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Rory McIlroy has made it into the weekend after just making the cut - Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images
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They took Rory McIlroy’s beloved driver, but they could not completely extinguish his hopes. The world No 2 bounced back from being informed on Tuesday that the weapon he loves most was non-conforming to shoot a 69 to make the cut and keep his chances alive of a third US PGA title and a second major in as many months.
The news emerged on Friday that the US Golf Association testers had carried out a random inspection on McIlroy’s trusty TaylorMade Qi10 and deemed that it did not pass the rules. It is a complex issue, but it certainly does not mean that McIlroy purposefully was at fault.
A driver is considered non-conforming if it deviates from the specifications set by the governing bodies and this can include exceeding limits on springiness. Drivers, especially when used extensively, can experience “CT creep,” where the face flexes excessively on impact, causing fatigue and potentially making it non-conforming. This fatigue can make the face more springy, and see it exceed the allowable limits. The PGA of America - which runs this major - refused to comment.
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Rory McIlroy had a shaky end to his second round - Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
McIlroy had no option than to change and suddenly his first-round 74 made much more sense. He hit only two fairways on the opening day and went to the range afterwards to try to find a fix. We now know that he also had to acclimatise himself to the new dclub.
McIlroy’s driving was much improved - he hit six out of 14 fairways on Friday - but it remains patchy. What is standing out is his short game and if he can further tidy up his long game, he has the potential to launch a serious challenge. Especially at a layout where he has won four times already.
He is one over and nine back of Venezuela’s Jhonattan Vegas (eight under) and with Scottie Scheffler on five under it is clearly a huge task. But the Masters winner should not be ruled, even though he is so far behind. He has been in this position at Quail Hollow before and comes through in dramatic style.
Famously, as a 21-year-old in 2010, he only scraped inside the cut before producing a 66-62 to win his first title on US soil. A global star was born that Sunday and last month at Augusta, he became an immortal as he completed the career grand slam.
This four-under effort was not without its worrying moments, particularly on the last where he made a bogey five after his ball ended up on the bank of a creek. Earlier, on the par-three 13th, he hurled his club into an advertising hoarding after watching his ball roll off the green and down the bank.
By then, the North Carolina galleries were accustomed to histrionics. Tyrrell Hatton became embroiled in a “C” word controversy after pulling his drive on the 18th into a creek.
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Tyrrell Hatton had a frustrating day - Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images
He then squared up to his driver, spat at it and seemingly said: “Piece of s--- c---.” A fine will be on its way.
Hatton was not the only European Ryder Cup players being driven to distraction and infraction. Shane Lowry slammed his club into the turf and exclaimed “f— this place”, while flipping the middle finger, after being denied relief for an embedded ball on the eighth and chunking his second shot into a greenside bunker. Meanwhile, Matt Fitzpatrick kept his cool and in a tie for second has given England hope that the country could be celebrating its first US PGA crown in 106 years..
A second successive 68 took Fitzpatrick to six-under and into a tie for second with France’s Matthieu Pavon. So far this has been a rousing comeback for the 2022 US Open champion, who has spent 18 months in the doldrums. In this period he has fallen from world No 9 to his present mark of 89. His driving has been bearable, but the rest of his game - and with it his confidence - have deserted him.
“It is the worst I’ve ever played and certainly the lowest I’ve ever felt on a golf course,” said Fitzpatrick, who sacked legendary caddie Billy Foster in March in the attempt to turn the corner. “I haven’t wanted to be out here at some points this year..”
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Matt Fitzpatrick in a good position heading into the weekend - Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
The good news is that for the last month, Fitzpatrick has felt his rhythm returning and this is the latest evidence. “I am not putting any pressure on myself,” he said. “To be blunt, I’m not interested in the Ryder Cup at the minute. I just need to play well and carry on making these positive strides.”
But now the smile has returned and the 30-year-old once again resembles the young man who beat the best at Brookline three years ago. Five birdies and two bogeys and at the very least the opportunity presents itself to play his way into the reckoning for the Ryder Cup in September.
There was certainly a surreal sight when a huge snake slithered across the 10th fairway. Former champion Shaun Micheel was playing the par-five at the time and was happy to give it a wide berth, before it was kicked into the rough by a volunteer. This inevitably caused consternation in the galleries. For the out-of-torn spectators, anyway. But they were assured by a local marshall, who told them, “that’s a good snake”.
“It’s a black king and they do not attack humans,” he added. “They are actually useful to have around as they kill the bad snakes. They are immune to the venom of cobras and those lot and just choke them out. They’re common in these parts. Good dudes.”
12:21 AM BST
McIlroy just makes the cut
Rory McIlroy goes through to the weekend on +1pic.twitter.com/wROYBfwQkO
— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) May 16, 2025
12:09 AM BST
Matt Fitzpatrick speaking to Sky Sports
12:04 AM BST
Si Woo Kim finishes up
The South Korean makes a par on his final hole and finishes round two on six under, two shots off leader Vegas.
12:01 AM BST
Scheffler finishes on five under
A par on the last for the world number one leaves him on -5 after two rounds and he is just three off the lead. Not a bad place to be going into the weekend.
It is a huge putt for the defending champion Schauffele and he gets the par putt to make the cut. He has fought hard to make it to the weekend.
11:58 PM BST
McIlroy makes the cut, just!
McIlroy’s par putt is close to going in but just evades the hole. He puts in the bogey putt to drop to one over, but that will be enough to make the weekend by the skin of his teeth.
11:56 PM BST
At risk of missing the cut?
Not Rory’s finest moment here. His chip from the rough is not great and a par looks very, very unlikely. Rory is even par currently and at worst he cannot make worse than a bogey in all likelihood.
11:54 PM BST
Down the last
McIlroy does have a stance without getting his feet wet. He makes decent contact and it lands to the right of the green. Not a bad effort from the position he was in.
