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The 2026 PGA Championship Round 2 concluded on Friday, May 15, 2026 at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. The 2026 PGA Championship cut line was finalized at 4-over par (+4), with the top 70 players and ties advancing to the weekend. In a dramatic day dominated by swirling winds and punishing pin positions, Maverick McNealy and Alex Smalley share the 36-hole lead at 4-under par heading into Moving Day at the 108th PGA Championship.
2026 PGA Championship Round 2 Results: Cut Line Set at +4, McNealy & Smalley Share Lead at -4 – Full Leaderboard & Player Breakdown
📌 Tournament Overview
| Tournament | 108th PGA Championship (2026) |
| Venue | Aronimink Golf Club, Newtown Square, Pennsylvania |
| Tournament Dates | May 11–17, 2026 |
| Round 2 Date | Friday, May 15, 2026 |
| Cut Line | +4 Over Par (Top 70 and ties) |
| Defending Champion | Scottie Scheffler (USA) – World No. 1 |
| Round 2 Scoring Average | 73.1 (approx. 1 stroke higher than Round 1) |
| Low Round of the Week | Chris Gotterup – 65 (-5) |
🏆 Full 36-Hole Leaderboard After Round 2
Source: PGA Championship Official / CBS Sports / Golf Channel · Updated: May 15, 2026
| Pos. | Player | Country | Total | R2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Maverick McNealy | 🇺🇸 USA | -4 | -3 (67) |
| T1 | Alex Smalley | 🇺🇸 USA | -4 | -1 (69) |
| T3 | Hideki Matsuyama | 🇯🇵 JPN | -3 | -3 (67) |
| T3 | Chris Gotterup ⭐ | 🇺🇸 USA | -3 | -5 (65) Low Rd |
| T3 | Min Woo Lee | 🇦🇺 AUS | -3 | E (70) |
| T3 | Aldrich Potgieter | 🇿🇦 RSA | -3 | E (70) |
| T3 | Stephan Jaeger | 🇩🇪 GER | -3 | E (70) |
| T3 | Max Greyserman | 🇺🇸 USA | -3 | -1 (69) |
| T9 | Si Woo Kim | 🇰🇷 KOR | -2 | -3 (67) |
| T9 | David Puig | 🇪🇸 ESP | -2 | -3 (67) |
| T9 | Ludvig Åberg | 🇸🇪 SWE | -2 | -4 (66) |
| T9 | Scottie Scheffler ⭐ | 🇺🇸 USA | -2 | +1 (71) |
| T9 | Justin Thomas | 🇺🇸 USA | -2 | -1 (69) |
| T9 | Cameron Young | 🇺🇸 USA | -2 | -3 (67) |
| T9 | Harris English | 🇺🇸 USA | -2 | -3 (67) |
| T16 | Aaron Rai | 🇬🇧 ENG | -1 | -1 (69) |
| T16 | Andrew Novak | 🇺🇸 USA | -1 | E (70) |
| T16 | Jason Day | 🇦🇺 AUS | -1 | E (70) |
| T16 | Jon Rahm | 🇪🇸 ESP | -1 | E (70) |
| T16 | Kurt Kitayama | 🇺🇸 USA | -1 | -1 (69) |
| T16 | Patrick Cantlay | 🇺🇸 USA | -1 | -1 (69) |
| T22 | Daniel Hillier | 🇳🇿 NZL | E | -1 (69) |
| T22 | Ryan Fox | 🇳🇿 NZL | E | E (70) |
| T22 | Ryo Hisatsune | 🇯🇵 JPN | E | +3 (73) |
| T22 | Li Haotong | 🇨🇳 CHN | E | -1 (69) |
| T22 | Rikuya Hoshino | 🇵🇭 PHL | E | E (70) |
| T22 | Andrew Putnam | 🇺🇸 USA | E | +1 (71) |
| T22 | Cameron Smith | 🇦🇺 AUS | E | +1 (71) |
| T22 | Patrick Reed | 🇺🇸 USA | E | +2 (72) |
| T30 | Nick Taylor | 🇨🇦 CAN | +1 | +2 (72) |
| T30 | Ryan Gerard | 🇺🇸 USA | +1 | +2 (72) |
| T30 | Rory McIlroy 🔥 | 🇬🇧 NIR | +1 | -3 (67) |
| T30 | Rickie Fowler | 🇺🇸 USA | +1 | +1 (71) |
| T30 | Matthias Schmid | 🇩🇪 GER | +1 | +2 (72) |
| T30 | Ben Griffin | 🇺🇸 USA | +1 | E (70) |
| T30 | Ben Kern | 🇺🇸 USA | +1 | -3 (67) |
| T30 | Brooks Koepka | 🇺🇸 USA | +1 | +2 (72) |
| T30 | Sahith Theegala | 🇺🇸 USA | +1 | +3 (73) |
| T30 | Xander Schauffele | 🇺🇸 USA | +1 | +3 (73) |
