World number two Scottie Scheffler, Canada’s Corey Conners and Norway’s Viktor Hovland took part of the lead in the second round of the PGA Championship on Friday, while a ruthless Oak Hill ensured that some of the biggest names in the game golf world fought to make the cut.
Scheffler, who posted his first-ever bogey free round at a major on Thursday with a clean 67, couldn’t match that brilliance in the second round, but delivered a clinical performance as always, completing a two-under 68 to return to the top.
Conners had started the day level with Scheffler one behind the trailblazing Bryson DeChambeau and finished it in the same position also signing for a 68.
World No. 11, Hovland started his round with back-to-back birdies, then made a five-yard birdie putt on the 18th to join Conners and Scheffler at five-under 135.
“The tournament is half over,” said Scheffler, who can recapture the number ranking with a win on Sunday. “I’ve had two good days so far and I hope to continue that throughout the week.
Scottie Scheffler plays a second shot on the 18th hole during Friday’s second round
Viktor Hovland makes a putt on the 15th hole during the second round of the tournament
“You get rewarded for good shots here, and if you execute them you can birdie just about every hole.
“So if you can kind of stay in the lead and stay in position and hopefully wait for it to warm up, that’s a good position to be in.”
The three men opened up a two-shot lead going into the weekend over Justin Suh (68) and LIV Golf banner bearer DeChambeau, who twisted the 18th for a one-over 71.
Brooks Koepka (66), another member of the LIV Golf contingent, and Callum Tarren (67) are again adrift at two-under.
And Koepka’s LIV tourmate Patrick Reed shot a 71 in the second round and is tied for 35th with a three-over.
During the first two rounds, golfers have already had to deal with all that mother nature had to offer: gusty winds, frost and rain added to Oak Hill’s already stout defenses.
Brooks Koepka is two-under by two rounds after shooting a 66 on Friday
After freezing temperatures and frost delayed the start of play on Thursday, wind and rain were the problem on Friday, as only nine of the 156 players made it to the second major under par of the year halfway through.
Defending champion Justin Thomas, six-time major winner Phil Mickelson and Jordan Spieth, who needs only a PGA Championship to complete his career grand slam, all made it through the weekend on the skin of their teeth, right on the five- over-cut line .
Spieth, who is making his seventh attempt at the career slam, rolled in a must-make eight-footer for par on the 18th to secure his spot.
The day started with 30 golfers returning early to complete their first rounds after darkness brought play to a halt on Thursday.
Ireland’s Shane Lowry started the day with three over closer to the cutting line than in contention, but the 2019 British Open champion found a bit of magic on the back nine with five birdies over six holes between 10th and 15th.
Lowry would bogey his last two holes coming home, but his 67 would leave him tied for two laps in the pack, including good friend Rory McIlroy.
Corey Conners is tied with Scheffler and Hovland after an impressive five-under
Rory McIlroy remains in the hunt after firing two rounds
Four-time big winner McIlroy has yet to find form at Oak Hill, but the Northern Irishman’s determination has kept him in the hunt, grinding out a one-under 69 and signing off with a 17-foot birdie putt clutch on the 18th.
“I last holed that putt, I looked at the board and I thought, I can’t believe I’m five back,” said McIlroy. “I think that’s a good thing because I know if I can get it into play off the tee that’s key to my success this weekend.
“If I can get the ball in play off the tee, I have a chance.”
World number one Jon Rahm recovered from an opening round 76 with a two-under-68, which was enough to see the Spaniard through to the weekend with a total of four remaining.
Cinderella’s story at this PGA Championship is 46-year-old Michael Block, one of 20 teaching club pros in the field, who has beaten some of golf’s biggest names by carding two rounds of level par 70 to make the cut. to make.
Other notable performances include Justin Rose tied for eighth on one-under, Collin Morikawa tied for 19th on one-over and Max Homa tied for 35th on three-over.
The tournament lasts two days and ends on Sunday.