Zalatoris seizes PGA lead while Tiger makes the weekend

American Will Zalatoris fired a bogey-free five-under-par 65 to seize a one-stroke lead after Friday's second round of the PGA Championship while Tiger Woods battled his way into the weekend.

Aided when gusting winds vanished in the afternoon at daunting Southern Hills, late-starter Zalatoris reeled off three back-nine birdies in a row and sank a seven-foot birdie putt at the 17th to finish 36 holes at Southern Hills on 9-under-par 131.

"I had the luck of the draw. There wasn't any wind after the 11th hole," Zalatoris said. "I made the most of it with some good shotmaking."

That enabled 30th-ranked Zalatoris, last year's Masters runner-up and the 2021 US PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, to grab a one-stroke lead over Chile's Mito Pereira, who fired a 64 to stand second on 132.

"I guess shooting six-under wasn't really the expectation, but here we are," the 27-year-old from Santiago said. "Not going to change anything."

Woods, fighting back after severe leg injuries in a car crash 15 months ago, overcame a double bogey at the par-3 11th with birdies at the par-5 13th and par-4 16th to shoot 69 and make the weekend on 3-over 143.

"I had to grind and go to work and I did and I made it," Woods said. "It wasn't pretty. I had to fight back. I'm not able to move like I did."

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The most beautiful shotmaking came from two-time Masters winner Bubba Watson, who matched the course record with a seven-under par 63 that included nine birdies, his most in any major round.

"It's very nice. Don't get me wrong. It's an honor to be able to shoot 63 on any golf course. I'll take it," Watson said. "But I've got to look forward to tomorrow and see where I'm at and hit hopefully just as quality shots as I