Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Rory McIlroy returned to major contention with an impressive second-round battle at the PGA Championship, as Scotty Scheffler fumbled his fast start in Pennsylvania.
McIlroy’s bid for back-to-back major titles turned into a battle for the cut after he finished his first round with a four-bogey 74, only for The Masters champion to bounce back with a bogey-free 67 at Aronimink Golf Club.
The world No. 2 failed to take advantage of the par-five but posted three birdies at one over on the weekend, five points behind leaders Maverick McNeely and Alex Smalley, with McIlroy poised to challenge for a third PGA Championship.
Please use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
McIlroy shoots a flawless 67 during the second round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club
Chris Gotterup fired a round of the day 65 to sit one shot off the lead in a group of five players, while defending champion Scheffler shot a one-over 71 to move two back in a crowded group with two-time winner Justin Thomas, world No. 3 Cameron Young and Sweden’s Luidberg.
Jordan Spieth is five back as he searches for the elusive major he needs to complete the career grand slam, as Bryson DeChambeau missed the cut for a second consecutive major despite finishing his round with three consecutive birdies.
McIlroy battled back after a slow start
Starting the day outside the projected cut, McIlroy – playing alongside John Rahm and Spieth – quickly charged up the leaderboard by adding another from seven feet at the fourth, followed by a 13-foot birdie at the second.
McIlroy made tough par saves at the sixth and eighth but missed an eight-foot birdie chance at the ninth, leaving the six-time major champion visibly frustrated after a long wait to play his tee shot and reach the par-four 10th.
Please use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
McIlroy was frustrated by slow play during the second round of the PGA Championship as his team waited to tee off on the 10th hole.
A par-streak ended with a 10-foot birdie at the 12th after McIlroy went up and down to save par, McIlroy was spot-free – with rounds taking more than five-and-a-half hours due to gusty winds and tight greens – to go into the weekend inside the top 30.
“I think everybody should feel like they’ve got a chance,” McIlroy said after his round. It’s a bunch, but you get a run with that front nine wedges, and you shoot four or five-under, and suddenly you’re right in the thick of things. “Five back I feel like I’m right in the tournament.”
McIlroy’s second round 67 was seven shots better than his first round
McNealy and Smalley took possession of the shock halftime lead
World No. 33 McNally has just one top-10 worldwide since last year’s FedExCup playoffs and has never finished in the top 20 at the halfway stage of a major, but holds a share of the lead despite his disappointing second-round 67 finish.
McNally briefly jumped two ahead after following a hole-out eagle from the bunker with three birdies in the first to five-hole burst at the par-five 16th, before the American three-putted and bogeyed the eighth to move back to four under.
Smalley recovered from the start with three straight bogeys on his second nine and finished with birdies on the fourth and ninth to post a one-under 69, setting the clubhouse target, Gotterup’s round-of-the-day to lift him to third.
Please use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
The difficult conditions at Aronimink have made it a struggle for some players who are fighting to make the cut at the PGA Championship.
Stefan Jaeger posted 18 pars to stay at three under and overnight co-leaders Min Woo Lee and Aldrich Potgieter also carded second-round 70s, with Max Gressermann’s final-hole eagle lifting him to one back on five.
Scheffler bogeyed three of his first four holes on a day in which he missed the first six fairways and converted putts less than 50 feet, but finished strongly to stay in the hunt for a fifth major in as many seasons.
Scottie Scheffler described some of the pin placements as ‘absurd’ after his second round
“It’s the toughest set of pin positions I’ve seen since I’ve been on tour, and that includes the US Open, Oakmont,” Scheffler said. “It’s hard to hole putts, especially when you have big slopes and wind, and I think that’s why you see scores so close to par.”
Big names drop out despite a bunch leaderboards
A stacked leaderboard shows 29 players within four of the halfway lead, with the eight-stroke gap between the leader and the cut tied for the shortest in tournament history.
Please use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Matt Fitzpatrick went from looking for birdie to making double bogey after an untimely four-putt on the par-three 14th.
Jon Rahm is three back, one over behind McIlroy, along with Xander Schaffel, Spieth and Brooks Koepka and Matt Fitzpatrick a shot further back, aiming for the third leg of a career Grand Slam.
Justin Rose birdied his final hole to go three over and Shane Lowry missed the cut, as Tommy Fleetwood (+5), Robert McIntyre (+5), Victor Hovland (+6), JJ Spahn (+6), Tyrell Hatton (+6), Keegan Bradley (+6) joined Miss Dacey.
Who will win the PGA Championship? Watch live all week on Sky Sports. Live coverage of the third round begins on Saturday from 3pm on Sky Sports Golf. Get Sky Sports or Flow without any contract.
