Key events
Thanks Scott. At the 4th Jordan Spieth and Jon Rahm have found the green in regulation, but haven’t left themselves obvious birdie opportunities. Now it’s Rory McIlroy’s turn. Much better. The ball dances close to the hole: from 118 yards, he’s left himself seven feet to get to -2 for the round.
… and with that, I’m for the off. Matt Cooper will steer this baby home. Enjoy the rest of today’s golf, and I’ll see you tomorrow for Moving Day.
Aldrich Potgieter nearly holes out from a bunker greenside of the par-five 9th. He briefly raises his arms in glee before realising the ball’s not going to drop. It rolls a couple of feet past, but he makes the one coming back for birdie. In doing so, he becomes just the second player to reach the -5 mark, after Alex Smalley earlier on. A reminder that Potgieter is 21 and on debut.
-5: Potgieter (9)
-4: Smalley (F)
-3: Matsuyama (F), Gotterup (F), Day (6), Jaeger (5*), Lee (5)
-2: C Young (F), Thomas (F), Scheffler (F), N Højgaard (7*), Theegala (5), McNealy (3*), Hisatsune (2*)
Min Woo Lee briefly joins the leaders at -4 with birdie at 4. But then a careless three-putt on the par-three 5th hands the shot straight back to the field, and not long after he sends his tee shot at 6 into thick nonsense down the left of the fairway. How quickly things can change at Aronimink.
-4: Smalley (F), Potgieter (8)
-3: Matsuyama (F), Gotterup (F), Day (6), Jaeger (5*), Lee (5), Hisatsune (1*)
-2: C Young (F), Thomas (F), Scheffler (F), N Højgaard (6*), Theegala (5), McNealy (3*)
Rory rolls in a 15-footer for birdie at 2! He doesn’t allow himself a smile, but walks off the green with that trademark spring in his step. He’s +3, and if he can get some momentum going, oowee. Rickie Fowler meanwhile bounces back from that miserable three-putt bogey on 1 with birdies at 2 and 3! He’s -1.
Alex Smalley sets clubhouse lead at -4
Hats off to Alex Smalley, who stumbled badly just after he turned, with bogeys at 1, 2 and 3. A bounceback birdie at 4, a string of pars, and finally another birdie at 9, and that’s a round of 69 that puts him in the clubhouse lead at -4. That could easily have gotten away from the relatively inexperienced 29-year-old from Greensboro, North Carolina, so there was plenty of moxie on display there. It follows up his opening round of 67, and that’s the first time he’s posted consecutive rounds under par in the majors.
Aaron Rai has been hanging around the majors for the last couple of years, without ever quite putting four rounds together. A tie for 19th at last year’s PGA his best result. But he’s not been far off clicking, forever threatening to achieve something better. And perhaps this is it for the steady 31-year-old from Wolverhampton. He pings a sensational approach at 18 from 205 yards to kick-in distance, and tidies up for his second birdie in the final three holes. That’s a 69 to go alongside yesterday’s 70, and England could yet have its first winner of this tournament since Jim Barnes in 1919.
1919!
Justin Rose – extremely relaxed, and highly amused – reacts to that absurd bacon-saving hole-out for eagle on 9, telling Sky Sports: “I left myself in the worst possible spot … I’ve been doing that all day … it was in the lap of the gods … I hit a good shot, obviously … desperate times require desperate measures, but that was pretty fun to be honest! … if you can stick around for the weekend, you can still have a good week … hopefully put my ball in the fairway and then I can show off a bit!”
Rory became just the sixth man to complete the modern career grand slam last year. Thirteen months on, can Jordan Spieth join him on that exclusive list, that also features Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods? It’s far from a pipe dream, the erstwhile Masters, US Open and Open champ needing just the Wanamaker Trophy to complete the set, and having shot a fine 69 yesterday. He misses a downhill ten-footer for birdie at the 1st, his disappointing prod drifting off harmlessly to the right, but like Rory before him, at least he gave himself the chance. He’s -1 overall.
Rory McIlroy finished up yesterday with four bogeys on the bounce. That’s new ground for the six-time major champion in one of the big ones. It felt like he’d almost played himself out of the tournament with that disastrous run, but nobody from the early phase of starters extended the overnight lead, so he’ll be coming into this round with renewed hope. If he can just replicate the work of Hideki Matsuyama … or somehow match what Chris Gotterup got up to … well, all bets would be off. Or back on. You get the gist. Anyway, he takes 3-wood at 1 for safety … then hoicks it into the thick stuff down the left. Oh Rory. But coming out of the rough means no spin, and that helps his second trundle onto the green and up to 30 feet. He’ll. have a look at birdie … and the putt doesn’t go in, shaving the hole on the left, but it was a good effort and at least he gave himself a chance. Something to build on. He remains at +4.
