American Jason Dufner matched the low 18-hole score in major golf history on Friday, firing a seven-under par 63 to seize the lead after two rounds of the PGA Championship.
On an Oak Hill course that was drenched by rain showers all morning, Dufner fired five birdies and an eagle to finish on nine-under 131 after 36 holes for a two-stroke lead in the $8 million tournament.
“The rain, the soft golf course, made it scorable,” Dufner said.
“But to join history, to shoot a 63 in a major, pretty unbelievable. To be leading the tournament, even better. Hopefully it will propel me to a great weekend.”
Masters winner Adam Scott of Australia and Americans Jim Furyk and Matt Kuchar shared second on 133, with Sweden’s Henrik Stenson and England’s Justin Rose, the US Open champion, on 134.
Dufner became the 24th player to shoot 63 in a major. The feat has been done 26 total times, with Australian Greg Norman and Fiji’s Vijay Singh accomplishing it twice.
Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Nick Price and Nick Faldo are among the other players to shoot 63 in a major.
Dufner set a course record at Oak Hill, breaking the mark of 64 shared by countrymen Ben Hogan from the 1942 Times-Union Open, Curtis Strange from the 1980 US Open and Webb Simpson earlier on Friday.