With the first few pages of this PGA Championship leaderboard littered with unproven players and potential first-time major champions, that left the bottom half ripe for several notable players.
No missed cut was more surprising than that of Bryson DeChambeau.
DeChambeau birdied each of his last three holes, though that was only enough to shoot 1-over 71 on Friday at Aronimink and finish 36 holes at 7 over, three off the cut line of 4 over.
DeChambeau has been feast or famine in what is now 10 starts in majors since the start of 2024. He’s got six top-10s, including a win at the 2024 U.S. Open, but also owns four missed cuts.
Of the top 13 players in the world, five of them won’t be playing the weekend. No. 6 Tommy Fleetwood, No. 9 Russell Henley and No. 12 Robert MacIntyre each shot 5 over. No. 8 J.J. Spaun closed in 76 to end at 6 over along with No. 13 Sepp Straka.
Garrick Higgo, one of the stories of Thursday after he shot 1-under 69 on the heels of a two-shot penalty for being late for his tee time, backed that up with 76 to finish at 5 over, meaning his tardiness ultimately cost him tee times on Saturday and Sunday.
Garrick was slapped with a two-shot penalty Thursday for arriving late to the tee for his 7:18 a.m. ET start time at Aronimink.
Marco Penge was 4 over with nine holes to play before shooting 8 over on the back side to end up 12 over.
Other notables heading home early: Akshay Bhatia (5 over), Wyndham Clark (5 over), Viktor Hovland (6 over), Tyrrell Hatton (6 over), Adam Scott (8 over), Michael Thorbjornsen (11 over) and Max Homa (12 over).
Meanwhile, the 82 competitors playing on will all have a chance to win. Just eight shots separate the co-leaders, Maverick McNealy and Alex Smalley, from the group that made the cut on the number. Not only is the 36-hole lead of 4 under the highest at a PGA in 14 years, but the 15 players within two shots of the lead are the most at any major since 2002.
