At the PGA Championship, Oak Hill is providing a bit of everything. Scottie Scheffler, who is becoming used to pursuing majors, is one constant.
On Friday morning, a frost delay at the beginning gave way to warmth and wind before midday downpours required the use of umbrellas. Scheffler shot a 2-under 68 to tie for the lead with Corey Conners and Viktor Hovland. He maintained his composure throughout the round.
“I want to hold the posts listed here. I arrive at the competitions prepared to provide my best effort. I’m pleased with how I performed the first few days, and I’m looking forward to the weekend since I’m in a strong position. Having said that, I’m going to continue doing what I’m doing and keep my head high.” Scheffler said.
Hovland, who was tied for the lead after 54 holes at St. Andrews last summer, is adjusting to this as well. In his round of 67, he only dropped one ball, and he finished with a birdie putt from 5 feet in wet, deep rough using a 7-iron. He finished the day among the top 10 on the leaderboard, his 10th straight major round.
Conners fired 68 and had a two-shot lead at one time before having to use his short game to make up for some mishit drives and difficult front-nine holes.
They were two strokes better than Bryson DeChambeau (71) and Justin Suh (68) at 5-under 135. The top seven golfers, which includes Brooks Koepka, all came from the same side of the draw. Koepka’s round of 66 included a 31 on the back nine. Due to below-freezing temperatures and a layer of frost on the grass, they were delayed by two hours. They stayed away from the breezy Friday morning, and the passing showers also took out some of the heat in Oak Hill.
“Thankfully, even though it was raining, there was no breeze, which made a difference for us. The ball was a little bit short due to that wetness. Additionally, being in the rough tends to make it a little bit juicier. The greens become softer as a result, and you may be a little bit more aggressive.” Hovland said.
Undoubtedly, there were a few spectacular turnarounds.
In an eight-hole run during the rainy afternoon, Shane Lowry made six birdies before finishing with two bogeys.
With a 67, he had to be content with finishing in a big group at even par 140, five strokes down but still very much in the mix.
Rory McIlroy, who felt as though he hit the ball poorly and sounded like it on one drive and was pleasantly shocked when he peeked at the leaderboard after his 69 and found himself in range, was also a part of that group. Michael Block, a club professional, shot 70.
“Even though I’ve been struggling with my golf ball the past two days, the fact that I’m just five back is probably a good thing. If I can get it in play off the tee, that will be the key to my success this weekend,” said Mcllroy.
Some athletes were merely content to be present for the weekend.
The No. 1 player in the world and the reigning Masters champion Jon Rahm started the round with a 76 and failed to sink a putt. He was one shot over the cut of 5 over and running out of holes until he raced off three straight birdies and salvaged a 68 to make the cut.
At the drivable 14th hole, Jordan Spieth stepped off the tee believing he would have a decent chance to make a birdie. He then found himself in such a tricky position in the front bunker that his shot sailed over the green, over the fence between the two fairways, and ended up somewhere on the grounds of Irondequoit Country Club.
He had to give it another go, managed to make a bogey, birdied the fifteenth, and finished the day by saving par with a 10-foot putt to reach the number. He was tied for last place with reigning winner Justin Thomas, who needed to make a 7-foot bogey putt to advance to the weekend after needing two shots to get out of a bunker on the 18th hole.
The top players, including a mix of major champions, PGA Championship debutants, PGA Tour rookies, and club professionals, are now the center of attention. Each of them was five shots or less from the lead.
DeChambeau also struggled to get going, especially on the sixth par-4 hole, which had an average score of 4.75 and only produced three birdies out of 156 players. He needed two shots to escape a bunker on the green and ended up making a double bogey.
DeChambeau didn’t make his first birdie until the 11th par-3 hole. He subsequently made two more birdies before finishing with a bogey.
Then, when night fell, he made his way to the range.
“I understand what to do. I’ve already done it. Even if it has been a while, I still know how to do it, and if this isn’t the right time, then it’s not. I believe that I am finally making progress in the correct path.” mentioned DeChambeau who won the U.S. Open championship at Winged Foot in 2020.
The same goes for Scheffler, who competed at the PGA Championship in 2020 as a rookie, won the Masters in 2017, and narrowly missed a U.S. Open playoff at Brookline by one shot.
With two birdies to start, he made his first tournament bogey on the seventh hole before passing Conners for the lead with a difficult up-and-down from thick rough on the 14th hole and a wedge shot to short range on the 15th 131-yard hole.
“The competition is halfway over. I’ve already had two good days, and I simply want that to continue for the rest of the week.” Scheffler said.