| T30 | Jordan Spieth | 🇺🇸 USA | +1 | +2 (72) |
| T30 | Corey Conners | 🇨🇦 CAN | +1 | +3 (73) |
| T30 | Collin Morikawa | 🇺🇸 USA | +1 | +2 (72) |
| T44 | Dustin Johnson | 🇺🇸 USA | +2 | E (70) |
| T44 | Denny McCarthy | 🇺🇸 USA | +2 | +1 (71) |
| T44 | Martin Kaymer | 🇩🇪 GER | +2 | +5 (75) |
| T44 | Matthew Fitzpatrick | 🇬🇧 ENG | +2 | +2 (72) |
| T44 | Matt Wallace | 🇬🇧 ENG | +2 | +1 (71) |
| T44 | Sam Burns | 🇺🇸 USA | +2 | +2 (72) |
| T44 | Sam Stevens | 🇺🇸 USA | +2 | +3 (73) |
| T44 | Alex Fitzpatrick | 🇬🇧 ENG | +2 | E (70) |
| T44 | Chandler Blanchat | 🇺🇸 USA | +2 | +3 (73) |
| T44 | Kazuki Higa | 🇯🇵 JPN | +2 | +1 (71) |
| T44 | Casey Jarvis | 🇿🇦 RSA | +2 | +2 (72) |
| T44 | Keith Mitchell | 🇺🇸 USA | +2 | -1 (69) |
| T44 | Tom Hoge | 🇺🇸 USA | +2 | E (70) |
| T44 | Joaquin Niemann | 🇨🇱 CHI | +2 | +3 (73) |
| T59 | Daniel Brown | 🇬🇧 ENG | +3 | +5 (75) |
| T59 | Rasmus Højgaard | 🇩🇰 DEN | +3 | +1 (71) |
| T59 | Michael Kim | 🇺🇸 USA | +3 | E (70) |
| T59 | Brian Harman | 🇺🇸 USA | +3 | +3 (73) |
| T59 | Sami Valimaki | 🇫🇮 FIN | +3 | E (70) |
| T59 | Justin Rose | 🇬🇧 ENG | +3 | +3 (73) |
| T59 | Chris Kirk | 🇺🇸 USA | +3 | E (70) |
| T59 | Christopher Reitan | 🇳🇴 NOR | +3 | +2 (72) |
| T59 | Padraig Harrington | 🇮🇪 IRL | +3 | -1 (69) |
| T68 | Nicolai Højgaard | 🇩🇰 DEN | +4 | +5 (75) |
| T68 | Daniel Berger | 🇺🇸 USA | +4 | E (70) |
| T68 | Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen | 🇩🇰 DEN | +4 | +2 (72) |
| T68 | Luke Donald | 🇬🇧 ENG | +4 | +3 (73) |
| T68 | Michael Brennan | 🇺🇸 USA | +4 | +2 (72) |
| T68 | Shane Lowry | 🇮🇪 IRL | +4 | +6 (76) |
| T68 | Alex Noren | 🇸🇪 SWE | +4 | +3 (73) |
| T68 | Elvis Smylie | 🇦🇺 AUS | +4 | +2 (72) |
| T68 | William Mouw | 🇺🇸 USA | +4 | E (70) |
| T68 | Jonathan Vegas | 🇻🇪 VEN | +4 | +1 (71) |
| T68 | John Keefer | 🇺🇸 USA | +4 | +2 (72) |
| T68 | John Parry | 🇬🇧 ENG | +4 | +1 (71) |
| T68 | Christiaan Bezuidenhout | 🇿🇦 RSA | +4 | +2 (72) |
| T68 | Taylor Pendrith | 🇨🇦 CAN | +4 | +2 (72) |
Source: PGA Championship Official / CBS Sports / Golf Channel | Data as of May 15, 2026
⛳ Round 2 Highlights – Key Storylines
🥇 McNealy & Smalley – Unlikely Co-Leaders at 36 Holes
Maverick McNealy fired a 3-under 67 in Round 2, closing with back-to-back birdies on the back nine to claim a share of the lead at 4-under par (-4). According to the PGA Championship's official account, McNealy had never previously finished inside the top 25 after 36 holes at a major championship before this week.
Alex Smalley stumbled with three consecutive bogeys on his opening holes but bounced back with birdies on the 16th and 18th to also close at -4, holding a share of the lead for the second straight night. The two will be paired together in the final group on Saturday.
⚡ Chris Gotterup – Low Round of the Championship (65)
Chris Gotterup posted the low round of the week with a 5-under 65, vaulting into a share of third at -3. CBS Sports reported that Gotterup closed with three straight birdies, drawing on creativity honed in windy Scottish conditions last year. His performance was the best single-round score in the entire 2026 PGA Championship field through 36 holes.
