St. Louis • Kansas-bred Gary Woodland felt right at home in enemy territory and delivered his best performance in a major Thursday at the PGA Championship.
Woodland used his power to birdie the two par 5s on the soft turf of Bellerive, and he relied on a new grip and new confidence in his putter for everything else on his way to a 6-under 64 for a one-shot lead over Rickie Fowler in the opening round of the year’s final major.
Woodland recognized close to 100 friends and family among thousands in a gallery that withstood the sweltering weather, and his only fault was trying too hard.