FARMINGDALE N.Y. _ It took 83 years in the history of the Bethpage Black golf course for someone to shoot 63. Twenty-four hours after Brooks Koepka wrote down that number, it looked like it might be erased.
Adam Scott opened the second round of the PGA Championship on Friday with four birdies in his first five holes. After three more early in the back nine _ including consecutive birdies at 13 and 14 _ the Australian reached 7 under for the day.
That's what Koepka shot to open the tournament on the layout that is playing at par 70 this week.
"It was a fleeting thought," Scott said of the possibility of tying the all-time low round in majors, or even besting it.
The bid ended when Scott three-putted the par-3 17th hole for a bogey. At 18, he salvaged par after driving into a fairway bunker, and though the 6-under 64 round was impressive, it still put Scott in a second-place tie with Jordan Spieth, seven shots behind Koepka, who built on his lead with a 65.
After a couple of tough years, the 2003 Masters champion found something in his game at last year's PGA, where he finished solo third behind Koepka and Tiger Woods.
Scott got off to a strong start this year when he was runner-up to Justin Rose in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. He scored 69-68 to start this year's Masters, but faded to tie for 18th.
"I feel like my game's in a really great place," Scott, 38, said. "If I can get out of my own head a little bit and just play and swing, I think good results are there."
