Mickelson and Oosthuizen share lead as Johnson misses cut at PGA C’ship

Phil Mickelson, chasing a historic sixth major title at age 50, shared the lead with South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen after Friday’s second round of the PGA Championship at windy Kiawah Island.

American left-hander Mickelson, who could become golf’s oldest major champion, and Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open winner, were deadlocked atop the leaderboard on five-under 139 after 36 holes on the formidable Ocean Course.

“I’m heading into the weekend with an opportunity and I’m really excited about it,” Mickelson said. “If you told me (I was leading) Sunday night, I’d really enjoy it. Right now, there’s a lot to do.”

Oosthuizen, who birdied five of the first 12 holes, nearly fired the first bogey-free round of the week but missed a nine-foot par putt at the 18th to shoot a four-under 68.

“It has got to be up there as one of my best,” Oosthuizen said of his round. “It was tough. I’m just glad I was striking it really good.”

With a victory, Mickelson would erase the age mark set by American Julius Boros when he won the 1968 PGA Championship at 48.

Mickelson birdied five of his last eight holes, closing with a 23-foot birdie putt at the ninth to shoot 69 as a Covid-19 limited crowd of about 10,000 roared in delight.

“It’s really fun to make a putt on the last hole and have a round like that,” Mickelson. “The support here has been really special.”

Four-time major winner Brooks Koepka, playing with pain after right knee surgery in March, eagled the par-5 seventh and 11th holes but made two bogeys in the last four holes to shoot 71 and stand third on 140.

“It was definitely a difficult day. It was tough to make putts,” Koepka said. “(Knee) feels fine. I’m four-under. It’s all there.”

Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, trying to complete the first half of a calendar Grand Slam, made six birdies but closed with a bogey to shoot 68 and stand on 141, sharing fourth with South Africans Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Branden Grace.

“I really hit my driver and second shots very well and that gave me a lot of birdie opportunities, which I was able to capitalize on,” Matsuyama said. “Hopefully my play will carry over to the weekend.”

Grace, who holed out from 70 feet to birdie the 10th, plunked a tee shot into the water at the par-3 17th on the way to a double bogey-bogey finish to shoot 71.

“Just trying to stay alive out there,” Grace said. “It was such a grind.”

Only 18 players were under par after 36 holes.

Mickelson was the first 50-and-over player in the top five of a major after 36 holes since American Fred Couples at the 2012 Masters and the first at a PGA since Hale Irwin in 1999.

Since the PGA Championship adopted a stroke-play format in 1958, the only prior 50-and-over player to lead or share the lead after 36 holes was Sam Snead in 1966 at age 54.

Oosthuizen, 38, has had a runner-up finish in all four majors since his lone victory at St. Andrews 11 years ago.

He went 25 consecutive holes without a bogey, highlighted by a 33-foot birdie putt at the fourth, before stumbling in the brisk breezes.

Meanwhile, two late birdies lifted Sarah Kemp to a one-shot lead in Pure Silk Championship on Friday, where the Australian veteran is chasing her first US LPGA tour title.

Kemp had six birdies overall in her four-under 67 at Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, Virginia. Her six-under total of 136 put her one in front of Americans Jessica Korda and Stacy Lewis and Slovenian Ana Belac.

Korda had two eagles in her 67 to reach five-under 137. Lewis had four birdies and two bogeys, dropping a shot at the 18th to fall out of a share of the 36-hole lead.

Belac shook off an early bogey to card five birdies, three in a row at six, seven and eight and a brace at 13 and 14.

As Lewis faltered, Kemp struck with birdies at the seventh and eighth -- her 16th and 17th holes of the day.

Agence France-Presse