Scottie Scheffler, Viktor Hovland and Corey Conners share lead at halfway point of PGA Championship; Masters champion and world No 1 Jon Rahm nine back with cool putter preventing him from closing gap further; watch round three live on Sky Sports Golf from 2pm
Saturday 20 May 2023 07:27, UK
Scottie Scheffler was happy with his "solid golf" as he earned a share of the lead at the halfway point of the PGA Championship - but world No 1 Jon Rahm was left lamenting his putting after ending day two nine shots off the pace.
World No 2 Scheffler followed his bogey-free 67 on Thursday with a 68 a day later, carding four birdies and two bogeys as he joined Viktor Hovland and Corey Conners on five under at Oak Hill.
Rahm, who won The Masters at Augusta National last month, rebounded from a 76 on day one by matching Scheffler's Friday score of 68, with three birdies on the spin between 13 and 15 helping him under the cut mark of five over.
Scheffler, who has not finished outside of the top 12 in his last 13 starts, a run stretching back since the CJ Cup in October 2022, said: "I felt like I did a good job of grinding.
"I didn't hit as many fairways as I would hope to but still, to shoot two under, especially on a day where the rough got really wet and it was really tough to play out of, was good, solid golf.
"Once you get impatient around this place, you're going to try and birdie every hole, and that's when you are going to start digging yourself a pretty deep hole.
"When you can hang around the lead and hopefully wait to get hot, it's a good position to be in. I've done a good job the first two days of scrambling well. I'm hoping to hit a few more fairways and make it a little easier on myself.
"I'm proud of how I did the first few days. I find myself comfortable in these situations. These are the positions I want to be in. I want to be near the lead. I don't want to be in 30th place or going home."
Rahm had dropped eight shots in 10 holes on day one, with six bogeys and a double bogey in that time, but registered only two blemishes in Rochester on Friday - those coming either side of the three-birdie blitz on his back nine.
The Spaniard was pleased with his overall game but not by a number of putts he left short.
Rahm, now four over, said: "I struck it much better - only missed two greens, hit it really, really well, and gave myself a ton of birdie opportunities.
"Had I putted a little better, I would be a little bit closer to being in contention. I wish I would have made a couple putts closer to the hole. Those are shots given away that you can't afford to give away in majors."
Rahm's hopes of successive major titles now look remote but Hovland is well in the mix to land his first after a three-under 67, with the Norwegian birdieing his final hole for a share of the lead.
Hovland, who finished tied seventh at Augusta National in April and in a share of fourth at The Open Championship last summer said: "The ball-striking is definitely there and I feel like a lot of the short-game work that I've been doing the last couple of months is starting to show a little bit.
"Some of the bunker shots that I hit were really nice to keep the score together. These tournaments are what you dream about winning and you practice so hard to play in. It's nice to have a chance, but at the same time, we've got a lot of golf left. We're only halfway, and a lot of things can happen."
Watch round three of the PGA Championship live on Sky Sports Golf from 2pm on Saturday. Coverage will also be on Sky Sports Main Event from 8pm.
