Jhonattan Vegas is among a handful of golfers who are looking for their first major victory, in contention at The PGA Championship.
Vegas enters Saturday at eight-under through two rounds. That is his best 36-hole score in a major championship. It is his best by six strokes. Vegas’ previous best 36-hole score at a major was two-under, 14 years ago at the 2011 PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club. Keegan Bradley won that tournament.
Before Thursday’s opening round in which he shot seven-under 64, Vegas had never been higher on the leaderboard than ninth place in any of the previous 44 rounds played in a major championship.
Vegas started slow on Friday at Quail Hollow Golf Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. He would bogey No. 2 and then birdie No. 7. He heated up on the back nine as he birdied No. 10, 13, and 14.
After three straight pars, Vegas ended the day with a finish that he wished he had back. He would double bogey No. 18 to give two strokes back. Vegas shot one under par on Friday.
Matthieu Pavon put himself in contention after shooting a six-under 65 on Friday. Pavon carded six birdies, including four on the front nine, and not a single bogey. Pavon’s best finish at a major is fifth place at last year’s U.S. Open. Tied for second place with Pavon is Si Woo Kim, who charged up the leaderboard by shooting seven-under 64, which was tied for the best round of the day at Quail Hollow.
Max Houma was tied for the low round of the day — a seven-under 64 — highlighted by an eagle on the Par 4 No. 14. That put him at five-under for the first two rounds in the top five. Houma’s best finish in a major is tied for third at the 2024 Masters.
There are a few major winners that are in contention entering Saturday.
2022 U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick. He followed up his opening round 68 with another three-under 68 to get to six-under for the tournament. That has him tied for second with Pavon and Si Woo Kim.
Scottie Scheffler shot a three-under 65 on Friday as he carded four birdies and one bogey. That puts him at five under and tied for fifth place.
Former McNeese star golfer Robert MacIntyre finds himself in the Top 10 entering Saturday. He shot one-under par on Friday and is four-under for the tournament.
Masters champion Rory McIlroy, defending tournament winner Xander Schauffle, and former LSU All-American Sam Burns all made the cut shooting one-over par.
Notable golfers to miss the cut were Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Shane Lowry, Rickie Fowler, Patrick Reed, Phil Mickelson, and Dustin Johnson.