Friday's PGA Championship Round Two saw Jhonattan Vegas cling to his lead at eight-under despite a late stumble, as Matthieu Pavon and Max Homa surged with brilliant rounds to challenge at Quail Hollow.
PGA Championship: Round 2 at Quail Hollow
- Lead bullet – Jhonattan Vegas (-8) bravely held his PGA Championship lead after a 70, battling sleep deprivation ("felt like I only got three hours sleep") and a final-hole double bogey, emphasizing his new major mindset to "test your game."
- Secondary bullet – Vegas admitted his fatigue, stating, "It felt like I only got three hours sleep," but remains focused on his goal to "put yourself in positions."
- Tertiary bullet – Despite the late double, Vegas's resilience kept him atop a leaderboard packed with chasing stars looking to capitalize on any mistake.
The Chasers & Record Rounds
- Lead bullet – Matthieu Pavon (65) and Max Homa (64) lit up Quail Hollow, with Pavon matching the lowest major round by a Frenchman and Homa carding a career-best major score to sit T2 alongside Si Woo Kim (64).
- Secondary bullet – Pavon credited "a clear game plan" for his bogey-free day and noted mud balls as a key challenge: "the guy who's going to do the best is the guy who's going to deal the best with it."
- Tertiary bullet – Homa's 64 featured a near ace on the 14th, humorously described as "one of the rare occasions in golf where the further you walk up to the green, the closer it got," and he also discussed his "stonecutter credo."
Frustrations, Fights & Fairway Debates
- Lead bullet – World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (-5) voiced strong frustration with mud balls and rules decisions, stating one ruling was "completely taken away from us" and declaring, "this is going to be the last answer that I give on this subject [mud balls]."
- Secondary bullet – Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth battled hard to make the weekend, with CBS commentators noting Rory's need to "get off the mat" to continue his challenge.
- Tertiary bullet – Matt Fitzpatrick (T2) lamented "It is the worst I've ever played" despite his position, and weighed in on the 'lift, clean, and place' debate, suggesting officials "just don't like the look" of invoking it.
Notables, Cut Line Casualties & Quotes
- Lead bullet – Major shockwaves as defending champion Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, and Phil Mickelson all missed the cut, with Koepka's form called part of "the worst stretch of his professional career... since his twenty twenty three PGA triumph" by Brandel Chamblee.
- Secondary bullet – Chris DiMarco credited his "old i two tens" irons and Quail Hollow's "perfect" greens, while Tom McKibbin felt his Liv Golf experience ("it's not too much of a surprise to me anymore") prepared him for big events.
- Tertiary bullet – Tyrrell Hatton's temper flared again, with one outburst described as potentially warranting "a response from the North Carolina Mecklenburg Police Department," while veteran Richard Bland played solidly to sit at three-under.
Quick Hits
A • Vegas: "three hours sleep" • Pavon: mud ball mastery key • Homa: "stonecutter credo" • Scheffler: done with mud talk • Koepka's "worst stretch"
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