Vegas leads from Fitzpatrick as McIlroy makes US PGA cut

2025 US PGA Championship second round

-8 Vegas (Ven); -6 Fitzpatrick (Eng), Kim (Kor), Pavon (Fra)

Selected others: -5 Homa (US), Scheffler (US); -4 MacIntyre (Sco); -3 DeChambeau (US), Rai (Eng), Bland (Eng); -2 Fleetwood (Eng), Rahm (Spa); -1 Donald (Eng), Hatton (Eng); +1 McIlroy (NI), Schauffele (US)

Missed cut: +2 Lowry (Ire), Spieth (US); +3 Aberg (Swe), Thomas (US); +9 Rose (Eng)

Venezuela’s Jhonattan Vegas maintained his lead at the US PGA Championship while Rory McIlroy and defending champion Xander Schauffele avoided early exits at Quail Hollow.

Vegas carded a one-under 70 in his second round to move to eight under par, two shots clear of England’s Matt Fitzpatrick, France’s Matthieu Pavon and Kim Si-woo of South Korea.

The 40-year-old, who was out in the early wave, led by four on the 18th but he posted a double-bogey six to keep a congested chasing pack in close proximity.

Fitzpatrick has had an inconsitent year of no top-20 finishes and four missed cuts in 11 events. But after a second round of 68, the 30-year-old from Sheffield, who won the 2022 US Open, said: “I’m just happy to be playing well this week.

“Having been in this position before is a huge advantage. I feel like there’s less pressure. I want to win another major and I’m looking forward to being in contention again.”

Kim recorded the longest hole-in-one in a major on the 252-yard par-three sixth during a superb round of 64 to join the Europeans two off the pace.

Among those gathered behind are world number one Scottie Scheffler and reigning US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, who are ominously placed three and five shots off the lead respectively.

Masters champion McIlroy shot 69 to be one over par at the halfway mark, nine strokes off the lead.

Like McIlroy, Schauffele narrowly made it through to the weekend to continue the defence of the crown he won at Valhalla 12 months ago.

The world number three had looked in danger of missing a cut for the first time since the 2022 Masters but extended his run to a remarkable 64 PGA Tour events.

He played his final four holes – the last three of which were statistically the hardest – in one under par, leaving him one over for the tournament, the eventual target that was required to be inside the top 70 and ties that play rounds three and four.

McIlroy entered his second round with ground to make up after shooting a three-over 74 on Thursday.

He hit only four of 14 fairways in his first round and, according to PGA Championship Radio Sirius XM, he had been unable to use his usual driver because it was deemed to be non-conforming during testing by the United States Golf Association earlier this week.

The radio station reported that the decision did not mean McIlroy was at fault or even aware of the issue. They also said the USGA said testing results were kept confidential unless the player wanted to make it public.

The early signs in round two were better, a 15-footer dropping for birdie on the second hole, while three more shots were gained around the turn as McIlroy improved to one under par.

However, all of the breathing room he had earned ended up being required during a testing back nine.

An excellent par save on the 13th stopped the rot after two straight bogeys, before birdies on the next two holes restored a gap to the cut line – which was hovering between one and two over par during the latter stages of the second round.

There was some late drama as, heading down the 18th at level par, McIlroy pulled his tee shot left and his ball ricocheted off a hospitality tent before landing close to the water hazard.

But he recovered to make a bogey five, confirming his spot in the final two rounds.

While his two playing partners were scrambling to ensure their participation would stretch into the weekend, Scheffler quietly put together a tidy round of 68 to add to his two-under 69 on Thursday.

There was frustration that a short birdie putt on the par-three 17th lipped out, but Scheffler is well-placed as he attempts to add to his two Masters titles.

Vegas has won multiple PGA Tour events, his most recent victory coming last July at the 3M Open.

But leading at the halfway point is rarefied air for him at a major – his previous best finish to date is joint 22nd in the 2016 US PGA at Baltusrol.

Like in his seven-under 64 on Thursday, his best work on Friday was done in the second half of his round.

Birdies on 10, 13 and 14 took him to 10 under par and additional chances slipped by before his efforts were undone by a scruffy six on the last.

A poor bunker shot was compounded when Vegas missed a bogey putt from about 18 inches.

“Every chance you get to lead a major and play with the lead is never easy, so I feel proud of a solid round,” he said.

“Even though it’s never easy to give two shots away right at the end, there’s a lot of golf left, so you’ve got to keep remembering the good stuff.”

Alongside Vegas in the early wave of starters, Pavon went bogey-free in a fine round of 65, while American Max Homa carded five birdies and an eagle in his first 12 holes before signing for a seven-under 64 to finish on five under.