Phil Mickelson defies tough conditions to set clubhouse target at Kiawah Island

A week after accepting a special exemption into next month’s US Open, Phil Mickelson remarkably played himself into contention to qualify for Torrey Pines in historic fashion.
Mickelson defied tough conditions at a windswept Kiawah Island to card a second round of 69 in the 103rd US PGA Championship and set the clubhouse target on five under par.
The 50-year-old covered his inward nine in just 31 shots to raise the realistic prospect of surpassing Julius Boros as the oldest winner in major history, Boros having won the US PGA in 1968 at the age of 48.
.@PhilMickelson had five birdies on his second nine of the day. 🔥#PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/8uR9ppKbzv
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 21, 2021
After starting from the 10th and picking up an early birdie on the par-five 11th, Mickelson looked to be drifting out of contention with bogeys on the 13th, 17th, and 18th.
But the 2005 US PGA champion took full advantage of the easier front nine with birdies on the second, fourth, fifth, seventh and ninth.
“I’m having a lot of fun,” said Mickelson, who needed an exemption into the US Open – in which he has finished runner-up six times – due to his lowly world ranking of 115.
“To play well, to know I’m playing well heading into the weekend, to be in contention, to have a good opportunity, I’m having a blast. I’m excited for the weekend.”
What a finish from Mickelson! ⛳️
The 50-year-old signs off a second-round 69 with a birdie and is just a shot off the lead at the #PGAChamp! 👏 pic.twitter.com/a04OgHQEOH
— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) May 21, 2021
Mickelson held a two-shot lead after an opening 64 in the Wells Fargo Championship earlier this month before fading to a tie for 69th and bemoaning a lack of focus.
“I’m working on it,” he added. “I might try to play 36, 45 holes in a day and try to focus on each shot so that when I go out and play 18, it doesn’t feel like it’s that much.
“I might try to elongate the time that I end up meditating, but I’m trying to use my mind like a muscle and just expand it because as I’ve gotten older, it’s been more difficult for me to maintain a sharp focus, a good visualisation and see the shot.
“Physically I feel like I’m able to perform and hit the shots that I’ve hit throughout my career, and I feel like I can do it every bit as well as I have, but I’ve got to have that clear picture and focus. These first two days have been much better.”

South Africa’s Branden Grace had been on course to claim the clubhouse lead as he covered the front in 34 and increased his lead in style by holing out from a bunker for a birdie on the 10th.
Grace, who holds the record for the lowest score in a men’s major following his 62 in the 2017 Open, also birdied the 13th to reach six under, but ran up a double bogey on the daunting 17th and dropped another shot on the last to finish three under.
Overnight leader Corey Conners was a shot further back after following his superb opening 67 with a 75.

The halfway cut was projected to fall at three over par, meaning Rory McIlroy needed to shoot par or better to make the weekend following his opening 75.
McIlroy won by eight shots at Kiawah in 2012 but since 2015 is a combined 35 over par in the first round of major championships and again faced an uphill task to win a fifth major title and first since the 2014 US PGA.
Latest
-
News
Harry Hall opens three-stroke halfway lead at Charles Schwab Challenge
The Cornish rookie is chasing his first PGA Tour win after opening round of 62.
-
PGA Tour
England’s Harry Hall takes three-shot lead in Texas with career-best outing
He picked up eight birdies without dropping a shot and managed to save par from 15 and 30 feet.
-
Ryder Cup
Victor Perez to defend KLM Open title in race for Ryder Cup place
Perez has moved into the automatic qualifying places for the European Ryder Cup team.
-
PGA Championship
Michael Block in no rush to return to reality any time soon after US PGA heroics
Block almost stole the show from winner Brooks Koepka at Oak Hill, making a hole-in-one during the final round.
-
US Open
Tiger Woods withdraws from next month’s US Open
Woods pulled out of the Masters during the third round in April, saying at the time it was due to plantar fasciitis.
-
Ryder Cup
Brooks Koepka makes Ryder Cup statement with US PGA Championship success
LIV Golf’s Koepka moved up to second in the US Ryder cup rankings.
-
PGA Championship
Rory McIlroy proud of gritty effort at US PGA Championship
The 34-year-old followed an opening 71 with three straight 69s to finish two under par, seven shots behind winner Brooks Koepka.
-
PGA Championship
Club professional Michael Block relishing life-changing week at Oak Hill
The 46-year-old’s display captured the imagination of the spectators.
-
PGA Championship
Fifth major is the most meaningful, says US PGA champion Brooks Koepka
Koepka held off the challenge of Viktor Hovland and Scottie Scheffler to claim a third US PGA title.
-
PGA Championship
Brooks Koepka ‘at a loss for words’ at third US PGA crown
Fifth major success labelled ‘coolest thing’ after Koepka fought back from injuries and loss of form.