🌟 Scottie Scheffler – Defending Champion Lurks at -2
Scottie Scheffler (World No. 1), the defending champion, struggled with his driver early, dropping bogeys on holes 6, 10, 12, and 13. He salvaged the round with birdies on 4, 9, and 17 to finish +1 on the day, sitting at -2 (T9) — just two shots off the lead. Scheffler famously overcame a three-shot deficit at the 2025 PGA Championship to win, making him the most dangerous name on the board heading into the weekend.
🔥 Rory McIlroy – Dramatic Comeback to Make the Cut
After a wild four-over first round, two-time PGA champion Rory McIlroy spent hours on the range and returned on Friday to shoot 3-under 67, dramatically making the cut at +1 (T30). He is five shots off the lead but, given his history, cannot be dismissed entering the weekend.
📋 Stephan Jaeger – 18 Consecutive Pars (Historical Rarity)
Stephan Jaeger became the first player since Richard Green in 2011 to make 18 pars in a single round at the PGA Championship. While he couldn't move forward, his bogey-free even-par 70 kept him in a share of third at -3.
🦅 Eagle Heroics – Greyserman & Cameron Young
Both Max Greyserman and Cameron Young eagled the 9th hole — their final hole of the day — to vault into contention. Greyserman jumped to T3 at -3, while Young joined the T9 group at -2. Young (+950) is considered one of the strongest candidates heading into Saturday by CBS Sports' model.
✅ Low round of the week: Chris Gotterup – 65 (-5)
✅ Round 2 scoring average: 73.1 (~1 stroke harder than Round 1)
✅ Stephan Jaeger: 18 consecutive pars – first since R. Green in 2011
✅ Eagle highlight: Max Greyserman & Cameron Young – both on hole No. 9
✅ Smallest lead-to-cut gap in 2026: only 8 shots (historically tight)
📊 Notable Players: Cut Made vs. Cut Missed
✅ Big Names Who Made the Cut
| Player | Country | Total | Gap to Lead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maverick McNealy | 🇺🇸 USA | -4 | Leader |
| Alex Smalley | 🇺🇸 USA | -4 | Leader |
| Hideki Matsuyama | 🇯🇵 JPN | -3 | -1 |
| Chris Gotterup | 🇺🇸 USA | -3 | -1 |
| Scottie Scheffler ⭐ | 🇺🇸 USA | -2 | -2 |
| Cameron Young | 🇺🇸 USA | -2 | -2 |
| Justin Thomas | 🇺🇸 USA | -2 | -2 |
| Ludvig Åberg | 🇸🇪 SWE | -2 | -2 |
| Si Woo Kim | 🇰🇷 KOR | -2 | -2 |
| Jon Rahm | 🇪🇸 ESP | -1 | -3 |
| Jason Day | 🇦🇺 AUS | -1 | -3 |
| Patrick Cantlay | 🇺🇸 USA | -1 | -3 |
| Rory McIlroy | 🇬🇧 NIR | +1 | -5 |
| Brooks Koepka | 🇺🇸 USA | +1 | -5 |
| Jordan Spieth | 🇺🇸 USA | +1 | -5 |
| Xander Schauffele | 🇺🇸 USA | +1 | -5 |
| Collin Morikawa | 🇺🇸 USA | +1 | -5 |
| Dustin Johnson | 🇺🇸 USA | +2 | -6 |
| Shane Lowry | 🇮🇪 IRL | +4 | -8 (barely) |
❌ Major Stars Who Missed the Cut (+5 or worse)
| Player | Country | Total | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bryson DeChambeau | 🇺🇸 USA | +7 | 2nd consecutive major CUT |
| Tommy Fleetwood | 🇬🇧 ENG | +5 | |
| Viktor Hovland | 🇳🇴 NOR | +6 | |
| Tyrrell Hatton | 🇬🇧 ENG | +6 | |
| Max Homa | 🇺🇸 USA | +12 | |
| Robert MacIntyre | 🏴 SCO | +5 | |
| Wyndham Clark | 🇺🇸 USA | +5 | |
| Sungjae Im | 🇰🇷 KOR | +5 | |
| Adam Scott | 🇦🇺 AUS | +8 | |
| Y.E. Yang | 🇰🇷 KOR | +9 | Former PGA champion |
| Sepp Straka | 🇦🇹 AUT | +6 |
🎯 2026 PGA Championship Cut Rule Explained
The 2026 PGA Championship cut rule reduces the 156-player field to the top 70 players and ties after 36 holes. This is stricter than the standard PGA Tour cut (top 65 and ties). Critically, the PGA Championship has no 10-shot rule — meaning a player within 10 shots of the lead is not automatically guaranteed a weekend spot.
