The 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, PA, featured ex-Stanford star Maverick McNealy and Alex Smalley as newcomers to the top of the leaderboard with impressive rounds of 67 and 69. The tight leaderboard featured seven major champions within four shots of the lead, including Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm and Hideki Matsuyama. Rory McIlroy was among the chasing golfers tied for 30th after a bogey-free round of 67. Cold and blustery conditions during the second round posed challenges for all golfers on the challenging course with large and steep greens.
Alex Smalley lines up his putt on the 17th green during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Aronimink Golf Club , Friday, May 15, 2026, in Newtown Square, PA.
Alex Smalley hits from the 13th fairway during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Aronimink Golf Club, Friday, May 15, 2026, in Newtown Square, PA. Ben Kern hits from the 13th tee during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Aronimink Golf Club, Friday, May 15, 2026, in Newtown Square, PA.
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa.
— The first PGA Championship at Aronimink in 64 years brought a pair of newcomers to the top of the leaderboard Friday in ex-Stanford star Maverick McNealy and Alex Smalley, and left hope for just about everyone else on a course that hasn’t let anyone get too far away. Smalley, in only his fifth major championship, overcame three straight bogeys after making the turn and closed with a birdie for a 1-under 69.
McNealy, a product of Harker School in San Jose who has never been among the top 25 in any major through 36 holes, fell back with a pair of late bogeys in his round of 67. Maverick McNealy of the United States plays a shot on the ninth hole during the second round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club on May 15, 2026 in Newtown, Pennsylvania.
They were at 4-under 136, the highest 36-hole score to lead the PGA Championship since 2012 at Kiawah Island. Chasing them? Seven major champions are within four shots of the lead, including Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm and Hideki Matsuyama. Masters champion Rory McIlroy is right there, too, tied for 30th after a bogey-free 67 and still only five behind.
The difference between first and worst was only eight shots, unusually tight for any tournament, much less a major. No one was sure what to expect from Aronimink except the greens were large with sharp slopes and big undulations and knobs for perilous pin positions. The players got plenty of those in the second round on a day that produced cold and blustery conditions in the morning and got faster by the minute in the late afternoon.
“This is the hardest set of pin locations that I’ve seen since I’ve been on tour,” Scheffler said after salvaging a 71. “And that includes U.S. Opens. That includes Oakmont. ” McNealy became the only player to reach 6 under at any point this week.
He holed a bunker shot for eagle on the par-5 16th and remarked to his brother and caddie, Scout, that he was amazed and how well he was playing. And then he added three birdies over his next five holes until some mistakes caught up with him, as they did just about everyone. Even so, he will be in the final group of a major for the first time with seven major champions within four shots of the lead.
Gotterup and Matsuyama had the toughest time by playing in the morning, when the temperatures barely cracked 50 degrees and the wind was ripping. He had enough Jersey toughness to handle it just fine, and he poured it on at the end with three straight birdies for a 65, the low round of his championship.
“Today would definitely be one of those days where I would be on the couch and I would be like, ‘How did he hit it there? ’ and ‘How did he do this? ’ And then you’re out there, and it just feels like it’s impossible,” Gotterup said. Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters champion, had a 67.
When asked what he would have to do well to get his hands on the Wanamaker Trophy, he replied through his translator, “You’re going to have misses, but you have to miss it in the right place. ” Stephan Jaeger had the dullest round — 18 pars — which was fine with him. He joined the group one shot behind along with Aldrich Potgieter , Min Woo Lee and Max Greyserman .
PGA Championship Maverick Mcnealy Alex Smalley Aronimink Golf Club Trey Michell
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