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| - Five-time major winner Phil Mickelson and 18-hole leader Corey Conners stumbled early in Friday's second round of the PGA Championship at windy Kiawah Island. South Africa's Branden Grace birdied the par-5 second to claim a share of the lead on 3-under with five others who were set for afternoon starts on the formidable Ocean Course, which continued to smack down contenders. Mickelson, trying to become the oldest major winner at age 50, plunked an approach into the water while sharing the lead and made bogey at the par-4 13th to fall back. The US left-hander, a five-time major winner, would replace American Julius Boros, who was 48 when he won the 1968 PGA Championship. Mickelson pitched inside three feet and birdied the par-5 11th, then missed a seven-foot birdie putt at the par-4 12th to match the leaders. But Mickelson found a water hazard with his approach at the par-4 13th and dropped his fourth shot inches from the cup to salvage a tap-in bogey. Conners, a 29-year-old Canadian chasing his first major title, fired a five-under par 67 on Thursday to grab a two-stroke edge, but the world number 39 made five bogeys in his first six holes Friday to drop off the pace. Conners found sand on his approach at the 10th hole, his first of the day, and began with a bogey, then answered with a 30-foot birdie putt at the par-5 11th. But Conners went over the 12th green and missed a nine-foot par putt, then found greenside rough at the par-4 13th, missed the green at the par-3 14th and botched the 15th as well. Others on 3-under with Grace after shooting 69s Thursday included four-time major winner Brooks Koepka, 2011 PGA winner Keegan Bradley, fellow American Aaron Wise, Norway's Viktor Hovland and Australian Cam Davis. All but Davis were set for afternoon starts. Two-time US Open champion Koepka, who plays through pain after right knee surgery in March, put himself in contention for a third PGA crown in four years. England's Sam Horsfield, who started in the second-place pack on 69, made bogeys on three of the first four holes to stumble back. Three-time major winner Jordan Spieth, who opened on 73, began Friday with a bogey at the 10th but followed with back-to-back birdies to stand at level par overall as he chases a victory to complete a career Grand Slam. Dustin Johnson, who struggled to an opening 76 in his home state, began Friday with a birdie but remained in danger of being the first world number one to miss consecutive major cuts since Greg Norman in 1997 at the Masters and US Open. Johnson missed the cut defending the green jacket at last month's Masters. Also starting in the afternoon will be defending champion Collin Morikawa, US Open winner Bryson DeChambeau and Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama of Japan. Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy, who won the 2012 PGA at Kiawah, and second-ranked Justin Thomas both began on 75 and will scramble to make the cut in the afternoon. js/rcw
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