zach Johnson, Martin Kaymer, Tyrrell Hatton and Sergio Garcia are among those who found themselves on the wrong side of the line on Friday.
5. PGA Club pros shut out
Every year, 20 club professionals earn the chance to play in their national championship alongside the best players in the world. Last year, three of the 20 played well enough to tee it up on the weekend at mighty Bethpage Black, but this year, the best score of the bunch was from Alex Beach, who finished four over overall, and missed the cut by three.
6. Saturday weather
Friday’s conditions were picture-perfect, and Saturday’s forecast looks similar. Early morning tee times will face cloudy conditions and temperatures in the mid- to high-50s. The sun is expected to shine brightly around 10 a.m. local time, with the temperature peaking at 65 degrees between 2 and 3 p.m. The wind will be relatively calm, gusting between nine and 15 mph.
7. Best weekend storyline to follow
There are more than a handful of young players who are within striking distance of claiming their first major title, but with Woods likely out of the mix, there is one primary storyline that trumps all others: Can Koepka dig deep for his third-straight Wanamaker trophy? It’s never been done in the stroke-play era — and we can’t wait to watch him try.
