The China Mail - American McNealy grabs PGA lead at difficult Aronimink

The 30-year-old American, in only his 14th major start, began on the back nine and landed his approach inches from the hole for a tap-in birdie at 10.

He answered a bogey at 15 with an eagle at the par-five 16th, holing out a 54-foot blast from a bunker.

The world number 33 tied the lead on a 12-foot birdie putt at the first hole and reached five-under for the solo lead by blasting out of a bunker to 18 feet at the second hole and sinking the birdie putt.

McNealy won his only PGA Tour title at the 2024 RSM Classic. His best major finish was a share of 18th last month at the Masters.

Compatriot Alex Smalley closed with a birdie to shoot one-under par 69 and stand second on four-under 136 while Japan's Hideki Matsuyama, American Chris Gotterup and South African Aldrich Potgieter shared third on 137.

Potgieter was set to reach the clubhouse in the lead but a bogey-bogey finish for 70 doomed the 21-year-old's bid to become the youngest 36-hole major leader since Tiger Woods at the 1997 Masters.

Smalley had his taste of the chaos on offer, falling from the lead with three bogeys in a row.

"It was difficult, it was chilly this morning, the wind was up," Smalley said. "Some of the hole locations are very difficult. They're right on the top of a crown."

Gotterup closed with three birdies to shoot 65.

"Just really battled all day," Gotterup said. "It was very hard out there. It was cold. There were some pins it didn't even look like were on the green."

Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters champion, birdied three of his last seven holes to fire a 67.

"I played well," said Matsuyama. "This morning was windy. Plus it was freezing cold, and that made it very difficult."

Spain's Jon Rahm, a two-time major winner, was on the course on three-under along with Germany's Stephan Jaeger.

Top-ranked defending champion Scottie Scheffler, third-ranked Cameron Young and fellow American Justin Thomas, a two-time major winner, were in the clubhouse on 138 with Spain's David Puig.

Scheffler tumbled from a share of the lead with three bogeys in his first four holes but closed with a birdie at nine to shoot 71.

The four-time major winner missed his first six fairways and seven of 14 overall after hitting 13 of 14 on Thursday but complained most about hole positions atop slopes such as at the par-three 14th, which he parred.

"That was one of the craziest pins I've seen," he said. "It was just a high point. I hadn't seen anything like it... If you don't start that (putt) perfectly online, it's probably not touching the hole."

Others fared even worse.

Germany's Martin Kaymer, a two-time major winner and 18-hole co-leader, made bogeys on five of the first seven holes and shot 75 to stand on 142 with England's fourth-ranked Matt Fitzpatrick.

American Patrick Reed, the 2018 Masters winner, shot 72 to stand on 140.

- Rose-y finish -

England's Justin Rose chipped in for eagle from 76 feet on his final hole, the par-five ninth, to shoot 73 and looked set to make the cut on 143 despite two double bogeys and four bogeys.

Ireland's Shane Lowry fired a 76 and was on the provisional cut line at 144.

Six-time major winner Rory McIlroy, the reigning Masters champion, birdied two of his first four holes to move inside the cut line.

South African Garrick Higgo, who took a two-stroke penalty for being late to the tee Thursday, was on time Friday but six bogeys in his first 11 holes dropped him back.

M.Zhou--ThChM