Jon Rahm faces uphill battle to make halfway cut on day two of PGA Championship

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Jon Rahm Faces Uphill Battle To Make Halfway Cut On Day Two Of Pga Championship
Rahm birdied his opening hole in the first round before slumping to a six-over-par 76. Photo: PA Images
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Phil Casey, PA Golf Correspondent, Rochester

World number one Jon Rahm faced an uphill battle to make the halfway cut on day two of the 105th US PGA Championship at Oak Hill.

Seeking back-to-back major titles following his Masters triumph at Augusta National last month, Rahm birdied his opening hole in the first round before slumping to a six-over-par 76.

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US Open champion and playing partner Matt Fitzpatrick failed to record a single birdie as he recorded the same score to trail clubhouse leader Bryson DeChambeau by 10 shots.

Jon Rahm, of Spain, lines up a putt on the 14th hole during the first round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Oak Hill Country Club on Thursday, May 18, 2023, in Pittsford
Jon Rahm, of Spain, lines up a putt on the 14th hole during the first round of the PGA Championship golf tournament (Eric Gay/AP)

DeChambeau’s 66 gave him a one-shot lead over world number two Scottie Scheffler, Dustin Johnson and Corey Conners, although Eric Cole had reached five under after 14 holes when play was suspended for the day due to darkness.

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The start of play had been delayed by an hour and 50 minutes on Thursday morning due to frost.

Rory McIlroy fought back from three over par after nine holes to post a 71 despite struggling with an unspecified illness.

Quote of the day

Keegan Bradley reflects on a rollercoaster opening round of 68.

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Shot of the day

Scott Stallings began his round from the 10th and holed his second shot of the day from 128 yards for an eagle.

Round of the day

Although DeChambeau shot the lowest score, arguably the best round of the day was a bogey-free effort from Scottie Scheffler.

Statistic of the day

World number one and Masters champion Jon Rahm struggled to an opening 76.

Hardest hole (*round incomplete)

The 481-yard ninth hole yielded just seven birdies and played to an average of 4.448.

Easiest hole (*round incomplete)

Despite measuring 617 yards, the par-five fourth hole played to an average of 4.873, with Rory McIlroy reaching the green with a long iron to set up one of the 32 birdies made.

Weather forecast

Much warmer temperatures can be expected on Friday ahead of an approaching low-pressure system and associated cold front that will move through the region on Saturday. This will bring a good chance for rain Friday night through the day on Saturday. Drier conditions return by Saturday evening with partly cloudy skies and mild temperatures expected for Sunday.

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