Springfield: Robert Streb struggled through the past year without cracking the top 10 in a US PGA Tour event, but the 29-year-old American’s perseverance has paid off in historic fashion.
Streb matched the lowest round in major tournament history on Friday, firing a seven-under par 63 to seize a share of the 36-hole lead alongside countryman Jimmy Walker at the PGA Championship.
Taking advantage of a Baltusrol layout softened by morning rains, Streb fired eight birdies against a lone bogey, his 21-foot birdie putt at the par-3 ninth — his final hole after starting on the back nine — closing out a historic round.
“Obviously it’s going pretty well, but I haven’t played well, and so my expectations are pretty low, which maybe is a good thing,” Streb said.
Streb has gone 27 US PGA events without a top-10 showing since sharing 10th in last year’s PGA Championship. He missed the cut in the Masters, US and British Opens and half a dozen other events. It has not been easy to stay confident.
“It was getting pretty aggravating,” he said. “Trying to I guess do my best to stay positive and put the frustration aside, which sometimes isn’t the easiest thing to do.
“Kind of got off to a slow start. Augusta was kind of disappointing. My start at Oakmont was kind of frustrating, too. So it has just been I guess struggling with my own expectations and playing poorly at the same time. It has been a little tough.”
Streb said that after his lone PGA victory at the 2014 McGladrey Classic, he might have thought things were going to come too easily.
“I just struggled with my expectations a little bit,” Streb said. “Kind of thought I would keep it going and it has been tough. Probably learnt the hard way you’ve got to start over again. The ball-striking and the putting has been a little difficult this year and just been trying to hang on by a thread.
“Obviously it’s coming together this week, which is nice.”
Streb became the 28th player to score a 63 at a major, his effort the 30th 63 overall with Vijay Singh and Greg Norman having achieved the feat twice.
Baltusrol has offered up four major 63s, more than any other course, and the PGA Championship has surrendered the most of any major, 14 in all.
Streb said the key to his comeback in form has been a breakthrough in getting his swing feeling comfortable again.
“Most of the year has been a big struggle,” he said. “Kind of felt like I kind of found something with my golf swing the last two weeks. Started hitting it kind of solid.
“I was just out of whack and seemed to have kind of found it this week. It feels like my golf swing again. May not hit it perfect or anything, but it kind of feels normal again. I don’t feel like I’m trying to do everything I can to hit it straight. I can just kind of take a swing at it and catch it solid for the most part.”