- Starting field: 156 players
- Players advancing: Top 70 and ties
- 10-shot rule: Not applicable
- 2026 cut line: +4 over par
- Playoff format (if tied after 72 holes): 3-hole aggregate on holes 10, 17, 18 → sudden death on 18
- Prize money total: To be announced Saturday (2025 total was $19 million)
💡 Weekend Outlook – Who Can Win the Wanamaker Trophy?
🔥 McNealy & Smalley – Can the Dark Horses Hold On?
Just like the 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow — where Jhonattan Vegas and Mathieu Pavon led after 36 holes before Scottie Scheffler ran away on the weekend — the 2026 leaderboard features a pair of surprising names at the top. McNealy and Smalley have never won a major, but Aronimink's demanding par-70 layout and strict pin positions could level the playing field.
⚡ Scheffler's Reverse History
At just 2 shots off the lead, Scottie Scheffler remains the most dangerous player in the field. He erased a 3-shot deficit at the 2025 PGA Championship to win the Wanamaker Trophy. ESPN analysts consider him, along with Cameron Young (+950) and Ludvig Åberg, among the favorites to contend on Saturday.
🌏 International Contenders to Watch
Hideki Matsuyama (-3) is one of the PGA Tour's finest ball-strikers and put together a strong round on Friday that bodes well for the weekend. Min Woo Lee (-3) briefly held a share of the lead before stumbling mid-round, but his late rebound keeps him firmly in contention. Si Woo Kim (-2, T9) of South Korea will be a huge watch for Asian golf fans after carding a clean 67 in Round 2.
- -4 (Lead): Maverick McNealy, Alex Smalley
- -3 (1 back): Hideki Matsuyama, Chris Gotterup, Min Woo Lee, Aldrich Potgieter, Stephan Jaeger, Max Greyserman
- -2 (2 back): Scottie Scheffler ⭐, Cameron Young, Justin Thomas, Ludvig Åberg, Si Woo Kim, Harris English, David Puig
- -1 (3 back): Jon Rahm, Jason Day, Patrick Cantlay, Aaron Rai, Kurt Kitayama, Andrew Novak
- +1 (5 back): Rory McIlroy 🔥, Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa
🔍 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
❓ Q1. What is the cut line at the 2026 PGA Championship?
A. The 2026 PGA Championship cut line is +4 over par. The field was trimmed from 156 players to the top 70 and ties after 36 holes. Unlike the regular PGA Tour, there is no 10-shot rule at the PGA Championship.
❓ Q2. Who leads after Round 2 of the 2026 PGA Championship?
A. Maverick McNealy and Alex Smalley share the 36-hole lead at 4-under par (-4). They will be paired together in the final group on Saturday. McNealy shot 67 in Round 2; Smalley carded 69.
❓ Q3. What was the low round at the 2026 PGA Championship through 36 holes?
A. Chris Gotterup shot the low round of the week with a 5-under 65 in Round 2, the best score recorded through 36 holes in the entire 2026 PGA Championship field.
❓ Q4. Did Bryson DeChambeau make the cut?
A. No. Bryson DeChambeau missed the cut at +7, three shots outside the +4 cut line. This was his second consecutive missed cut at a major championship. He made a costly chip shot error on the 7th hole in Round 2 that compounded his troubles.
❓ Q5. Where is Scottie Scheffler on the 2026 PGA Championship leaderboard?
A. Defending champion Scottie Scheffler is tied for 9th at -2, two shots behind co-leaders McNealy and Smalley. He shot a 1-over 71 in Round 2 after struggling with his driver but still managed three birdies.
❓ Q6. Did Rory McIlroy make the weekend at the 2026 PGA Championship?
A. Yes. Despite shooting a disastrous 4-over 74 in Round 1, Rory McIlroy fired a 3-under 67 on Friday to make the cut at +1 (T30). He is five shots off the lead heading into Moving Day.
📌 Final Thoughts – Aronimink Delivers a Riveting Major Stage
The 2026 PGA Championship Round 2 at Aronimink Golf Club produced one of the most dramatic Fridays in recent major championship memory. The wind-swept conditions pushed the scoring average to 73.1, and multiple world-class names — DeChambeau, Fleetwood, Hovland, Hatton — packed their bags early.
Two first-time major leaders in McNealy and Smalley now carry the flag into the weekend, while the most decorated players — Scheffler, McIlroy, Thomas, Rahm, Koepka, Spieth — wait just behind. Scottie Scheffler, who called Friday's pin positions "the hardest I've seen on Tour," looks the most likely to replicate his 2025 comeback on Saturday and Sunday.
Whether the Wanamaker Trophy goes to an unexpected first-time major champion or a returning legend, the stage is set for an unforgettable weekend at the 108th PGA Championship. Stay tuned for Round 3 Moving Day coverage.
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