McNealy, Smalley share PGA 36-hole lead

Maverick McNealy and Alex Smalley reached the halfway point of the PGA Championship tied for the lead after two rounds at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. Both Americans were 4-under-par 136 through 36 holes, according to the championship leaderboard and the PGA Tour’s round-two report. (pgachampionship.com) Scottie Scheffler, the world No. 1 and defending champion, was among a large group at 2-under, leaving the tournament tightly packed heading into Saturday. Rory McIlroy, after opening with a 74, moved back into the mix with a bogey-free 67 and stood five shots off the lead. ### How unusual is this leaderboard at Aronimink? The 4-under total posted by McNealy and Smalley was the highest 36-hole leading score at the PGA Championship since 2012 at Kiawah Island, the PGA Tour’s report said. (pgatour.com) The same report said the first PGA Championship at Aronimink in 64 years produced a leaderboard with little separation from top to bottom. Fifteen players were within two shots of the lead entering the third round, and seven major champions sat within four shots, according to tournament coverage and tee-time listings. The official championship site showed players including Hideki Matsuyama, Min Woo Lee, Max Greyserman, Aldrich Potgieter and Stephan Jaeger at 3-under, with Scheffler, Cameron Young and Justin Thomas among those at 2-under. (pgachampionship.com) ### What did McNealy and Smalley do to get there? Maverick McNealy shot a 3-under 67 on Friday, helped by a holed bunker shot for eagle at the par-5 16th, the PGA Tour report said. McNealy briefly got to 6 under before late bogeys pulled him back into a share of the lead. He told reporters, “This is unfamiliar territory for me,” as he prepared for his first time in a final group at a major. (pgatour.com) Alex Smalley shot a 1-under 69 and recovered from three straight bogeys after the turn by finishing with a birdie, according to the PGA Tour and official championship coverage. The PGA Tour said Smalley was playing only his fifth major championship. (pgachampionship.com) ### Why were scores so compressed through two rounds? Scottie Scheffler said Aronimink’s setup had made approach shots and lag putting unusually difficult. “This is the hardest set of pin locations that I’ve seen since I’ve been on tour,” Scheffler said after a second-round 71, according to the PGA Tour report. (pgatour.com) Friday’s conditions added to that test. The PGA Tour report described cold and blustery weather in the morning and faster greens later in the day, while the official championship account said strong wind, cool temperatures and difficult hole locations contributed to the jammed leaderboard. (pgachampionship.com) ### Where do Scheffler and McIlroy stand now? Scottie Scheffler was tied for ninth at 2-under, two shots behind the leaders, according to the official leaderboard. Golf Channel’s third-round odds report said sportsbooks still listed Scheffler as the favorite at +340 entering Saturday, ahead of Cameron Young, Ludvig Aberg and McNealy. (pgatour.com) Rory McIlroy was tied for 30th at 1-over after 36 holes, but his second-round 67 put him five back in a championship where the cut line and lead were separated by only eight shots. McIlroy told reporters that anyone who made the cut had to feel he still had a chance. (pgachampionship.com) ### Who tees off when on Saturday? Round 3 at the 108th PGA Championship was set to begin Saturday morning at Aronimink, with 82 players having made the cut, according to published tee times. McNealy and Smalley were scheduled to tee off in the final pairing at 2:40 p.m. ET. Scottie Scheffler was scheduled to go off at 1:40 p.m. (pgachampionship.com) ET alongside David Puig, while other contenders were spread through the late-morning and early-afternoon groups, according to the round-three pairings. Coverage and live scoring were available through the PGA Championship, PGA Tour and major broadcasters carrying Saturday’s third round. (pgatour.com)