Schauffele leads Morikawa by one at PGA Championship

LOUISVILLE: It wasn’t quite a 62 like he fired the day before, but Xander Schauffele was happy with another solid round  at the PGA Championship on Friday at a rainy and soggy Valhalla Golf Club.

Schauffele had four birdies and a bogey for a 3-under-par 68 and a one-shot lead at 12-under 130 after two rounds. His 62 on Thursday set a new course and PGA Championship record.

Widely considered the best player to have never won a major championship, Schauffele is halfway home.

“Hey, guys, it’s just been two rounds,” he said with a wide smile. “It’s just 36 holes. It’s a really good start to a tournament. I’m playing some really nice golf. That’s kind of it.” The second round was not completed before darkness because of the 80-minute delay to start the morning following a fatal accident that shut down the road leading into the course. Play was suspended at 8:41 p.m.

Eighteen golfers will have to finish the second round on Saturday morning at 7:15 a.m. The field will then be repaired and the second round is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.

Schauffele has a one-shot lead over Collin Morikawa, who had a string of five straight birdies on his final nine en route to a 6-under 65 and an 11-under two-day total. Sahith Theegala followed up a 65 with a second-round 67 and is alone in third at 10 under.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is in a four-way tie at 9 under. Scheffler fired a 66 on Friday following his early-morning arrest outside the property. Thomas Detry of Belgium (67), Mark Hubbard (68) and Bryson DeChambeau, who tied Morikawa for the low round of the day with a 65, also stand at 9 under heading into the weekend.

Viktor Hovland of Norway (66), Austin Eckroat (67) and Tony Finau (69) are four off the lead at 8 under. After nine birdies and no bogeys on Thursday, Schauffele rolled in four more birdies in his first 10 holes to move to 13 under. He made his first bogey of the tournament at the par-3 11th hole before parring his final seven holes.