PGA Championship: Viktor Hovland, Scottie Scheffler, Corey Conners share halfway lead at Oak Hill
Scottie Scheffler is tied for the halfway lead at the PGA Championship
Scottie Scheffler, Viktor Hovland and Corey Conners hold a share of the halfway lead at the PGA Championship, with Bryson DeChambeau heading the chasing pack at Oak Hill.
Scheffler followed a blemish-free 67 on Thursday with a two-under 68 in warmer and windier conditions at Oak Hill, as the world No 2 mixed four birdies with two bogeys to head into the weekend on five under.
Conners matched Scheffler’s total and Hovland made it a three-way tie at the top when he closed a second-round 67 with a birdie, with overnight leader DeChambeau two off the pace alongside Justin Suh.
Four-time major champion Brooks Koepka is within three of the lead alongside England’s Callum Tarren, while Rory McIlroy is five back on level-par and world No 1 Jon Rahm is through to the weekend thanks to a second-round 68.
Rory McIlroy holes a birdie putt on the 18th hole to move into contention
Exciting weekend ahead at Oak Hill
None of the morning wave were able to get within three strokes of overnight clubhouse leader DeChambeau, with Taylor Pendrith and Justin Rose sitting the initial target at one under after rounds of 69 and 70.
Scheffler began his day one behind but made the dream start by firing his approach to tap-in range at the first and holing in a 10-foot birdie at the next, taking him to five under, only for Conners – beginning on the back nine – to pick up shots at the 13th and 15th to take a share of the lead.
Corey Conner mixed three birdies with a lone bogey on Friday
Conners was handed the outright advantage when Scheffler carded his first bogey of the week at the seventh, having failed to get up and down from a greenside bunker, with the Canadian making clutch saves at the 17th and 18th to reach the turn one ahead.
Keegan Bradley made birdies at the second and fourth to join Scheffler on four under, while DeChambeau slipped four behind after following a three-putt bogey at the third by requiring two attempts to get out of a greenside bunker and double-bogeying the sixth.
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Conners responded to a missed eight-foot birdie chance at the first to drain a 20-footer at the next to double his lead, while Hovland started his back nine with a birdie to move alongside Scheffler on four under.
Scheffler made a 10-foot birdie at the 14th and fired his tee shot at the next to tap-in range, which gave him the solo advantage when Conners bogeyed the seventh, only for him to bogey the last and slip back to five under.
DeChambeau moved within one of the lead with three birdies in a four-hole stretch from the 11th, while Hovland signed off a brilliant second-round 67 and made it a three-way tie at the top with a closing birdie.
Who is in the chasing pack?
A final-hole bogey dropped DeChambeau two back alongside Justin Suh, while Koepka birdied four of his last seven holes to close a second-round 66, with Rose on one under and just nine players in red figures heading into the weekend.
Shane Lowry charged into contention with six birdies in an eight-hole stretch but bogeyed two of his last three holes to slip back to level par, while McIlroy is also five back after a brilliant back-nine fightback.
Rory McIlroy admitted his long birdie on the ninth hole gave him momentum heading into the back nine
McIlroy had been two over for his round until he nailed a 45-foot birdie at the par-four ninth, with the former world No 1 then signing off a bogey-free back nine by making a 15-footer and closing a one-under 69
Club per Michael Block is within five of the lead with back-to-back 70s, with Dustin Johnson faltering to a four-over 74 to slip six off the pace alongside the likes of Collin Morikawa and Patrick Cantlay.
Watch Michael Block’s shanked tee shot and ugly approach at the par-three fifth, where a double-bogey saw him slip down the PGA Championship leaderboard
Big names sneak through at Oak Hill
Rahm was outside the cut mark with six holes to play but birdied his next three, with the Spaniard recovering from bogeying the 16th to close out a second-round 68 and head into the weekend on four over.
Defending champion Justin Thomas scrambled a final-hole bogey to make the cut on the number, while Jordan Spieth got up and down from the sand to save par and stay on five over to keep his outside Grand Slam hopes alive.
Phil Mickelson secured his 100th cut made in a major and is also 10 back thanks to a two-over 72, while US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick and last week’s AT&T Byron Nelson winner Jason Day both missed the cut.
Watch the PGA Championship throughout the weekend live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues on Saturday from 2pm on Sky Sports Golf.
