Major champs set up epic weekend after wild Friday at PGA Championship

AS IT STANDS -12 Schauffele; -11 Morikawa; -10 Theegala; -9 Scheffler, Detry, Hubbard, DeChambeau – SELECTED OTHERS – 8 Hovland; -7 Koepka; -5 McIlroy;  E Rahm, +4 Mickelson, Clark; +8 Woods

–

On a day that started with the world’s best player in a jail cell, Xander Schauffele provided the golf subplot by retaining the lead at the PGA Championship.

This was both a sombre and surreal major championship Friday in Kentucky.

Scottie Scheffler, the world No.1 and current Masters champion, was handcuffed at 6am, charged with four offences including second-degree assault of a police officer, then released from custody by 8:40am before rushing to his 10:08 tee time at Valhalla.

The dramatic and scarcely believable series of events followed a tragic non-related accident that caused the death of on-site worker John Mills after a collision with a shuttle bus.

Scheffler, who paid tribute to Mr. Mills and later spoke of his “shock and fear” when shaking in his holding cell, carded a jaw-dropping five-under 66 within hours of having his mugshot taken in an orange jumpsuit.

• 8 big names who missed the cut at the PGA Championship

• Scottie Scheffler handcuffed, arrested and charged after PGA traffic incident

The world No.1 sits three shots behind fellow American Schauffele, who tied the lowest 36-hole score in PGA Championship history at 12-under after a solid 68.

Scheffler has some formidable company in the cavalry chasing the impressive Schauffele. Collin Morikawa is one behind the leader after a morning 65. The ever-popular Sahith Theegala is two back in solo second after a four-under 67.

LIV Golf’s Bryson DeChambeau is a shot further adrift alongside Scheffler and Thomas Detry at nine-under.

Meanwhile, Viktor Hovland’s mini-resurgence continued as a superb 66 left him four behind.

Rory McIlroy is not out of contention seven back, but was left to rue unforced errors and near misses with the putter. The problem for the Northern Irishman is the heavy traffic of superstars between him and the leader.

Defending champion Brooks Koepka was also let down by his putter but is poised at minus seven. Robert MacIntyre and Matt Wallace, the leading British hopes, are on the same score as Koepka in a tie for 11th.

• Scottie Scheffler was ‘shaking in jail cell’ after arrest

• LPGA event decimated by mystery illness

But a host of big names fell before the weekend.

The Tiger Woods race was run with two triple bogeys in his first four holes on Friday. The four-time PGA champion’s ugly 78 left him eight shots off the cut mark.

A visibly frustrated Jon Rahm missed out on the weekend by one after finishing level par, the same score as Matt Fitzpatrick.

But the struggles of these major champions will quickly be forgotten. The image of a startled Scheffler in the orange jumpsuit will endure.

Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.