by We’re through Friday at the PGA Championship, even if we didn’t quite finish the second round before darkness. It’s rare that an off-course story could overshadow a major championship, but that’s what happened for a good stretch of Friday. Aside from the Scottie Scheffler situation, though, the second round of the PGA Championship saw plenty of moves made, and we’re in a fun place heading to the weekend given the names on the leaderboard.
Xander Schauffele played well, but unlike yesterday he wasn’t transcendent; that allowed plenty of other big and/or fun names to creep up behind him, potentially setting up some leaderboard fireworks.
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Notable Contenders (And Cut-Missers)
On cruise control, it seems like Xander Schauffele can shoot 68 at his eyes closed. That’s exactly what he did on Friday and he’ll enter the weekend with the solo lead.
For the second straight major, Collin Morikawa finds himself in the top 10 heading into the weekend. More than that, he’s in the final pairing. That said, he hasn’t been elite tee-to-green so far this week and has relied on his short game. We’ll see if he can turn around the long game this weekend and win a third major championship.
Rory shot an even-par 71, despite conditions that traditionally have favored him in majors. Prepare for a weekend of “If Rory just goes out in 30…”
Viktor Hovland birdied 18 in the gloaming to finish at eight-under, and he’s certainly within striking distance of the leaders.
Bryson DeChambeau is very much in this golf tournament. The Thicc Boi turned in a second consecutive round in the 60s to jump in the top ten.
After a disappointing T-45 at the Masters, Jon Rahm will miss the cut at the PGA Championship. His two non-LIV appearances of 2024 have been less than inspiring so far.
Ludvig Åberg finished second in his major debut at the Masters, stoking a lot of hype for his appearance at Valhalla. He missed the cut by a stroke, but we’ll go out on a limb and say he’s probably not done contending in majors.
The only Michael Block we’ll see this weekend is the Corebridge Financial commercial as the internet sensation missed the cut by a wide margin.
Any hopes of a made cut for Tiger Woods ended quickly on Friday as the big cat made two triple bogeys and was sent packing.
Hometown favorite Justin Thomas shot a 67, leaving himself at six-under heading to the weekend. He’ll probably need to go really low at least once this weekend to get into the mix, but he’s always capable.
Assorted Friday Notes
Some tidbits from Scottie Scheffler’s remarkable post-round press conference today:
- He said he had a “nice chat” with the officer who drove him to jail.
- While Scheffler was being booked, an “older officer” asked him if he wanted the “full experience.” “I was like, ‘I don’t know how to answer that,’” Scheffler said. “He’s like, ‘Come on, man, you want a sandwich?’” Okay, then!
- While in jail, he went through his usual stretching routine: “That was a first for me. That was part of my warmup. I was just sitting there waiting and I started going through my warmup, I felt like there was a chance I may be able to still come out here and play.”
- Scottie avoided commenting on legally relevant details for obvious reasons, but he insisted that he didn’t pull the “do you know who I am?” card.
- On where today’s round ranks for him: “As far as best rounds of my career, I would say it was pretty good. I definitely never imagined ever going to jail, and I definitely never imagined going to jail the morning before one of my tee times, for sure.”
- The chyron used by ESPN during the press conference made for quite the tableau.
Mud balls were a problem. But the ESPN broadcast, most notably David Duval, seemed to be lamenting that they weren’t playing preferred lies. It’s a major. The scores were already super low. Mudballs are regrettable but play the elements! Find something else to get mad about.
Largely absent from the discourse around Scheffler’s arrest this morning was the only TV channel devoted solely to golf. Sports Business Journal’s Josh Carpenter did some digging into why Golf Channel didn’t cover the events as they unfolded, and the answer was basically twofold: 1) broadcast restrictions and 2) uh, no one was in the studio.
Guess who was there to welcome Scheffler when he got to the Valhalla driving range?
Will Zalatoris mentioned that a group of “7-8 players” considered going to the PGA of America and asking for a longer delay after this morning’s tragic accident caused major difficulties for players trying to get to the course.
Just days after reports began to circulate that Viktor Hovland is again working with coach Joe “Chip Monk” Mayo, Hovland holed a wedge for eagle on the short par-4 fourth hole.
An ace! Some prop bettors got paid, others got crushed, all thanks to Sebastian Soderberg.
Ever play a round with someone who couldn’t stop chipping in? Did it get frustrating, especially if you were playing a friendly (or not-so-friendly) match? Min Woo Lee had one of those today, chipping in not once, not twice, but three times.
No. 6 at Valhalla is… what’s the word… bad. It’s a bad golf hole! There’s just one way to play it, and the shots are kind of boring. So Fried Egg Golf team member Matt Rouches came up with a proposal for a redesigned sixth hole that takes better advantage of the riverside setting. A fun little thought experiment, at the very least.
This piece originally appeared in the Fried Egg Golf newsletter. Subscribe for free and receive golf news and insight every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. For more coverage of the PGA Championship, visit our PGA hub here.