While Rose was getting up to that giddy nonsense, Scottie Scheffler was making a garden-variety birdie. And so after a round packed with an uncharacteristically large amount of wild golf, the world number one signs for a one-over 71, and ends the day at -2 overall. He’d have surely taken that when three over for his round after four holes.
Justin Rose must surely have been thinking about packing his suitcase when getting back to his digs. But not now! Off the front-left of the par-five 9th, in thick rough, he chips in for an eagle that will surely ensure his weekend’s participation! From +5 to +3 in an elegant swipe of his wedge. He raises a fist in quiet celebration, then cracks a broad smile. Shades of Birkdale as an amateur at the 1998 Open? Maybe, if you’re pushing the point. But just imagine if he somehow posts two stellar rounds over the weekend and goes on to win this thing. Because as it stands, he’s only seven back. For the record, the largest comeback by a winner after 36 holes was by Bob Rosburg in 1959 and Bob Tway in 1986, both making up a nine-shot deficit over the weekend. I mean, it’s unlikely. But you never know. Maybe? It’s on!
Nicolai Højgaard has yet to come good at a major, despite his great promise. No top-ten finish in any of them yet; his best finish at the PGA is a tie for 41st last year. But this tournament is shaping to be his breakthrough statement: birdies at 13 and 14, to follow yesterday’s 69, and the 25-year-old Dane is in the big group at -3, just a shot off leader Aldrich Potgieter.
-4: Potgieter (6)
-3: Matsuyama (F), Gotterup (F), Smalley (16*), N Højgaard (5*), Day (4), Jaeger (3*), Lee (2), Hisatsune
-2: C Young (F), Thomas (F), Brown (2*), Theegala (2), McNealy (1*), Schauffele
Rickie Fowler’s tee shot at 1 stays in bounds – just – and then he swishes a lovely second from 128 yards to 15 feet. But a careless three-putt leads to an unwelcome bogey. Fowler – best result at the PGA a tie for third in 2014 – takes a step back to +1.
The weekend looks like proving a bridge too far for the legendary club pro Michael Block. The blue-collar hero of 2023 gave himself a flicker of hope of survival with birdie at 16, but he closed with bogeys at 17 and 18 to file a round of 75 alongside yesterday’s 70. At +5, he’s almost certainly missing the cut. He’ll always have Oak Hill. Club manager Ben Kern will be here, though, after parring his way home to sign for a magnificent 67 today. He’s +1.
Justin Rose follows up bogey at 6 with another at 8. He’s now +5 and will need a birdie up the last to have any chance of surviving the cut. In the game up ahead, Justin Thomas pars 9 to finish the day with his second 69 of the week. He’s -2, and that’s where he’s joined by his playing partner Cameron Young who, having whistled his second into the par-five to eight feet, tidies up for an eagle and a round of 67. Young shot a slightly disappointing 71 yesterday, but he’s slipped back into gear very smoothly today, back home in 32.
Chris Gotterup looks like a major champion in waiting. But then we were saying that Rickie Fowler for years and years, only for the popular Californian to repeatedly fail to break the tape, coming agonisingly close again and again. He’s got 13 top-ten finishes at the majors, but no win, by some distance the highest number of the players in this week’s field. (Next cab on the rank is Brandt Snedeker with nine, then Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton and Luke Donald with eight.) After yesterday’s 70 he’s positioned well to launch a wrong-righting bid, but he’s just sent his opening tee shot wide left of the 1st fairway, toying with the OB. Fingers crossed that’s stayed on the property.
Chris Gotterup shoots 65
Chris Gotterup already has two wins on the PGA Tour this year. He also won last year’s Scottish Open before coming third at the Open a week later. He’s a player in form, on the up since crashing the scene 14 months ago, and now the 26-year-old from Maryland, of Danish descent, looks in the frame of mind to take the next step. He finishes his round today with three straight birdies, for a best-of-week 65. He joins Hideki Matsuyama in the clubhouse lead, and you wouldn’t bet large amounts against their not being in the overall lead come the end of the day.
-4: Potgieter (4)
-3: Matsuyama (F), Gotterup (F), Smalley (15*), Day (2), Jaeger (2*), Lee (1), Hisatsune
-2: Thomas (17*), Brown (1*), Theegala (1), Greyserman, Schauffele
The 2015 champion Jason Day has flown out of the traps. Birdies at 1 and 2 and he joins the group one off the lead at -3. Meanwhile some more disappointment for Scottie Scheffler from position A in the middle of the fairway. Another average wedge in, and two putts later it’s a par when he’d have been expecting something better. He remains at -1.
