8 things to know from PGA Championship Friday

KOEPKA'S KING FOR 36 HOLES

At 128, Brooks Koepka (63-65) set a new 36-hole scoring record for Major Championship golf. The previous mark of 130 was shared by five different players: Gary Woodland (64-66, 2018 PGA Championship); Jordan Spieth (64-66, 2015 Masters); Martin Kaymer (65-65, 2014 U.S. Open); Brandt Snedeker (66-64, 2012 Open); and Nick Faldo (66-64, 1992 Open).
 
7 IS HEAVEN AT THE PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

Equipped with a 7-stroke lead entering the weekend, Brooks Koepka established a new PGA Championship record for the largest lead after 36 holes. Nick Price had held the Championship's 36-hole mark via his five-shot advantage at Southern Hills in 1994. Two days later, Price captured his second PGA Championship in three years.

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PACESETTER

Brooks Koepka has now held the lead after each of the last four PGA Championship rounds dating to the third round last year at Bellerive. A closer look:
 
-- 2019, Second Round, 7-shot lead over Adam Scott and Jordan Spieth
-- 2019, First Round, 1-shot lead over Danny Lee
-- 2018, Final Round, 2-shot lead over Tiger Woods
-- 2018, Third Round, 2-shot lead over Adam Scott   
 
BIRDIE BINGE

Brooks Koepka has birdied 12 of Bethpage Black's 18 holes at least once through only two rounds of play.
 
JORDAN RULES THE MORNING AT BETHPAGE BLACK

Jordan Spieth (69-66, 135) blitzed Bethpage Black's front 9 for four birdies on Friday morning (his back 9) to surge into a tie for second place, 7 shots behind Brooks Koepka. Spieth has now pieced together five consecutive rounds in the 60s in PGA Championship play dating to the second round of last year's Championship at Bellerive. This equals Spieth's longest string of rounds in the 60s in a Major Championship. He also carded 5 straight rounds in the 60s in the Open (final round/2016 through final round/2017).

Spieth finishing #PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/IrT4ie5obj

— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 17, 2019

PGA CLUB PROFESSIONAL TRIO TO PLAY THE WEEKEND

PGA Club Professionals Marty Jertson of Phoenix, Arizona; Rob Labritz of Pound Ridge, New York; and Ryan Vermeer of Omaha, Nebraska, made the 36-hole cut in the 2019 PGA Championship – the most since 2006, when the PGA of America designated 20 exemptions into the field.    
 
IT'S ALL ABOUT JAZZ AND A BETHPAGE STATE PARK LOCAL CADDIE

Jack Miller of Farmingdale, New York, learned last Sunday that he had a caddie job in the 2019 PGA Championship. On Friday, his job got a weekend extension.
 
Miller, a 63-year-old Bethpage State Park caddie since 2009, is a full-time Frozen Food Manager for King Kullen Grocery Company. Last Sunday, he was given the bag for Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond, who was making his PGA Championship debut.

WHO IS OUT?: PGA Championship cut rule, explained | Purse and winner's share
 
Miller’s assignment came when Jazz’s planned caddie, Bethpage Caddiemaster Dave Casper, broke a bone in his left hand.
 
“It became the Jazz and Jack show,” joked Miller, who first caddied at Bethpage State Park when he was a teenager. That stint ended when he was 17, and became a full-time employee for King Kullen.
 
“This week turned out great, and I have really enjoyed the time getting to know Jazz,” said Miller, who says his endurance comes from having completed 12 marathons. He’s run seven New York, three Long Island and two Marine Corps Marathons. “I like to grind,” he said.
 
Caddies have their special moments, and Miller said that he was relishing his Friday. “If I wasn’t caddying, I would be out picking up balls,” he said.         
 
THIS AND THAT

Matt Wallace (67) carded his fifth consecutive sub-70 PGA Championship round going back to the second round in 2018 … After missing the cut in both of his PGA Championship appearances (2017, ’18), Luke List is tied for fourth after back-to-back 68s … Koepka’s bogey on No. 10 ended a streak of 40 straight pars-or-better in the PGA Championship … Daniel Berger (T-4) is in his best position following any round of a PGA Championship following a second round 66 … Danny Lee (74, T-10) posted a scorecard ten strokes worse than his first round (64) … Bethpage Black played a bit easier on Friday than Thursday, with the average score improving from 73.06 to 71.65 … 82 players advanced to the weekend with the cut at 144.