Scheffler’s drive found the middle of the fairway and finds the green with his second.
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Could have been worse for Rory - Alex Slitz/Getty Images
11:53 PM BST
What have you done?
Quite extraordinary! McIlroy’s tee shot on the last goes miles left and smacks into the hospitality area and rebounds off it. Initially it looked like it went into the creek but it has just missed it, hanging in the rough just above the creek. The stance will not be great.
11:45 PM BST
MacIntyre finishes on -4
A pressure par putt on his final hole for the Scot but he nails it to finish the day on four under after a round of one under.
11:42 PM BST
McIlroy bogey
What have you just done Rory? He copies Scheffler and they are literally the same putt. He does sink the bogey putt and drops back to even par. This ramps up the pressure on McIlroy with the cut looming just behind him.
11:41 PM BST
Scheffler spurns great chance
Scheffler has a simple birdie putt to move to six under but somehow it goes all the way around the hole. He is left in complete shock as it looked like it was in and the par putt is probably a longer putt.
Schauffele needs his par putt to go in and it does to remain at one over.
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Stunning miss from the world number one - Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
11:38 PM BST
Fitzpatrick heads into weekend in good position
The Yorkshireman has a birdie putt on the last but it was a tricky putt and he cannot sink it. He makes the par putt and it has been a good day’s work from Fitzpatrick, who makes it back-to-back rounds of 68 to end round two on six under, two shots off leader Vegas.
11:31 PM BST
Treacherous 17th
McIlroy took a moment over his tee shot on 17 and had to reset but his shot misses to the right of the green on the par three. He never looked settled on the tee box but that is the side to miss, not the other with the water.
Whilst McIlroy is a bit off with his tee shot, Scheffler’s is sublime and that should set him up to go to six under.
11:30 PM BST
More movement for Kim
What a round the South Korean is having. A birdie on seven (his 16th hole of the day) takes him to six under and he is now just two shots off the lead. While all the attention is on other groups and players, he has snuck under the radar.
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Si Woo Kim making great ground - Andrew Redington/Getty Images
11:23 PM BST
McIlroy remains at one under
McIlroy comes close to nailing the long birdie putt but it just slides past the left edge. A bit better than a double bogey on this hole yesterday.
Schauffele plays a great shot out of the bunker to set up an easy putt for par.
11:22 PM BST
Birdie for MacIntyre
The Scot makes a birdie on the eighth hole and his penultimate hole of the day to progress to four under.
11:21 PM BST
Going to the last
Matt Fitzpatrick gets his par on 17 and will go to the last on six under, two shots off the lead. Jon Rahm is at two under playing alongside him.
11:19 PM BST
Up on 16
McIlroy and Scheffler find the green with their second shots on 16 but McIlroy will have a very difficult, lengthy birdie putt coming up.
Schauffele, hovering around the cut line, finds the bunker to the right of the green
11:15 PM BST
Hole-in-one alert!
Courtesy of South Korea’s Si Woo Kim on the 252-yard par-three sixth. He has gone under the radar today; he is six under for the day and is now up to five under in a tie for fourth.
11:12 PM BST
Treacherous 16th!
The stellar trio are onto the 16th hole, where all three made double bogeys yesterday, with both Scheffler and Schauffele finding the water behind the green.
11:06 PM BST
Rory moving forward once more
McIlroy takes advantage of a good lay-up and his third shot is sublime, presenting him a great birdie chance which he takes. He moves back into the red on one under, seven off the lead.
Scheffler makes his birdie and advances to five under. Schauffele makes it three birdies out of three with this group and that will help his cause in making the cut as he moves to one over.
Now they go to the ‘Green Mile’.
10:56 PM BST
Over on 15
McIlroy’s tee shot on 15 misses the fairway to the left and is not a million miles from the water. He is not going to go for the green and lays up just in front of the bunker, which is positioned in front of the green. A good lay-up from Rory.
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Rory McIlroy looking to end his second round in good fashion - Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
10:55 PM BST
Penalty drop
Smalley does not take any risks and takes the penalty drop. His third is ok but he is going to struggle to make par on the last.
10:52 PM BST
In strife at 18
Alex Smalley, going down the last on five under, goes left with his tee shot and it ends up in a very precarious position, lodged between a small bridge over the creek and the water. That will surely be an impossible shot to play and he will have to take a drop.
10:45 PM BST
McIlroy gets back on track
Schauffele nearly sinks the birdie putt but it just slides past.
Next up is McIlroy and he drains a crucial birdie putt to move to even par. That will settle any nerves.
Scheffler is last up with the shortest putt and it is an easy birdie for the world number one to move back to four under having dropped a shot on the previous hole.
This trio are coming towards The Green Mile (the final three holes) so it is only going to get tougher from here.
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Important birdie for Rory - Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
10:41 PM BST
Who is the best from the bunker?
Scheffler’s bunker shot is sublime and that presents him an easy birdie chance.
Over the microphone you can hear a fan say to McIlroy “Stick it in the hole Rory!”. McIlroy’s effort from the bunker is not quite as good as Scheffler’s but still decent.
Schauffele is in the same bunker as the other two and he gets slightly too much on it, giving him the hardest birdie opportunity.
10:38 PM BST
What is Rickie doing?
On the par-four 16th, Fowler should sink a very short putt for par but somehow misses, leaving him a harder double bogey putt which he does make. He drops back to three over and is at risk of missing the cut. Moments like that show that these guys are human at times. Not often do these exceptional golfers look human but he did just then.
10:36 PM BST
Donald finishes up
The European Ryder Cup captain has closed out his second round. After his four under round yesterday, it is a three over 74 to hit the halfway stage at one under. Donald can look forward to the weekend and be pleased with his first few days.
