Alex Smalley Reaches 5 Under to Lead PGA Championship by 2

11 articles · Updated · golfchannel.com · May 15

Alex Smalley became the first player to reach 5 under at Aronimink, turning in 33 on his opening nine of Round 2 and holding a two-shot lead before a bogey trimmed the margin to one.
73.1 was the Round 2 scoring average as stronger wind made Aronimink play tougher than Thursday, leaving no one else lower than 2 under for the day.
Scottie Scheffler, the defending champion and world No. 1, failed to hit a fairway early and slipped back with multiple bogeys, though a late birdie got him to 1 under and within striking distance.
Cameron Young surged to 2 under with an eagle on the ninth, while Justin Thomas also climbed to 2 under; club pro Ben Kern shot 67 to sit at 1 over and inside the projected cut line.
The leaderboard had seven co-leaders after Round 1, but Friday's harsher conditions quickly spread the field and raised the projected cut from even to around 2 over.

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