The first PGA Championship at Aronimink in 64 years saw two fresh faces, Alex Smalley and Maverick McNealy, rise to the top Friday, while the course kept the field tightly packed and hopeful.<\/p>\n
Smalley, in just his fifth major, rebounded from three consecutive bogeys after the turn to finish with a birdie, carding a 1-under 69. McNealy, who had never placed in the top 25 after 36 holes in a major, posted a 67 despite two late bogeys.<\/p>\n
Both players stood at 4-under 136, marking the highest 36-hole score to lead the PGA Championship since 2012 at Kiawah Island.<\/p>\n
Trailing them were seven major champions within four shots, including Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm, and Hideki Matsuyama. Masters champion Rory McIlroy was also in contention, tied for 30th with a bogey-free 67 and only five shots back.<\/p>\n
The gap between first and last was just eight shots, an unusually tight margin for a major.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnyone who makes the cut has got to feel they have a shot in the tournament,\u201d McIlroy said from Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n
Aronimink\u2019s large greens with steep slopes and tricky pin placements challenged the players in varying weather, starting cold and blustery in the morning and warming up by the afternoon.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe hardest set of pin locations that I\u2019ve seen since I\u2019ve been on tour,\u201d Scheffler said after a 71. \u201cThat includes U.S. Opens. That includes Oakmont.\u201d<\/p>\n
McNealy was the only player to reach 6 under during the tournament at one point when he holed a bunker shot for eagle on the par-5 16th. He told his brother and caddie, Scout, how surprised he was by his performance. He added three birdies over five holes afterward but stumbled late, as many did.<\/p>\n
Despite that, he will be in the final group of a major for the first time, with seven major champions within four shots.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is unfamiliar territory for me,\u201d McNealy admitted.<\/p>\n
Morning players like Henrik Norlander and Matsuyama faced cold temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius and strong winds. Norlander powered through with three consecutive birdies to card a 65, the day\u2019s lowest score.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday would definitely be one of those days where I would be on the couch thinking, \u2018How did he hit it there?\u2019 and \u2018How did he do this?\u2019 Then you\u2019re out there and it just feels impossible,\u201d Norlander said.<\/p>\n
Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters winner, shot 67. When asked what it would take to win, he replied through a translator, \u201cYou\u2019re going to have misses, but you have to miss it in the right place.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stephan Jaeger steadied himself with 18 pars for a 72, sitting just one shot behind the leaders alongside Aldrich Potgieter, Min Woo Lee, and Max Greyserman.<\/p>\n
Scheffler, who shared the 18-hole lead for the first time in a major, struggled to find consistency. He didn\u2019t hit a fairway until his ninth hole and dropped three shots over four holes after driving into thick rough.<\/p>\n
A brilliant 80-foot lag putt on the par-3 14th helped save his round, allowing him to two-putt for par. He finished strong with a birdie on the par-5 ninth.<\/p>\n
Scheffler was tied with Thomas and Harold Varner III at 2-under 138, joined by Ludvig Aberg, who fired a 66 with four birdies in a five-hole stretch on the difficult back nine.<\/p>\n
The cut came at 4-over 144, ending the chances of players like Bryson DeChambeau, who was 10 over but finished with three birdies too late to advance.<\/p>\n
Garrick Higgo\u2019s two-shot penalty for being late to his tee time on Thursday cost him a share of the lead and ultimately the cut after a 76 on Friday.<\/p>\n
McIlroy and Jordan Spieth, both eyeing historic Grand Slam pursuits, were tied for 30th at 5 shots back. Spieth needs the PGA title to complete his career slam, while McIlroy, as Masters champion, remains the only player with a chance at the calendar-year slam.<\/p>\n
With so many difficult pin placements and challenging conditions, no one feels safe just yet.<\/p>\n
McIlroy, after a steady 67, focused on staying in the mix. He believes the PGA of America has already used some of the toughest pin positions, and with calmer conditions ahead, the competition may just be starting.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, it\u2019s bunched,\u201d he said. \u201cBut you get on a run with wedges on that front nine and you shoot 4, 5 under and all of a sudden you\u2019re right in the thick of things.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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