10:33 PM BST
On the 14th
McIlroy nearly finds the green on the par-four 14th with his tee shot but he finds the bunker to the right of the green. Not a bad place for Rory to be after his drive. Scheffler joins him in the same bunker.
10:27 PM BST
McIlroy saves par
That is a sublime second shot from McIlroy to stick it within five feet of the hole but he needs to concentrate now. Do not make it three straight bogeys Rory! And he does not as he sinks his par putt. Schauffele plays an equally good chip and he also makes par.
Scheffler has a lengthy par putt which he cannot sink. The world number one drops to three under.
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Important save for Rory - Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
10:21 PM BST
Bogey for Gerard
The North Carolina native makes bogey on 18 (his ninth of this round) and drops back to five under, three shots off the lead.
10:20 PM BST
More frustration for McIlroy
This is a big tee shot for McIlroy on the par-three 13th. Both his playing partners have comfortably missed the green so what can Rory do? The tee shot lands on the green and looks like it will stay where it is but it runs off to the right where Schauffele is. McIlroy shows his first visible signs of real frustration as he tosses his club.
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Rory McIlroy needs to be careful of the cut line - Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
10:14 PM BST
Important birdie for Schauffele but another bogey for McIlroy
The defending champion is hovering around the projected cut line and that is a big birdie for him on 12 to take him to two over. Can McIlroy save his par with a tricky putt? No he cannot and he knew it almost straight away. Not enough weight on it and that makes it back-to-back bogeys for Rory to drop to one over.
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Rory McIlroy drops another shot - Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
10:10 PM BST
Concern for Rory
McIlroy finds himself in the rough off the tee on 12 and his second finds the rough once more. It is a pretty decent effort to chip onto the green to give him a chance of a par. He does not want to make it back-to-back bogeys.
10:09 PM BST
Animal alert again!
Now a turtle on 16!
09:57 PM BST
Dropped shots at 11
McIlroy has had good momentum today but he suffers his first dropped shot of the day as his par putt slides past the left edge to drop back to five over.
Schauffele undoes his good work at 10 with a bogey at 11 to drop to three over. Scheffler has a lengthy putt for par and he drains it.
09:51 PM BST
Fitzpatrick to -6
The Yorkshireman is three under for the day and a birdie on the 12th takes him to six under, two shots off the lead.
09:50 PM BST
Shocker at the 12th
Phil Mickelson has had a very up-down-day with plenty of birdies and drop shots but he is not going to make the weekend. An eight on the par-four 12th, including some trouble in the bunker, has meant he has dropped back to nine over and his PGA Championship will be coming to an end today.
09:36 PM BST
Birdie for McIlroy
The charge continues for the 2025 Masters champion. He started the day at three over but has made four birdies without a bogey to move to one under.
Schauffele also makes a crucial birdie to move to two over. Scheffler cannot join them in making a birdie.
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Momentum building - Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
09:34 PM BST
Gerard into tie for second
Ryan Gerard, who is from North Carolina, has made a birdie on 15 (his sixth hole of the day) to move into a share of second place on six under, two shots off the lead.
09:31 PM BST
Chance to move on up?
After a terrific drive down the fairway at the par-five tenth, McIlroy has 268 yards in. His second just misses the green to the left but avoids rolling into the bunker.
09:26 PM BST
Animal alert!
A turtle on the course but the minute a course official approached it the escape back to the water was done with some speed!
09:17 PM BST
Hitting the turn
Three pars for the McIlroy, Scheffler and Schauffele group leaves them at even, four under and three over respectively as the stellar trio hit the halfway stage of their second rounds.
09:16 PM BST
Smalley drops a shot
The American was just one shot off Vegas’ lead but a bogey on 12 drops him back to six under.
A couple of holes further back Fitzpatrick makes a birdie on the 10th to move to five under, three off the lead.
09:00 PM BST
Sublime from McIlroy
Rory nearly chips in for an eagle on the par-four eighth but it just slides past. That would have been one hell of an eagle. He drains the birdie putt to move to even and he has some momentum. Three birdies and fives pars in his first eight holes. Early in his round Rory was 13 shots off the lead at one point but now he is eight behind.
Schauffele’s chipping nearly earns him a birdie but he will have to settle for a par.
Scheffler makes birdie and progresses to four under.
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Rory McIlroy moving up the leaderboard - Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images
08:54 PM BST
Defending champion under pressure
Schauffele is heading down the eighth at three over and, as it stands, that would not be enough to make the weekend. There are plenty of nervous players, in particular those who have finished their second rounds and are waiting to see if they make the cut; Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Ludvig Aberg to name a few. Spieth might make it but it is unlikely that Thomas and Aberg will.
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Schauffele needs to find some momentum - Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images
08:44 PM BST
Smalley just off the lead
The American makes a birdie on the 10th and moves to just one shot off our leader Vegas. Not sure many people would have predicted a current top three through one and a half days of Vegas, Smalley and Pavon.
Meanwhile up on 16 (his seventh) MacIntyre bogeys to drop to three under.
08:42 PM BST
Birdie for Rory
McIlroy makes his birdie on seven and he improves to one over, two under for the day.
Schauffele was under pressure there needing to chip in off the back of the green to save par and he does so to remain at three over. The defending champion has a fight on his hands to make the cut.
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Rory McIlroy making steady progress on day two - Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images
08:40 PM BST
Oh dear Matt!
Fitzpatrick should sink his par putt on eight to remain at five under but somehow misses the putt as it swings around the hole and he drops back to four under.
08:38 PM BST
Rahm moving
Back-to-back birdies at seven and eight takes the Spaniard to two under, six shots off the lead.
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Jon Rahm making solid progress - Aaron Doster/Reuters
08:35 PM BST
Over on the seventh
On the par five, McIlroy has gone for it in two and his second shot just rolls off the back of the green but still a decent position to make up at least one shot.
