(Rochester) A trio led by American Scottie Scheffler, also with Norwegian Viktor Hovland and Canadian Corey Conners, leads the way halfway through the PGA Championship, in Rochester (New York) where the noh 1 Jon Rahm battled to pass the cut on Friday.
The playing conditions were difficult during this second day at Oak Hill, the wind and the rain inviting themselves without however disturbing the three leading men.
Scheffler, the second player in the world, thought he would finish in the lead at the end of the second round, when he chained his third and fourth birdies at the noh 15 and noh 16. But a bogey committed on the last hole, his second overall, slightly reduced his card (68).
“I felt like I did well. I didn’t hit as many lanes as I would have liked, but a score of -2 is good, it shows solid golf,” he commented, satisfied.
The American, winner of the Masters Tournament last year, actually totals a score – 5 after 36 holes, just like his two rivals.
It is by registering his fourth birdie of the day on the 18e green that Hovland joined Scheffler and Conners at the top of the standings.
“My score is excellent, the way I progressed here is very satisfying. I tried to get as many runs as possible without stress and some birdie opportunities,” said the 11-year-old Norwegian.e worldwide, in search of a first major title.
Corey Conners, who just won his second title on the North American circuit last month at the Texas Open, also said he was “very happy” with his day. “The conditions were tricky, but I was able to get a few putts at the right times, that was key today. »
This trio is two strokes ahead of the Americans Justin Suh and Bryson DeChambeau (- 3), who had dominated the first round the day before.
McIlroy in ambush
Winner of the United States Open in 2020, DeChambeau, a member of the dissident LIV circuit, was off to a very bad start as he suffered a bogey and a double bogey in the first part of the course. But he limited the damage with three birdies in the second despite finishing with another bogey.
“It’s been a few years [qu’il n’a plus gagné de tournoi], but that doesn’t mean I don’t know how to do it. I’m on the right track,” said DeChambeau, whose last win was in 2021 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
His compatriot and colleague on the LIV circuit, Brooks Koepka, follows at 6e rank (- 2) with Englishman Callum Tarren.
At the 10e up is Rory McIlroy, somewhat stunned to find himself in ambush, having felt ill at times and only managed to find the fairway seven times.
“I’m not saying I could put on one of my best performances, but when I put that putt [pour l’oiselet] on the last hole, I looked at the board and thought ‘I can’t believe I’m five shots’ behind the leaders,” the Northern Irishman said.
The noh 1 world Jon Rahm, he does not play the leading roles, a month after his triumph in Augusta. Nevertheless, the Spaniard hangs on, as the day after his calamitous first round, at the end of which he finished with six shots over par, he surrendered a card of 68 to reduce his total to +4.
Like him, at the 48e place, is another member of the LIV circuit, the Australian Cameron Smith, champion of the British Open last year.
With a score of +5, the Americans Justin Thomas, defending champion, and Phil Mickelson, 59aremeanwhile save their presence in this tournament, being at the limit of the cut for the rounds of the weekend.