Brooks Koepka is the man to catch on day two of the US PGA Championship.
The defending champion tees off from seven-under-par later with a four-shot lead over his nearest challenger Tommy Fleetwood after his brilliant opening 63 yesterday.
However, he extended his lead without hitting a shot as the second round got underway today.
Koepka's new course record at Bethpage Black yesterday was almost matched late in the day by New Zealand's Danny Lee, but Lee, who needed just 21 putts in his 64, found it tougher going on day two.
After starting on the back nine, the 28-year-old dropped shots on the 11th and 12th to fall three shots off the pace. Lee’s woes continued as he ran up double bogeys on the 15th and 16th in a front nine of 41.
From dreaming of winning a first major title Lee was now facing a battle to make the halfway cut – which Rory McIlroy seemed certain to miss.
McIlroy's only birdie of the opening day came on the 18th and gave the four-time major winner cause for optimism, but the 30-year-old started his second on the daunting back nine with a double bogey on the 10th, a bogey on the 11th and another double bogey on the next.
At seven over par, McIlroy was five shots outside the early projected cut, while Padraig Harrington is eight-over after three holes of his round.
Graeme McDowell is back out later from level-par, with Shane Lowry set to tee off from five-over.
Koepka is among the later starters in a group containing Masters champion Tiger Woods and Open champion Francesco Molinari, who were both nine off the pace after opening rounds of 72.