08:27 PM BST
Improved driving from Rory
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Rory McIlroy hovering around the projected cut line - Warren Little/Getty Images
08:21 PM BST
McIlroy steadily moving along
Having missed the green at the front of the par-three sixth, a delicate chip shot from Rory sets up the par, which he lands. It is a long par three, 252 yards in length. Even for players like McIlroy, that requires some hitting.
Schauffele cannot save his par as his putt slides past the right edge and he drops back to three over.
Meanwhile Shane Lowry has had a moment of huge frustration as he makes a mess of chip shot and takes his anger out on the ground. An expletive was certainly heard as well and he was very angry with the lie he had in a divot. He ends up with a bogey and tells his ball what he thought of it (I do not think I need to explain any more what gesture he did).
Better fortunes for MacIntyre, who makes it back-to-back birdies on 14 and 15 to move to four under.
08:13 PM BST
Stunning par
American J.T. Poston found the water with his tee shot on the par-three 17th but manages to hole his third shot from the drop zone to incredibly save his par to remain at two under. No wonder he is smiling!
08:10 PM BST
Trouble for Donald
The European Ryder Cup captain has made a double bogey on 18 having found the water with his tee shot. He drops back to three under halfway through his second round.
A member of Donald’s successful team last time out in Rome, MacIntyre makes a birdie on 14 to move to three under.
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Problems for Luke Donald at the 18th - David Cannon/Getty Images
08:06 PM BST
McIlroy remains at two over
McIlroy’s tee shot on the fifth is perfect but his second lets him down as it goes just over the back of the green. A player of his calibre should be doing better with that second shot. His chip comes very close to going in for birdie but it slides past the right edge. It leaves a tricky little putt for par which McIlroy just about sinks courtesy of the right edge.
One man making good progress is Alex Smalley, who has made back-to-back birdies on seven and eight to move to six under, two shots off the lead.
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Rory McIlroy has made a solid start to round two - Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images
07:58 PM BST
Stunning shot from MacIntyre
Plenty of players are going for the par-four 14th and Robert MacIntyre has found the green with a superb tee shot to set up an eagle opportunity. The Scot is currently at two under early in his second round.
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Robert MacIntyre in a decent position as he starts his second round - Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
07:49 PM BST
Par for McIlroy
This has been a solid start for Rory, with three pars and a birdie in his first three holes.
Scheffler found the bunker with his tee shot but it is a good up-and-down from the world number one to save par.
07:45 PM BST
Movement near the top of the leaderboard
Hisatsune has made three birdies in his first six holes of his second round so far and is now up into a share of second place with Pavon on six under.
American Alex Smalley has had an interesting couple of moments on the par-five seventh. His first chip from the side of the green is duffed but he nails his second and it rolls in for birdie to take him to five under.
07:37 PM BST
Scheffler starts moving
Scheffler has a birdie chance on the third, which he takes to move to three under, five shots off the lead.
McIlroy, having missed the fairway with his tee shot, has a tricky putt for par which he drains. That was a difficult putt and a crucial one for McIlroy to stay at two over, which is roughly where the projected cut line is.
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World number one on the move - David J. Phillip/AP
07:35 PM BST
Leader Vegas stumbles at the last
He has had a very good first two days but he would not have wanted to have ended his second round like this on the 18th. After finding the bunker with his second shot, his bunker shot is a poor one which ends up rolling off the front of the green. His second attempt at a chip onto the green is much better and should get a bogey but he ends up with a very nervy double bogey after missing a putt from short range. He still finishes his second round on eight under and currently has a two-shot lead but that will give the chasing pack a lift.
07:21 PM BST
Birdie for McIlroy
Rory needed that one as his birdie putt has just enough weight on it to roll in. He improves to two over but will want this to be just the start of a strong second round to bounce back from a poor first round.
Scheffler’s birdie putt goes past the right of the hole and it is back-to-back pars to start for the world number one. Schauffele settles for a par to remain at two over.
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Rory McIlroy makes a solid start to his second round - Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
07:17 PM BST
Up-and-down start for Fitzpatrick
The Yorkshireman has gone birdie, bogey, birdie to start his second round and is in a tie for seventh on four under. Fitzpatrick is looking to build on a three-under round of 68 yesterday with another good round today.
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Matt Fitzpatrick in a good position early in his second round - David J. Phillip/AP
07:15 PM BST
Birdie chances?
McIlroy’s drive went 337 yards down the fairway, leaving him 119 in. A decent second shot, similar to Scheffler’s, will give both players a decent birdie chance. Schauffele also finds the green with his second shot but a slightly longer birdie putt is incoming.
07:07 PM BST
McIlroy saves par
The Northern Irishman makes the up and down and saves par on the first to stay at three over. Just one hole into his second round and he is already 13 shots off the lead.
Scheffler has a tricky little putt for par but sinks it to stay at two under. He will be relieved to be walking off the first with a par. Schauffele had a very lengthy birdie putt that came up short and then his effort for par slides by the left of the hole. He drops to two over and for him and McIlroy they cannot afford a bad start.
Meanwhile European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald has made a birdie on the 15th (his sixth hole of the day) to move to five under.
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Rory McIlroy needs a solid round to make the cut - Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images
07:02 PM BST
Leader midway through ‘Green Mile’
Vegas is onto the par-three 17th and has had a huge slice of luck. His tee shot was heading right but hits a rake next to the bunker, causing the ball to kick to the left and give him an outside chance of a birdie when he would have been panicking about dropping a shot.
06:57 PM BST
Early problem for McIlroy?
Scheffler is quite a way left but has a view to the green. He finds the bunker on the right-hand side of the green. Schauffele found the green with his second. McIlroy’s second is not his best and finds the bunker on the left. There is not much green to play with on the left-hand side with where the pin is placed today. McIlroy was aggressive but is punished for inaccuracy and this will not be an easy up-and-down.