Thanks Matt … and a handover’s always a good time for an updated leaderboard, huh.
-4: Potgieter (4)
-3: Matsuyama (F), Smalley (14*), Jaeger (1*), Lee, Hisatsune
-2: Gotterup (17*), Thomas (17*), Day (1), C Smith (1), Brown, Theegala, Greyserman, Schauffele
And with that unlikely surname chatter, I’ll hand over to Scott Murray before returning for the final shift. The wind is picking up so it could be a fun watch this evening. All yours, Scott.
A curiosity of sport is that a performer will pop up with a name you’ve literally never heard of – and then, before you know it, there’s another one. For example, the surname Potgieter was completely new to me when Aldrich won the 2022 Amateur Championship – and many other folk, too, I would imagine. Many might only be discovering him this week. But guess what? Delano Potgieter, a South African cricketer, is making his Hampshire debut today. He’s currently 14 not out against Nottinghamshire. His namesake has found the green at the par-three 5th but will be happy to two-putt for par.
Justin Thomas loves a PGA Championship. He’s won two of them and contends, too, with four top 10 finishes in 10 starts. In contrast, he’s registered four in 31 appearances in the other majors.
He’s made two birdies at 4 and 6 in the last hour, both from inside six feet, to get to -2 for the week. He has 16 feet for another birdie at 7, but can’t convert.
Chris Gotterup has joined him on -2 for the week after par breakers at 7 and 8. But Scottie Scheffler has fallen back to -1. He had 85-yards fro his second shot at the par-four 6th and needed four shots to find the bottom of the hole.
Yikes. Patrick Reed has missed from four feet for bogey at the par-five 16th. It follows another bogey at the 15th. A nice halfway position is on the brink of slipping away. He’s now level-par for the championship.
Wonderful shot from Cameron Young on 7. He’s not in A1 position on the par-four, close by a tree, in scraggly grass, but his approach gives him a decent look at birdie from 16 feet. He’s back to level par and has a par-five to end his round.
-4: Potgieter (3)
-3: Matsuyama (F), Smalley (13*), Jaeger, Lee, Hisatsune
-2: Thomas (15*), Scheffler (14*), Gerard (2*), Brown, Theegala, Greyserman, Schauffele
Having spurned a birdie chance at 2, Aldrich Potgieter snaffles one at 3. The South African is now alone at the top of the leaderboard on -4. Daft game that golf is, he found the first two fairways and made par both times. Yet, after he missed the short grass at 3, he finally landed the par breaker.
Rory McIlroy tees off in about an hour and appears on TV screens walking to the range. He’s currently tied for 84th after an opening 74 and outside the cut line. He’s 2-for-3 at rescuing his weekend from this position. He successfully did it last year, actually, following a 74 with 69.
A delicate chip from Scottie Scheffler secures a par at 5. If he can squeeze out a birdie in the final four holes, he’ll have scratched his way to a level par second round. It would be a terrific effort and set him up very nicely for the weekend.
Andrew Coltart is still banging on about Garrick Higgo. Give it a rest, Andrew. It’s not a moral issue!
A good chance for Aldrich Potgieter to take the solo lead at 2. A big drive down the fairway, a clipped wedge, and he has five feet for birdie. But it doesn’t drop so he remains in a five-way share of the lead on -3.
Peloton is a good term for the state of the top end of the scoring. There are 27 players under par. In other words, within three blows of the lead. It’s a big pack, flying through small towns in a flat bit of western France, no sign of a breakaway.
A neat birdie for Scottie Scheffler at 4. He’s back to -2 for the championship. Typical Scheffler. He grinds for fun.
It’s nearly time for Garrick Higgo to tee off and, after yesterday’s shenanigans (see 17:06), he’s there well ahead of time. TV’s Andrew Coltart is huffing and puffing about it like he’s Garrick’s dad and he’s been dealing with bad timekeeping for far too long, young man. You’d think Higgo had been faffing about in his bedroom ahead of yesterday’s golf. Admittedly, he was faffing about on the practice ground, but it’s surely funny, rather than irritating, for everyone other than Higgo?
Hideki Matsuyama has missed an 8 foot birdie putt on 9 to set a clubhouse target of -4. But -3 is not too bad, and he’ll be bang in the hunt at the weekend. On TV Luke Donald says that he believes that the PGA of America will be pleased with the conditions that are making Aronimink a tough examination this week.
