Schauffele has PGA lead after a chaotic Day 2
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Xander Schauffele has been here before. He just hasn’t done that yet.
No one — other than world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler — is playing better golf than Schauffele at the moment. And no one is perhaps due to win a major championship more than the easygoing 30-year-old Californian.
So, here he is after 36 holes of the PGA Championship at Valhalla with a one-shot lead over Collin Morikawa entering the weekend — one week after owning the 36- and 54-hole leads at the Wells Fargo Championship and losing to Rory McIlroy.
Schauffele surely has a score to settle, but he’s not speaking that way.
“Hey, guys, it’s just been two rounds,’’ Schauffele said with a smile after his round. “It’s just 36 holes. It’s a really good start to a tournament. I’m playing some really nice golf. That’s kind of it.
“I was bummed out I didn’t win [on Sunday at Quail Hollow], but I knew I was playing really well. I had a couple hiccups there on Sunday at the wrong time. Rory played unbelievably well.’’
Still, Schauffele, who hasn’t won a tournament since 2022, burns to win — particularly at a major.
“When you haven’t won a golf tournament in a few years, you have to be pretty resilient,’’ Schauffele said. “I’m just patient and trying to play the best golf I can and stay out of my own way. I know I’m playing really good golf right now, and all can I could do is focus on my process.’’
Schauffele owned the first round on Thursday with his record-tying 9-under 62. On Friday, he remained atop the leaderboard after his second round, shooting a 3-under 68 to get to 12-under for the tournament and take his first 36hole lead in a major.
“Just two days into the golf tournament,’’ he said again. “Two rounds to go. Happy with my position.’’
Asked if, because he’s seeking his first career major championship victory, he will allow himself to think about that, Schauffele was honest.
“My mind will wander ahead — at night maybe when I’m alone,’’ he said. “But eventually, you have to believe [you can] do it in real time. Once that happens, I just have to focus in on the present and get ready for the day.’’
Morikawa, the winner of the 2020 PGA Championship and 2021 British Open, stands at 11-under and just one shot behind Schauffele after shooting a 6-under-par 65 on Friday.
Sahith Theegala is two shots back at 10-under.
Then there’s Scheffler, who had a bizarre day: arrested on his way into the gates at Valhalla in a misunderstanding with local police following a bus accident that killed a pedestrian before he shot a remarkable 5-under 66 to get to 9-under, three shots off the lead.
Tied with Scheffler at 9-under are Bryson DeChambeau, Thomas Detry and Mark Hubbard.
Viktor Hovland, who was in contention at last year’s PGA and outdueled by winner Brooks Koepka, is 8-under along with Tony Finau and Austin Eckroat.
Koepka, the defending champion and a three-time winner of the PGA, is lurking at 7-under. Justin Thomas, the Louisville native, is 6-under and still in the mix.
The tragic accident that occurred at 5:09 a.m. caused the PGA of America to delay play for 80 minutes, which caused chaos for the players, some of whom were unable to finish their second rounds when play was suspended due to darkness, with six threesomes still having to complete the second round Saturday morning.
With the golf course wet and without wind for the second consecutive day, scores continued to be low. The cut looks like it’s going to be 1-under when second-round play is complete by Saturday morning.
There have been just two major championships in which the cut line was under par — the 1990 British Open (1-under at St. Andrews) and the 2006 British Open (1-under at Royal Liverpool).