The wind picked up in Aronimink on Friday and so did the scoring, but none of that deterred Aldrich Potgieter.
The 21-year-old South African is writing one of the most exciting stories of the start of the major season, moving towards the top of the standings on five under par as the afternoon flurry continues into its second round.
He has yet to make a bogey through 14 holes in his second round, and survived a near-disaster in the 13th round when an errant shot threatened to go out of bounds before his test drive rolled under the weight of the occasion. Pressure, as he explained, is not a source of concern.
Matsuyama and Guterup lead the club
Among those who have completed their second rounds, Hideki Matsuyama and Chris Guttrup share the club lead at three under par.
Matsuyama’s 67 on Friday was the product of four birdies and one bogey, his iron play as clean as it has been all season. The 2021 Masters champion has two top-five finishes in PGA Championship history but has not recorded a top-10 since the 2024 US Open.
Gottrup shot a 65 in the morning flurry, the low round of the day, moving him to three-under par alongside Matsuyama. The conditions he faced were much tougher—sustained winds of about 15 mph with gusts approaching 25—which made his performance even more impressive.
Scheffler grinds back to two under
Scottie Scheffler’s second round was a reminder that even the world number one is not immune to Aronimink when a driver betrays him.
He hit just seven fairways and went zero for six to start his round, making three bogeys in his opening stretch to get back into the field.
He powered through the remainder of his round with more control, picking up birdies and limiting damage, hitting 71 to sit at two under par overall.
McIlroy is struggling to get through the weekend
The most watched story of the day was Rory McIlroy’s attempts to pull himself back from Thursday’s disastrous No. 74, which left him outside the expected cut line. He described that tour in one word when asked about his assessment.
He birdied the second and fourth holes of his second round to reach two for the tournament, sitting just inside the cut line as the expected number settled at around four.
His back nine still had to be played and he maintained his bogey-free card through the first period of the afternoon.
The afternoon wave continues, with the leaderboard undergoing more change as conditions ease compared to the harsh morning.
Maverick McNealy, who is in the lead, along with Alex Smalley and Cameron Young – who signed a 67 to sit under two – are among those continuing to pressure Potgieter as the second round comes to a close.