-3: Matsuyama (F), Smalley (11*), Potgieter (1), Jaeger, Lee, Hisatsune
-2: Reed (14), Brown, Theegala, Greyserman, Schauffele
Bradley is playing with probably his best performer in the Ryder Cup, Cameron Young. One of the hottest players in the game right now, the New Yorker is having to dig deep to keep his card from unravelling. One birdie and one bogey through 12 holes so he remains +1. Get into red, and he’s still in this championship. But two bad holes and he could miss the cut. It’s that kind of situation ahead of him in the next 90 minutes.
It’s getting blustery. “A lot, lot more than was forecast,” says Paul McGinley on TV as Alex Smalley misses a par putt to fall back into a tie for the lead on -3. Smalley is a slight figure, and golfing lore has it that such a frame is vulnerable to the wind. TV cuts to last year’s US Ryder Cup captain reviving memories of his angst when Justin Rose got a drop in New York. On this occassion his blood might be up because there’s a referee following his group. That suggests a slow play issue. That’s yet to be verified, however.
Scottie Scheffler has only 115-yards to the green at 3. But, although his approach lands on the putting surface, it spins back off the short grass. It’s not quite happening for the world’s top-ranked player, but you wouldn’t know it. Less because of his body language when he’s struggling. More because he nevers look especially excited when he’s making the game look straightforward.
Aldrich Potgieter, one of the seven 18-hole co-leaders, has started his second round. The 21-year-old South African is something of a boom or bust merchant. He’s made the cut in just 14 of his 38 starts on the PGA Tour. If that’s the bad news, the good news is that he’s flirted with wins at Torrey Pines and Colonial, both courses that have hosted major championships. And his win in the Rocket Classic last year came at Detroit GC. Like Aronimink this week, it is a Donald Ross design that favours big hitters (Potgieter ranks first for Average Driving Distance). Aronimink’s rough is more penal and that might easily threaten Potgieter’s long term challenge. His opening blow, however, goes right down the middle.
No birdie for Hideki Matsuyama at 8. He remains -3 for the day and championship, however, and he has the par-five 9th to come. The leader, Alex Smalley, has made a bogey at 1 to fall back to -4.
Kurt Kitayama has pulled himself back into the championship. His second round of 69 allows him to join Andrew Novak as an early clubhouse pacesetter on -1. He finished tied fourth in this championship in 2023 when it was held at Oak Hill. Like Aronimink this week, it is an old school Donald Ross design. That is, however, his only major championship top 30 in 18 starts.
South Africa’s Garrick Higgo appears on TV screens at the range. Yesterday he was late to the 1st tee and penalised two shots. His explanation has prompted many to scratch their heads. He said: “I was there on time, but the rule is, if you’re one second late, you’re late. So if you think about it, I was there on time.” Definitely a touch of Donald Rumsfeld’s known unknowns about it.
Thank you, Scott. And thank you, Scottie, because Scheffler’s slow start to the second round means that we’ve got a more interesting championship than many were fearing when the World No. 1 joined that seven-way first round lead overnight. His drive at 2 is classic Scheffler, like a fisherman in a storm who’s lost control of his catch. But also classic Scheffler because it has found the fairway.
Alex Smalley becomes the first player to reach the mark of five under! He finds the heart of 18 in regulation, then rolls in the fairly straight 20-footer for his birdie. Let’s call it the Justin Rose Putt, because he’s made that twice this week already. And the lead at the top is suddenly two.
-5: Smalley (9*)
-3: Matsuyama (16*), Potgieter, Jaeger, Lee, Hisatsune
-2: Reed (12), Brown, Theegala, Greyserman, Schauffele
… and with that, I’ll hand over to Matt Cooper. See you again soon.
A bounceback birdie for Hideki Matsuyama! His 20-foot putt across 7 threatens to stay up on the right lip, but eventually topples in. He’s back to -3. But Scottie Scheffler can’t make his birdie putt on 1, a misread that is always missing to the left. The defending champion stays at -1. But it’s three birdies in a row for Matt Fitzpatrick, who has clawed his way all the way back to level par.
Scottie Scheffler’s driver continues to misbehave. His ball disappears into thick rough down the right of 1. But he muscles an astonishing second into the green, from 135 yards, arrowed straight at the flag, and rolling out to nine feet. Lesser men would struggle to get that back out onto the fairway! Meanwhile the demise of Michael Block may have been exaggerated: he birdies 16 to keep hopes of weekend participation alive. He’s +3 and hope is real.
