European Stars Face Challenges on Day Two of US PGA Championship
Shane Lowry was among several European golfers whose hopes dimmed on the second day of the US PGA Championship as Scottie Scheffler fought hard at Aronimink Golf Club. Ireland’s Lowry started the day just one shot off the lead, but a disastrous six-over round of 76 means he is set to miss the cut. This also applies to Tommy Fleetwood and Robert MacIntyre, who posted rounds of 73 and 75 respectively.
World number one Scheffler faced a tough start, struggling off the tee and slipping away from the top of the leaderboard after three early bogeys. However, he made a strong comeback after the turn, sitting two shots behind the clubhouse lead held by American Alex Smalley at four under par.
Rory McIlroy’s quest for a seventh major title got off to a rocky start with a four-over opening round, meaning his immediate goal is to make the cut for the weekend. When he began his round at 2:05pm local time (7:05pm BST), the score stood at three over. Lowry started with a bogey at the 10th hole, and things only got worse from there. He inexplicably found the water off the tee at the 17th, resulting in a double bogey, and added three more bogeys on his back nine.
Fleetwood had a difficult start at Aronimink, with three bogeys on his front nine ending any hope of contention. Defending champion Scheffler was among a seven-way tie for the lead at the start of the second day in southwest Philadelphia, marking the first time he has led after an opening round of a major in his career. German Martin Kaymer, aiming to recapture major glory 12 years after his last success, was part of that group but five bogeys in his first seven holes quickly ended his chances.
Scheffler started on the back nine alongside Matt Fitzpatrick and Justin Rose, both of whom were level par. The group faced a tough start, with Rose double-bogging the first hole after needing two attempts to escape a fairway bunker. Scheffler and Fitzpatrick both started with a dropped shot. Rose managed a birdie at the 12th, but Scheffler struggled with back-to-back bogeys at the 12th and 13th.
The European duo faced a double-bogey nightmare on the long par-three 14th. Fitzpatrick needed four putts to get it down, while Rose paid the price for a miscued chip, slumping to five over. Scheffler bounced back with a stunning tee shot at the 17th, leaving him with a tap-in birdie, and a birdie on the 16th brought Rose back to four under.
Former US Open champion Fitzpatrick is one of the world’s most in-form players, with three PGA Tour wins this season. However, he struggled to contend at Augusta last month and appeared dejected as more major hopes faded. The Sheffield star swapped his beanie hat for a cap and reached the turn at one over after back-to-back birdies. Another birdie left him on the charge, and he closed round two at two over.
Scheffler struggled to find a fairway until the 18th, his ninth hole, as players battled breezy conditions and a challenging course. Scheffler birdied the last to sit two shots back, while world number three Cameron Young moved up to two under. Rose produced a magical moment at the last, pitching in from the rough for an eagle to finish three under, giving himself a chance to make the weekend.
A hole behind, American Smalley, who was tied at the top after day one, pushed the lead to five under with birdies on the 16th and 18th. This lead lasted only one hole as three consecutive bogeys brought him crashing back to earth before two late birdies sealed a round of 69.
Former Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama shot a 67, matching the best round of the championship, and moved into a share of the clubhouse lead at three under. However, this was surpassed by American Chris Gotterup, who soared to three under with a remarkable 65.
