Record Is Not on Bjorn’s Mind

Thomas Bjorn’s record-tying, seven-under-par 63 on Saturday got him into contention at the PGA Championship.

“This 63 is not about records,” Bjorn said. “It’s about this championship, and that’s all it means to me, that I got myself into position where I can play from here, and I’m going to try my hardest tomorrow again and then we’ll see.”

Bjorn could have made 62 with an eagle putt on No. 18, but he said he wanted to play it safe and two-putted for birdie.

“When you’ve got 63 down the hill, you’re not going to get cute with it,” Bjorn again.

Greg Norman and Vijay Singh are the only players to post a 63 in more than one major: Norman went that low in the second round of the 1986 British Open and in the first round of the 1996 Masters. Singh had a 63 in the first round of the 1993 PGA and in the second round of the 2003 U.S. Open.

Johnny Miller (1973 U.S. Open), Raymond Floyd (1982 PGA), Norman (1986 British) and Jack Nicklaus (1980 U.S. Open) are the only players to post 63 and go on to win the tournament.

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Not everyone, apparently, is wilting under the heat. Pat Perez, who shot himself back into the tournament with a three-under 67 Saturday, says all the complainers need to relax.

“I don’t mind the humidity,” said Perez, who lives in scorching Scottsdale, Ariz. “I like it -- I’d much rather have it hot than cold. I can’t move when it’s cold. I hate it. So I’ll take 110 over 60 any day.”

In other words, if they ever create the Death Valley Open, count Perez in.

Stewart Cink had the dissenting opinion.

“The humidity, no breeze, it’s just dreadful,” Cink said.

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Tiger Woods went from just making the cut Friday to being six shots out of the lead after Saturday, but he knows he could have been a lot closer than that had he played better on the par-five holes.

Woods has played six par fives so far and he’s a combined one over. He made par at both of them Saturday. At the 17th, an errant second shot cost Woods, who three-putted the 18th.

“Just leaves a really bad taste in your mouth,” he said.

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After wearing clothes with the New York Jets’ logo for his 67, Ben Curtis said he was going to wear clothes with the New York Giants’ logo today.

Said Curtis: “I think the Jets’ fans were a little louder today than the Giants’ fans. I think tomorrow wearing Giants, there will be more Giants’ fans out there.”

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Four club pros out of the 25 who started the tournament are still around. They are led by Steve Schneiter, 41, from Sandy, Utah.

The former Utah state amateur champion shot a 72 and is at six-over 216 -- two shots better than John Daly, who during his round of 78 was forced to putt with a wedge because the head of his putter came off after 10 holes.

“I rolled it pretty good. I just couldn’t get it in the hole,” he said. “The other putter was knocking it 10 feet by.”

Daly also reached the green at the 650-yard par five 17th in two and made a birdie.

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Charles Howell III made his first hole-in-one as a PGA professional on the 193-yard No. 4 hole. Howell used a seven-iron.