Michael Block doesn’t look like repeating his heroics of 2023 this year. After that early birdie at 5, he’s bogeyed 6, 8 and 11, and doubled 14. At +4 he needs a couple of late birdies if he’s to stay the distance this week. But one of the 20 club pros is currently on course to make the weekend: Ben Kern, the 41-year-old general manager of Hickory Hills Golf Club in Ohio, has birdied 17, 1, 2, 3 and now 5 to whistle up the standings to +1. Everyone at Aronimink and beyond wishing Kern godspeed across his final four holes.
Hideki Matsuyama takes his first backwards step of the day. A careless three-putt bogey on 6, and he drops out of the group at -3.
… and Scottie’s playing partner Matt Fitzpatrick is clawing his way back into contention. He follows his birdie at 17 with another at 18, and suddenly things are looking much healthier at +1. Meanwhile the third member of the group, Justin Rose, continues to hang on in there, just about. A weak chip into the green leaves a 20-foot putt, but just like last night, he rolls in a big saver to keep his spirits buoyant. He’s +4, though there’s work to do, with the cut currently projected to fall at +2.
A no-fuss par for Scottie Scheffler at 18. He’s played the back nine in 37, two strokes over par. Given how wildly he’s been driving, coupled with the conditions, that’s not the worst outcome for the world number one, who despite it all is just three off the lead at -1.
Not only has the sun come out, but the wind has dropped as well. Conditions so much more conducive to scoring. In theory. Let’s see how that pans out.
Hideki Matsuyama knocks his tee shot at the par-three 5th to four feet. He calmly rolls in the birdie putt, and that gives him a share of the lead … but only briefly, because up on the par-five 16th, Alex Smalley creams his fairway wood from 258 yards into the heart of the green, his ball resting 15 feet away. He’s the width of one dimple away from curling in the left-to-right eagle putt, but the tap-in birdie is enough to give him sole ownership of the lead. The sun’s come out at the end of a cold morning, and the leaderboard is finally beginning to heat up!
-4: Smalley (7*)
-3: Matsuyama (13*), Potgieter, Jaeger, Lee, Hisatsune
-2: Reed (11), Brown, Theegala, Greyserman, Schauffele
To illustrate just how good those tee shots were, ESPN flash up a list of the closest to the pin at 17 so far this week. Scheffler tops it with one foot and 10 inches; Fitzy is second with six foot and five inches. Then you’re looking at Max Homa (9’3”), Viktor Hovland (9’9”) and Hideki Matsuyama (9’10”). It’s a hellishly difficult tee shot – just ask Shane Lowry – so that was quite the stylish one-two. Happily both Fitzpatrick and Scheffler make their birdie putts, their first of the day, and move back to -1 and +2 respectively. Meanwhile par for Justin Rose, who had previously steadied his listing ship with birdie at 16, and he’s clinging on at +4.
You can’t keep a good man down! Scottie Scheffler sends a high fade into the 214-yard par-three 17th. It toys with the water on the left, but lands dry and curls serenely to 22 inches. He’ll surely make his first birdie of the day from there. Then Matt Fitzpatrick almost replicates the stroke! His effort stops six feet short, so he’ll have some work to do for his birdie, but what magic from both players. In particular Scottie Scheffler. Of course Scottie Scheffler in particular!
Scottie Scheffler gets a drop, and his second into the par-five 16th ends up in a deep bunker guarding the front of the green. He’s shortsided, and can only whip out to 15 feet. He sends an overly excitable birdie effort five feet past, and does well to tidy up and save his par. But his card so far – 5-4-5-5-3-4-5 – is very unScheffleresque. He remains at level par, not ideal given his starting point this morning, but hardly fatal given what’s happening around him.
The co-leader Alex Smalley keeps his bogey-free round going … but only just. He finds filth down the left from the tee, and can’t reach the green in regulation. His chip isn’t all that, so he does very well to gather himself and walk in the 20-foot par saver that remains. Meanwhile his compatriot Kurt Kitayama rakes in a long putt across 6 for his second birdie in four holes. He joins the group at -2, and for the first time today, there’s a little bit of movement at the top of the leaderboard. Just a little, but that’s all we’ve got for you.
-3: Smalley (6*), Potgieter, Jaeger, Lee, Hisatsune
-2: Kitayama (15*), Matsuyama (12*), Reed (10), Brown, Theegala, Greyserman, Schauffele
The 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama tickles in a downhill 15-footer on 3. That’s for his second birdie of the day, to follow one at 13, and perhaps most strikingly there’s no blemish on his card yet. A 70 yesterday, and now Japan’s first men’s major champion is just one shot off the lead … which is currently shared by young Ryo Hisatsune, hotly tipped to become the second sometime. But more of him later this evening.
