Coming off a missed cut at the Masters, many wondered if Bryson DeChambeau would bounce back or continue the trend.
The latter turned out to be the answer.
DeChambeau followed up an opening 76 with a second-round 71. He would miss out on a weekend tee time by three shots.
The course is certainly playing like a U.S. Open, with the leaders hovering just a few strokes below par (Maverick McNealy and Alex Smalley lead at 4 under). Plus, 20 mph winds only added to the carnage.
“This is the hardest set of pin locations that I’ve seen since I've been on Tour, and that includes U.S. Opens, that includes Oakmont,” said Scottie Scheffler, who sits at 2 under. “I did ask, I asked Fooch [Mark Fulcher], who caddies for Justin Rose. He's been around a long time—and I asked [Scheffler’s caddie, Ted Scott], too, ‘Have you seen anything like this before?’ They said maybe Shinnecock is the only place they have seen that has pins that could compare to this.”
Justin Rose keeping his weekend dreams alive 💪
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 15, 2026
The 45-year-old moves from +5 to +3 with an eagle on his last hole of the day.pic.twitter.com/OMiliESQZ6
Of course, regardless of how the course is playing, some players just don’t seem to have it. Shane Lowry was one example.
The Irishman had a viral moment early on Friday, when he shanked his tee shot on the par-3 17th hole and it landed in the water. He ultimately carded a double bogey and followed an opening 68 with a 76—but he did survive to the weekend on the cutline.
Justin Rose, struggling recently while making a curious equipment change, looked like he was headed home early. Then, on his final hole of the day, the par-5 9th, he holed out from 75 yards in the right rough for an eagle, moving to 3 over par with a second-round 73.
“I feel like there is a score to be had out there for sure, I can kind of see it on this course. It’s a course I have played well in the past, it fits my eye, I like it,” Rose, who lost in a playoff at Aronimink at the 2018 BMW Championship, told Sky Sports.
“If I can go and post two good rounds on the weekend, it’s been such a fun leaderboard. So many guys are within two or three shots of the lead. If I can stick around at the weekend, I feel like I can still have a great week.”
Not everyone, like DeChambeau, will have that luxury, though.
More golf on Sports Illustrated
- This PGA Championship Is Setting Up to Have a First-Time Major Champion
- Good, Bad and Ugly PGA Round 2: Bryson DeChambeau Exits Aronimink
- Rory McIlroy Quickly Became the PGA Championship’s Best New Meme
- At This PGA Championship, the Real Winner Is Aronimink
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Bryson DeChambeau, Tommy Fleetwood Among Missed Cuts at a Grueling PGA Championship.
