Brooks Koepka is in position to grab another Wanamaker Trophy. Tiger Woods still thinks he has a shot. And there are a few unknowns looking to steal the show on the weekend.
A glance at the leaderboard at the 2020 PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park offers variety, from Brooks Koepka trying to make history to Li Haotong and Mike Lorenzo-Vera trying to stun everyone. Then there’s Tiger Woods, who had a miserable putting day Friday in San Francisco that had him fighting to make the cut but maintaining he still has a shot at winning. So here’s everything you need to get you set for the weekend at the year’s first major: OK, you might not be entirely familiar with the work of Li Haotong and Mike Lorenzo-Vera. Well, we’re here to help. Let’s start with Li, who posted a bogey-free 65 early in the day and then returned later, hours after he was finished, to put in some more work. «He was on the teeing green when I was on the driving range and then he was on the chipping green when I was doing interviews,» said Jason Day, who enters the weekend two shots behind Li. «He’s probably the only guy that rents out a golf course to stay instead of renting out a house this week. I know the guy likes to practice, but man, it’s a major week. Hopefully he knows what he’s doing and I’m sure he does because he’s obviously playing better than us. You know, I’m about to go and do some practice but not as many hours as he’s put in today.» Li admitted after his round even he was surprised by his play. And it is surprising, considering that he entered the year’s first major ranked 114th in the world. It’s only the second time a player outside the top 100 has had a multiple-shot lead in a major. And what about Lorenzo-Vera? He stood on the ninth tee, his final hole of the day, in sole possession of second place at 7 under. He slipped with a bogey at the last, but he still enters the third round in a six-way tie for second.
