Scottie Scheffler, Viktor Hovland and Corey Conners delivered clutch birdies and

grinded out par saves to share the lead after Friday's second round of the PGA
Championship as rivals stumbled at rainy Oak Hill.

Second-ranked American Scheffler, last year's Masters champion, and Canada's

Conners, chasing his first major title, each fired two-under par 68 to finish 36
holes level at the top on five-under 135.

"Felt like I grinded it out pretty well," Scheffler said. "Didn't hit as many
fairways as I would hope to but to shoot two-under was good, solid golf."

Conners, who won his second PGA Tour title at last month's Texas Open, worked magic
with his putter when needed.

"Very pleased," Conners said. "The conditions were tricky out there, faced some
wind, some rain. I made a bunch of key putts to keep momentum going, and that was
really the key to the day."

Norway's 11th-ranked Hovland, also seeking a first major crown, sank a five-foot
birdie putt at the 18th hole to shoot 67 and make it three at the top.

"The score has been great but the way I've plodded my way around here, very pleased
with that," he said. "I was trying to give myself the most stress-free pars and a
couple birdie looks as well."

Bryson DeChambeau, the 2020 US Open champion, closed with a bogey to share fourth
with fellow American Justin Suh on 137.

"It has been a few years, but it doesn't mean I don't know how to do it,"
DeChambeau said of winning. "I'm definitely trending in the right direction
finally."

Four-time major winner Brooks Koepka and England's Callum Tarren were on 138 and
England's Justin Rose and Canadian Taylor Pendrith on 139 as only nine players
stood under par.

Scheffler, who would return to world number one with a victory, had two sets of
back-to-back birdies but closed with a bogey.

"I was just trying to grind," he said. "I'm in a good position going into the
weekend."

Conners consistently made putts from nine to 12 feet for pars and birdies.

"Definitely was a challenging day," he said. "But I felt like I played really
solid."

Hovland adopted a patient and conservative philosophy and will stick with it.

"It's nice to have a chance, but we've got a lot of golf left," Hovland said. "I
just have to keep being patient and hitting middle of the greens and let the pieces
fall wherever they fall."

Koepka birdied three of the last four holes to shoot 66.

"Knew I needed a good round," said Koepka. "Happy to shoot under par and get back
in the race."

Rose, the 2013 US Open and 2016 Rio Olympic champion, won in February at Pebble
Beach for his first triumph since 2019. He could be the first Englishman to win a
PGA Championship since Jim Barnes in 1916 and 1919.

Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy, chasing his first major victory since 2014,
fired a 69 to stand on level par 140. He found water and made bogeys at six and
seven but birdied nine from 44 feet and 18 from 16 feet.

"It was a bit of a grind again," McIlroy said. "I had to score as best as I could.
Rode my luck a little bit. Pretty erratic off the tee, [I] need to tighten it up
over the weekend."

American Michael Block shared 10th on 140, the best 36-hole spot for a club
professional since 1988.

Burmester, Lawrence fly SA flag

Meanwhile, Dean Burmester and Thriston Lawrence are the two South Africans who made
the cut. Both are nine shots adrift at four-under and in a share of 48th position.

The other South Africans in the field, Christiaan Bezuidenhout (+6) and Ockie
Strydom (+13), missed the cut.