06:54 PM BST
Missed opportunity
On the 16th our leader Vegas has the chance to move to 11 under and a five-shot lead but his birdie put slides past.
06:50 PM BST
Blockbuster trio get going
The world numbers one, two and three are starting their second rounds, with huge crowds gathering around the first tee. Rory McIlroy had a tough round yesterday hitting three over but has an impressive record around this golf course. World number one Scottie Scheffler, who won the CJ Cup Byron Nelson on his last start, had plenty of complaints about mud balls yesterday but starts at two under. Defending champion Xander Schauffele is at one over.
McIlroy gets this trio going with a drive down the left of the fairway that carried around 320 yards. Schauffele is next to tee up and his drive ends up in a fairly similar position to McIlroy’s. Scheffler, who had an extraordinary second day at the PGA Championship last year, misses the fairway out to the left and that is an unusually wayward start from the world number one.
06:43 PM BST
Bryson finishes up
DeChambeau has had a strong second round but a bogey on his final hole will leave a sour taste in the mouth as heads off the course. He still has registered a three-under round of 68.
Playing alongside him is Viktor Hovland, who has chipped in on his final hole of the day (the ninth on the course) for birdie to improve to two under. He has had a mixed day chipping around the greens but that will put a smile on his face heading into the weekend.
06:33 PM BST
Pavon closes out second round
An excellent day for the Frenchman, who has made six birdies and no bogeys to register a six-under round of 65. As it stands he is four shots off our leader Vegas.
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Matthieu Pavon in a good position heading into the weekend - Alex Slitz/Getty Images
Meanwhile Michael Thorbjornsen has dropped a shot to five under.
06:25 PM BST
Aaron Rai finishes up
The Englishman ends with a par on the last and he goes into the weekend on three under after a one-over round of 72.
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Aaron Rai is three under after two rounds - Alex Slitz/Getty Images
Meanwhile Bryson DeChambeau has just made birdie on the eighth hole (his 17th of the round) and has improved to four under, six shots off the lead.
06:19 PM BST
Big hitters heading out
The likes of Brooks Koepka, Shane Lowry and Phil Mickelson have all begun their second rounds, with the biggest trio of Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele under half an hour from getting going.
06:12 PM BST
Vegas extends lead
Our leader is having yet another good day. A birdie on 14 makes it three birdies so far on the back nine and he is now up to ten under, four shots clear of Pavon and Thorbjornsen.
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Jhonattan Vegas four shots clear at the top of the leaderboard - Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
06:06 PM BST
Nervous wait
Jordan Spieth has registered a three-under round of 68 and finishes his second round at two over. As it stands that might not be enough but that could change in the coming hours. Playing alongside him is Ludvig Aberg, who is very unlikely to make the cut as he finishes on three over.
06:01 PM BST
Who will not make the weekend?
Still plenty of action to come in this second round but as it stands a lot of big names will be nervous right now. Hideki Matsuyama, Tom Kim and Jordan Spieth are just outside the cut line as they come towards the end of their second rounds. Rory McIlroy is yet to tee off, likewise for Shane Lowry, Jason Day and Rickie Fowler. The likes of Justin Thomas and Ludvig Aberg look set to miss the cut.
05:56 PM BST
Big mistake from Aaron Rai
That was a rough 16th for the Englishman, which included hitting a tree and resulted in a double bogey to drop him back to three under.
Meanwhile Jordan Spieth, who could complete the career Grand Slam this week with victory, is scrapping and trying to fight his way into the weekend as he is right around the projected cut line.
05:47 PM BST
Vegas extends lead
A birdie on the 13th takes our leader three shots clear of the chasing pack and up to nine under. Michael Thorbjornsen and Mattieu Pavon are in a share for second on six under.
05:46 PM BST
Thomas set to miss the cut?
The 2017 champion sees his birdie putt slide past the hole on his final hole of the day and ends his second round on three over which, as it stands, will not be enough to make the cut.
05:43 PM BST
Bryson nearly chips in
On the par-three sixth (his 15th hole of the round) DeChambeau misses the green with his tee shot to the right but his chip shot nearly goes in. The American currently sits on three under.
05:38 PM BST
Bad end to a poor round
Not Tyrrell Hatton’s day. The round got off to a great start but he has been going backwards ever since. A bogey on the ninth (his last hole of the day) drops him back to one under so it is a two-over round of 73.
Meanwhile the 2017 PGA Championship winner on this course Justin Thomas has made a birdie on the eighth to go to three over but has just one hole remaining and looks set to miss the cut.
05:28 PM BST
Tee times to keep an eye on over the next couple of hours
18.03: Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler, Shane Lowry (Ire).
18.14: Phil Mickelson, Tommy Fleetwood (Eng), Jason Day (Aus).
18:25: Jon Rahm (Spa), Patrick Cantlay, Matt Fitzpatrick (Eng).
18.36: Corey Conners (Can), Min Woo Lee (Aus), Rasmus Hojgaard (Den).
18.47: Rory McIlroy (Nir), Xander Schauffele, Scottie Scheffler.
05:24 PM BST
Max Homa finishes up
That is a fantastic round for the American. He started the day at two over but a fine round of 64 has taken him to five under at the halfway stage. That is Homa’s lowest career round in a major and he enjoys this course. Back in 2022 at The Presidents Cup, Homa won Team USA four points that week and he has also won at Quail Hollow on the PGA Tour.
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Max Homa has thrust himself into the upper part of the leaderboard - David J. Phillip/AP
Meanwhile Hatton has made birdie on his penultimate hole of the day to improve to two under.
05:18 PM BST
Pavon to -6
What a great day this is turning out to be for the Frenchman. It was an even-par 71 yesterday for Pavon but a birdie on 14 takes him to six under for second place on the leaderboard, two shots behind leader Vegas.
