Maverick McNealy, Alex Smalley co-lead

Maverick McNealy and Alex Smalley reached the weekend tied for the lead at the PGA Championship after Friday’s second round at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. The pair stood at 4-under 136 after 36 holes, with a tightly packed leaderboard behind them and 44 players within five shots, according to PGA Tour coverage. Rory McIlroy, the Masters champion, shot a bogey-free 3-under 67 and was five shots back at 1 over. Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Cameron Young and Ludvig Aberg were among the players two shots off the lead. ### How unusual is a leading score of 4-under through two rounds? The PGA Championship’s official leaderboard showed McNealy and Smalley at 4-under after two rounds, a total that reflected how difficult Aronimink played over the first 36 holes. PGA Tour and Associated Press coverage said 136 was the highest 36-hole score to lead a PGA Championship since Kiawah Island in 2012. (pgachampionship.com) Aronimink kept the field compressed. The PGA Tour said 44 players were within five shots of the lead entering the weekend, and McIlroy said, “Everyone’s got to feel like they have got a chance,” after his round. ### What did McNealy and Smalley do on Friday to get there? (pgachampionship.com) Alex Smalley shot a 1-under 69 on Friday and closed with a birdie after a back-nine stretch of three straight bogeys, according to Associated Press coverage carried by PGA Tour. The 29-year-old was playing only his fifth major championship. (pgatour.com) Maverick McNealy shot 67 and briefly reached 6 under, the lowest point any player had reached in the tournament through Friday. Associated Press said McNealy holed a bunker shot for eagle on the par-5 16th before late bogeys brought him back to 4 under. McNealy said, “This is unfamiliar territory for me,” as he prepared to play in the final group of a major for the first time. (pgatour.com) ### Why was Aronimink producing so little separation? Scottie Scheffler said Friday’s hole locations were the toughest he had seen on tour, including U.S. Opens. “This is the hardest set of pin locations that I’ve seen since I’ve been on tour,” Scheffler said after a 71, according to Associated Press coverage. (pgatour.com) Friday’s weather added to that test. Associated Press reported temperatures in the morning barely reached 50 degrees Fahrenheit and wind strengthened through the day, making approach shots and long putts harder to control. The PGA Tour’s round-two notebook described the event’s first two days as a week in which no player had been able to separate from the field. (pgatour.com) ### Where did McIlroy stand after his 67? Rory McIlroy finished the second round at 1 over, tied for 30th on the official leaderboard. His 3-under 67 was bogey-free and left him five shots behind the co-leaders heading into the weekend. McIlroy said his approach changed after an opening 74. “At five back I do feel like I’m right in the tournament,” he said, adding that he had been “a little too aggressive” on Thursday because he expected lower scores. (pgatour.com) ### Which other contenders were still close enough to matter? (pgachampionship.com) Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Cameron Young and Ludvig Aberg were tied at 2 under after 36 holes, according to PGA Tour coverage. Hideki Matsuyama was among the players at 3 under, one shot behind the lead, and Jon Rahm was at 1 under. Associated Press noted that seven major champions were within four shots of the lead, a group that included Scheffler, Thomas, Rahm, Matsuyama and McIlroy. (pgatour.com) The leaderboard also had Min Woo Lee, Aldrich Potgieter, Stephan Jaeger and Max Greyserman at 3 under after two rounds. (pgachampionship.com) ### When does the tournament resume, and how can viewers follow it? The 2026 PGA Championship began on May 14 at Aronimink and continues through Sunday, May 17, according to GOLF.com’s schedule listing. Third-round coverage on Saturday, May 16, runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET on ESPN and from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET on CBS, with streaming on ESPN+ and Paramount+. (golf.com) (pgatour.com)