Friday 10 August 2018 20:12, UK
Brooks Koepka and Charl Schwartzel equalled the lowest round in PGA Championship history on a day of low scoring at Bellerive.
The two-time US Open champion fired seven birdies in a bogey-free 63 to get within two strokes of midway leader Gary Woodland, with Schwartzel a further shot back after matching Koepka's total.
Koepka, playing alongside fellow 2018 major winners Patrick Reed and Francesco Molinari, posted birdies at the 13th and 15th before nudging in a close-range gain at the 17th to reach the turn in 32.
The 28-year-old carded three consecutive birdies from the first and added another from seven feet at the 17th, but failed to find the final-hole birdie needed to tie Branden Grace's major record low round of 62.
"I played really well," Koepka said. "Today I drove it beautifully, my wedge distance control was spot on and I was making those five, six footers that you need to make."
Schwartzel opened with back-to-back birdies, before recovering from failing to get up and down from a greenside bunker to save par at the sixth by picking up shots over his next two holes.
The South African kicked off his back nine with three consecutive birdies and added another from eight feet at the 16th to get to seven under, before closing his round with back-to-back pars.
"I probably didn't play as well as I did yesterday top to bottom, but the iron game really kept me in it today," Schwartzel said. "I got a little wayward with a couple of drives and hit a lot of good putts that didn't go in. So I can live with that."
Kevin Kisner threatened to go even lower when he struck six birdies in a front-nine 29, but a final-round bogey saw him lose his share of the lead and close a six-under 64.
Sixteen players have now posted a round of 63 at the PGA Championship, including Gary Player, Thomas Bjorn and Tiger Woods.