05:14 PM BST
Two European Ryder Cup men going backwards
Tyrrell Hatton made such a good start to his second round with birdies on his first two holes having started on the tenth. At that stage he was at five under but heading to his final two holes he is now down to one under, including that triple bogey on 18.
It has also not been Ludvig Aberg’s finest day. He began the day at one under after yesterday’s round of 70 but he has dropped back to two over through 14 holes (starting on the tenth). He has a bit of work to do as he hovers around the projected cut line.
05:08 PM BST
Ophidiophobiacs look away now
05:06 PM BST
Homa’s charge
Another birdie for Max Homa at the seventh followed by a par at the eighth to climb back up to five-under and would need an eagle at the ninth for a record equalling 62 at a major.
But that’s still three strokes behind Jhonattan Vegas who has rolled in a four-footer for birdie at the 10t after a superb fairway wood over the bunker with his second stroke.
And Aaron Rai joins Homa with a birdie at 14, snaffling a 15-footer that broke from right to left.
04:57 PM BST
Projected cut is +1
Which currently is 12 strokes away for Dustin Johnson with five to play after two doubles and three bogeys today to go with his seven-over from yesterday. He was second at Bethpage Black in 2019 and again the following year at TPC Harding Park. Having missed the cut at the last two Masters and the US open last year, it seems that lack of elite competition on elite courses has taken its toll.
04:41 PM BST
Vive les Girondins
A fifth birdie of the day for France’s Matthieu Pavon at the 12th takes him up to five-under and tie for second place with JJ Spaun and Ryan Gerard. His father, Michel, used to play for and manage poor Girondins de Bordeaux, a once great football side who fell on very hard times.
JJ Spaun, strictly JM Spaun Jnr but what’s an initial, who was in the Players’ play-off with Rory McIlroy two months ago, has just made his sixth birdie of the day (to go with one bogey) at 14 to tie for second.
04:24 PM BST
Rai’s scrambling smarts fail him
And he drops a stroke at 12, the hole that also ended Homa’s flawless run. Lining up his par-saving 16ft putt he found the right line but it missed high on the right and left it up by a couple of inches.
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Rai implores it to drop - AP Photo/Matt York
Vegas had an 18-footer to record back-to-back birdies on eight and extend his lead to three strokes but he leaves it up by about 18 inches as it broke late to the right. He stays on seven-under.
04:11 PM BST
Vegas restores two-stroke lead
Very nearly three with his monster eagle putt which must have been the best part of 30 yards away at the seventh but it skitters a good seven feet past the cup. No problem rattling that one in, though, to go back to seven-under, his closing position last night and starting point today.
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Vegas restores his two-shot lead - AP Photo/David J. Phillip
04:00 PM BST
Po’ Max
Having enjoyed a serene opening 11, Homa stiffs his tee shot at the par three 12th right and is enveloped by the greenside rough. Out comes the wedge but he hits it too thin and it goes only 12ft and is stranded on the fringe. And even though he nearly chips in to save his par, the ball trickles past and 12 becomes the first blemish on a hitherto impeccable scorecard. Back to four-under.
03:48 PM BST
-5 alive
Michael Thorbjornsen has been a steady Eddie so far this afternoon but has just rolled in his second birdie to go with his five pars to join Aaron Rai and Ryan Gerard on five-under.
And they are joined by Max Homa who hs birdied the second to go to seven-under for the day and five-under for the tournament.
03:39 PM BST
DeChambeau and his following
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DeChambeau has birdied the 10th and 16th to go two-under for the tournament.
03:32 PM BST
Adam Scott also on bother at 18
But he emerges slightly less drenched than Hatton, dropping two strokes to start the front nine on two-under.
Colin Morikawa had been making stately progress with three birdies and momentarily joined Scott and Hatton on four-under until he, too, found the drink at 18 and dropped two shots.
Jhonny Vegas is hardly playing serenely but has scrambled four successive pars after that bogey at his second to stay in the sole lead.
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Morikawa moves on up - Getty Images/Andrew Redington
03:17 PM BST
Hatton in the water at 18 (his ninth)
And it gets no better after taking his drop. His third stroke lands him in the deep rough and he’s 40 yards short of the green with his fourth, ‘grassclub’ rather than ‘mudball’. His pitch is short and then rolls back and his sixth gives him a glimmer of escaping with only a triple bogey. His four-footer rolls in but that’s a crippling swing from -5 to -2 in one fell swoop. Let’s hope the exasperation can be contained before developing into a full strop.
By contrast Aaron Rai will be relieved to get away with only a bogey at eight which leaves him at -4.
03:01 PM BST
Homa completes back nine in 30
Now for the front nine. Having chipped in for birdie at the 18th, that makes his opening look about as handsome as one could imagine: birdie, par, par, birdie, eagle, birdie, par, par, birdie. That takes him to four-under.
02:55 PM BST
Hatton and Rai continue to climb
Lucas Glover has socks and shoes off to stand with both feet in the stream at the side of the 18th green. At one-over for the tournament and one-under for the day after bogeying 17, it’s worth the wet toes.
Aaron Rai had a chance to tie the lead with his 24ft eagle putt on seven leaves it about 4ft short but drains his birdie effort and the Englishman is now five-under, tied for second.
As is Hatton after nearly making a hole-in-one at his eighth (17), his pitch on the perfect line as it skipped off the greenside first cut just the right side of the water and rolled inches past.
Precision > power for the two Englishmen.
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Tyrrell Hatton is one shot off the lead - Getty Images/Alex Slitz
02:42 PM BST
Vegas drop to six-under
Adam Scott, playing his 95th successive major, has made birdies on 14 and fifteen to extend his two-under yesterday to four under with 12 to play of his second round. He joins High Wycombe’s Hatton and Wolverhampton’s Rai on four-under.
