A historically low cut line prompted early exits for some of golf’s biggest names at the PGA Championship on Friday.
Jon Rahm’s streak of 18 consecutive cuts in majors ended when he posted a one-over 72 during the second round at soggy Valhalla on Friday that left him par, one stroke outside the projected one-under-par cut line.
It will be the lowest figure ever recorded in the PGA and only the third time in the history of major championships the cut was in the red.
Rahm had not missed a weekend at a major since the 2019 PGA. Meanwhile, he has won a couple of them (the 2021 US Open and the 2023 Masters) and has established himself as one of the best players in the world. world.
But his form has fallen off a cliff since he made a $500 million move to LIV Golf in December. He finished a distant 45th at Augusta National, when he failed to break par in any round.
Jon Rahm’s streak of 18 consecutive cuts in majors ended at the PGA Championship on Friday
Phil Mickelson could not improve his poor first round and will also leave Kentucky
Ludvig Aberg, who was briefly tied with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler on Sunday at the Masters before Scheffler pulled away, wasn’t quite as ready after trading Georgia Pines for Kentucky Bluegrass.
Aberg was tied through two rounds, and his chance to play on the weekend was probably wasted by a double bogey on the 12th.
Reigning US Open champion Wyndham Clark (four more) and two-time PGA winner Phil Mickelson (four more) also left Valhalla early.
So he did tiger forestMatt Fitzpatrick, Sepp Straka, Adam Scott and Sam Burns.
Woods posted his 11th consecutive round of par or worse at a major championship with a six-over 77 on Friday.
Michael Block, who created a captivating underdog story by finishing 15th last year at Oak Hill, couldn’t muster the same magic this time.
Reigning US Open champion Wyndham Clark finished four up after two bad rounds
Tiger Woods posted his 11th consecutive round of par or worse at a major championship
A two-over-par 73 moved him to seven-over for the tournament and a trip back home to Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club, where he is the head professional.
Some of the club’s 21 professionals on the field are likely to stay.
Jeremy Wells (two-under) and Braden Shattuck (one-under) are locked in and Kyle Mendoza (even-par) has a chance with three holes left early Saturday after the second round was suspended due to darkness.
Shattuck sweated on the final holes. He made a 35-foot birdie on No. 8 (No. 17 of the day) and then holed a nervous par putt on No. 9 to get to 1 under par.
It might be a bit of a long night for Shattuck and everyone else in one less.
There is a small chance the cut could reach two under par depending on the results when players return to the course early Saturday to finish their second rounds.