Viktor Hovland, who began on one-under, seems to have been spooked by his double-bogey at 12 (his third) when two chips on to the green cruelly rolled back at landed back where they started, is in deep trouble off the tee at 13.
Vegas has dropped a stroke at the second, unable to scramble to save par as he did at the first after a loose tee shot.
02:30 PM BST
Max on the march
Another birdie for Max Homa, this one at 15, his sixth hole of the second round, means he is five-under for the day and -3 for the tournament. Just a par or him at the 16th but that’s quite the early surge.
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Max Homa has started his second round like a train - AP Photo/George Walker IV
Aaron Rai, has repaired the damage of starting with back-to-back bogeys with successive birdies at the fourth and fifth followed by a steady par at the sixth. He is tied for fourth with Hatton and Thorbjornsen.
02:19 PM BST
Vegas saves par and stays two ahead
Excellent par-saving putt for Vegas at his first after finding the sand off the tee, the one place he didn’t want his drive to go, then finds another bunker with his second. But his chip sets him up for a testing 12fter, right to left, which he nails, the ball dropping in sweetly.
02:14 PM BST
Hatton hurt by bogey
Cam Smith, the 2022 Open Champion, made a rotten 78 on Thursday but has just chipped in at the 10th for an eagle three.
Jhonattan Vegas, the 40-year-old Venezuelan leader, has teed off on his second round.
Hatton drops a stroke at the 14th when his tee shot hits the swale in front of the green and kicks into the water. He takes a drop then gives himself a fantastic chance of saving par with a chip to six feet but two-putts to leave him on -4. At the 15th, his sixth hole of the day, he stiffs his second shot horribly, seemingly blaming the mud.
Here’s Golf News’ Ryan Ballengee on last night’s hottest topic:
01:54 PM BST
Blooming Bryson
Sydneysider Cam Davis has got the stroke back he dropped at his third hole at the sixth and climbs back up to five-under, tied for second with Tyrrell ‘Bob’ Hatton and Ryan Gerard.
Max Homa, who is among those starting at the 10th, has two birdies and an eagle so far, scoring two and two at successive holes, the three-par 13th and four-par 14th to move up to two-under having made a two-over 73 yesterday.
Bryson DeChambeau, who made an even-par 71 on Thursday, has opened up with a birdie at 10.
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Bryson DeChambeau begins his second round with a birdie four at the 10th - Getty Images/David Cannon
01:42 PM BST
Bogey, bogey for Rai
Aaron Rai had a fabulous opening round yesterday: five birdies and just the one bogey. He’s started in a fluster today though with back-to-back bogeys on the opening hole. Still not sure what makes him want to play with golf gloves on both hands.
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01:34 PM BST
What is a SubAir system?
It’s basically a giant underground hoover-cum-fan, installed under the green. In hoover mode, the contraption literally sucks water down through the surface of the green, meaning it dries far more quickly (which is what they’ve been doing at Quail Hollow this week). In fan mode, it pushes air up through the green which helps grow the grass. Combine this with the kind of soil-monitoring that the greenkeepers use and they can control the conditions of the green in any weather.
01:30 PM BST
Soft fairways, hard greens
The contrast between the behaviour of the fairways and the greens looks like it will be a key factor in today’s play. After those four inches of rain in the days preceding this tournament, the fairways are offering very little run.
Bryson DeChambeau just smashed his drive on the first some silly distance in the air only for the ball to run about three yards into the first cut. Meanwhile the greens, which are regulated with a SubAir system, are basically dry and firm.
01:21 PM BST
Eagle for Spieth
Superb from one of last year’s form players. He was at even par going into this round. Reminder: if he wins here, he also completes the career grand-slam, after Rory McIlroy did just that at the Masters in April.
01:14 PM BST
Birdie, birdie for Tyrrell Hatton
312-yard drive on the par-four first and a one putt for birdie. Follows it up with another circle on the second to move into a tie for second.
Cameron Davis drops back a shot with a bogey on the third.
01:07 PM BST
Projected cut at the moment is +1
Was +2 at the Masters last month, for reference.
01:04 PM BST
Looks muggy
First pictures now coming through from the course. Looks muggy at 8am. Here’s Sami Valimaki, the Finnish World No 99, who presumably feels like a fish out of water in these conditions.
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12:56 PM BST
Back-to-back birdies for Jake Knapp
The American is the best performer out on course at the moment with birdies on one and two.
Knapp is probably most famous for winning the Mexican Open last year (his first PGA Tour victory) despite hitting just two fairways in his final round. The 30-year-old also shot a 59 earlier this year at the Cognizant Classic.
12:48 PM BST
‘These nine-woods are basically pitching wedges for a 225-yard shot’
While we’re waiting for any significant news from the course, read James Corrigan on the surprising rise of the nine-wood among professional golfers. Traditionally, the club was reserved only for hackers who needed a bit of oomph when trying to escape fairway rough.
Here’s Collin Morikawa on why he converted: “Look, it has stopping power from 225 yards. It probably hits the ball the highest of any club in my bag. So why wouldn’t you use it? You’d probably be dumb not to have a go.”
And here’s Dustin Johnson, on whether his reputation might take a hit by using the lofted wood. “Doesn’t bother me. If it saves shots, I ain’t proud.”
As one club manufacturer puts it: “These nine-woods are basically pitching wedges for a 225-yard shot.”
12:40 PM BST
Cameron Davis makes solid start
Cameron Davis (who finished fourth at the US PGA in 2023) led the championship for quite a long time on day one only to bogey the 18th, giving Jhonattan Vegas that shot at the lead. Davis is in one of the first groups out today and has a par on the opening hole.
Keith Mitchell, who was three over par yesterday, is already two over through two holes today.
12:35 PM BST
How the bookies see it
Here’s what the betting market looks like after that chaotic opening round. Think there’s quite a lot of fingers being licked and stuck in the wind here, to be honest.
- Scottie Scheffler (E) - 7/2
- Bryson DeChambeau (E) - 10/1
- Tyrrell Hatton (E) - 14/1
- Jon Rahm (E) - 18/1
- Ludvig Aberg (E) - 20/1
- Viktor Hovland (E) - 22/1
- Rory McIlroy (E) - 25/1
12:22 PM BST
Today’s forecast, and what it means for the mud
Conditions on the course are still very soggy, after days of heavy rain in North Carolina. But the forecast for today and the weekend is set pretty fair.
Some of the players are concerned that, as the course dries out, the mudball situation might actually get worse. I suppose there is some kind of mud stickiness sweetspot: too wet, and the dirt slips straight off the ball; too dry and it never gets on there in the first place.
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12:14 PM BST
Battle of the Ryder Cup captains
While we’re waiting for the opening scores from the course, a reminder that yesterday was a great day for both Ryder Cup captains.
For Europe, captain Luke Donald was bogey-free while the US captain, Keegan Bradley, only slipped up on the 18th.
This is just the second time that both sitting Ryder Cup captains have been among the top 10 at the conclusion of a major championship round during a Ryder Cup year, the first occasion being the midway point of the 1937 Open Championship
“Only other captains can understand what you’re going through, and the day-to-day process and the pressure and everything that comes with that,” said Bradley. “So you know, for him [Donald] to go out there and shoot that round, it’s impressive. You know, it makes me happy.”
Despite his hot start to the year’s second major, Donald still does not have any intention of playing in the Ryder Cup himself.
“I’m here only because I’m captain of the European Ryder Cup team. I wouldn’t be in this field otherwise,” said Donald. “It’s a nice invitation and a perk that the Ryder Cup captain gets. I understand that. I understand that my game isn’t where it used to be, and that is the focus.”
12:08 PM BST
Second round is under way
It’s just past 7am in North Carolina and the second-round starters are under way on the first and the tenth.
It was approximately this time last year that Scottie Scheffler was being taken down the a police station after allegedly disobeying a traffic cop. Cue one of the most remarkable days in recent golf history.
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12:00 PM BST
United Nations of golf
There are players from 12 countries among the top 10 and ties — a major championship record. The previous mark was 11 at the Open Championship in 1997 (final round), 2002 (second round) and 2006 (first round); and the 2014 BChampionship (second round).
11:57 AM BST
Cole’s ace and DeChambeau’s near miss
ICYMI yesterday, here’s Eric Cole’s hole-in-one...
And Bryson DeChambeau very nearly achieving the same...
11:52 AM BST
Justin Thomas’s history of mad Thursdays
Justin Thomas’ wild opening round ended fittingly enough, with his left sock and shoe off as he contemplated how to hit from an utterly ridiculous lie after his ball came to rest on a one-foot patch of tall grass sandwiched between a large rock and a creek next to the 18th green.
For what it’s worth, Thomas somehow managed to land his chip beautifully on the green by striking down at the ball with his lob wedge, only to miss the 12-foot par putt and finish at 2-over-par 73.
It could have been worse.
The two-time PGA champion played the first six holes in four over before rallying back to one over for the day heading into No. 18. By the end of his round, his scorecard had more squares and circles than a day nursery, with five birdies, five bogeys and a double bogey.
His start was somewhat reminiscent of the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, which he went on to win.
Thomas began that round on the back nine and was two over with three holes left. Then he bogeyed the seventh hole when he hit into the water and flew the green on No. 8.
“I could not have been in a worse place,” Thomas said at the time. “I was 7 yards over the green on a downslope. And now I have a chip that I have to get up-and-down or I’m 4 over.”
Thomas holed what he called “the most ridiculous flop shot I’ve ever hit” for a birdie to shoot 73.
The following day, he shot 66 and was on his way to capturing the Wanamaker Trophy.
11:43 AM BST
Second round tee times
See the full list here. Some of the three-balls to watch out for.
13.00: Joe Highsmith, Cameron Young, Aaron Rai
Rai, the Englishman, is the only member of the world’s Top 40 anywhere close to the top of the leaderboard
14.06: Jhonattan Vegas, Elvis Smylie, Brian Campbell
Vegas is the first Venezuelan ever to lead a major, and with a two-stroke advantage to boot! Surely he can’t carry that into the weekend?
17.25: Luke Donald, Padraig Harrington, Martin Kaymer
On a monster course like this (7,626 yards), there’s no way Donald should have the length to trouble the top of the leaderboard. But go have a look.
18.03: Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler, Shane Lowry
A terrific three-ball including an Irishman tipped to win this event in some quarters. He’s two shots over par. So is Fowler. Koepka is four shots over. Pick the bones out of that one.
18.47: Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Scottie Scheffler
Schauffele and Scheffler spent the evening yesterday whinging about muddy balls screwing up their iron-play. McIlroy didn’t have much to say about the mudball controversy – probably because he couldn’t even hit a clean ball straight off most of the tees.
11:27 AM BST
Flying the European flag
Aaron Rai and Luke Donald, two Englishmen, flew the flag for Europe yesterday, both shooting a four-under 67 for a share of fourth place on the overnight leaderboard.
“For me going bogey-free in a major around here is very good and, no, considering the missed cuts I’ve had of late I wasn’t banking on this ,” said Donald after day one.
“Someone just told me it was my lowest first round in a major since 2004. Let’s face it, I’m only in this field because I was invited as the Europe Ryder Cup captain. I am here to keep one eye on my players, but that’s OK, because it’s what I signed up for.”
Rory McIlroy, meanwhile, hit just two fairways off the tee on Thursday and now faces a battle to make the cut.
Play gets under way at Quail Hollow at 12pm.
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