The leaderboard at the 2026 PGA Championship is as unpredictable as the swirling greens at Aronimink Golf Club. After two demanding rounds outside Philadelphia, few could have envisioned Alex Smalley and Maverick McNealy sitting atop the leaderboard heading into the weekend. Yet that is exactly where the championship stands after Friday’s wild second round, with both players tied at 4-under-par 136 in one of the most congested major championship leaderboards in recent memory.
What comes next over the final 36 holes? Almost anything seems possible. Aronimink has delivered a stern examination all week, producing the highest 36-hole leading score relative to par at a PGA Championship since 2012 at Kiawah Island. The demanding setup, combined with heavy winds, cool temperatures and brutal pin placements, has created complete chaos across the field.
Only eight shots separated the 82 players who made the cut, while 15 golfers were within two shots of the lead — the largest traffic jam entering a major championship weekend since 2002. As one observer joked Friday, there’s more congestion at Aronimink than on Philadelphia’s Schuylkill Expressway during rush hour.
Smalley, competing in just his fifth career major championship, showed resilience during a rollercoaster second round. After making the turn in strong position, he stumbled with three consecutive bogeys before steadying himself late. The 29-year-old responded with a clutch birdie coming home to salvage a 1-under 69 and retain a share of the lead.
McNealy’s path to the top was even more dramatic. The former Stanford star briefly became the only player to reach 6 under par for the tournament after holing out from a bunker for eagle on the par-5 16th. Riding the momentum, he added three birdies over his next five holes and looked poised to separate himself from the field.
At one point, McNealy turned to his brother and caddie, Scout, amazed at the level of golf he was producing under major pressure. But Aronimink eventually bit back. Two late bogeys pulled him back into a tie after an otherwise brilliant 67.
Lurking directly behind the co-leaders is a collection of world-class talent that guarantees a volatile weekend.
Hideki Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters champion, and world No. 10 Chris Gotterup sit one shot off the pace at 3 under. Gotterup delivered one of the most impressive rounds of the championship Friday morning, battling cold temperatures and whipping winds to post a brilliant 65 — the lowest round of the tournament so far.
The Rutgers product closed in spectacular fashion with three consecutive birdies, showcasing the toughness required to survive the brutal conditions.
Just two shots behind the leaders is another stacked group featuring world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, two-time PGA champion Justin Thomas, Cameron Young, Jon Rahm, Ludvig Åberg, Patrick Reed and Patrick Cantlay.
Scheffler’s round perfectly captured the unpredictable nature of the championship. After sharing the first-round lead, the world No. 1 looked out of rhythm early Friday and failed to hit a fairway until his ninth hole. Trouble from the thick rough led to three bogeys in a four-hole stretch, threatening to derail his tournament.
But Scheffler steadied himself with one of the shots of the day at the par-3 14th, lagging an 80-foot putt to tap-in range for a critical par save. The momentum shift helped him close with an up-and-down birdie at the par-5 ninth to finish at 2-under 138, still firmly in contention.
Thomas matched that total, while Åberg electrified the back nine with four birdies in a five-hole stretch during a polished 66.
Meanwhile, the biggest names in golf remain within striking distance despite uneven starts.
Fresh off completing the career Grand Slam at the Masters, Rory McIlroy sits five shots back after a composed bogey-free second round. McIlroy opened the championship with a disappointing 74 but rebounded Friday with the simple objective of surviving and staying close enough for a weekend charge.
The Northern Irishman believes the PGA of America may have already used many of the course’s most difficult pin positions, potentially opening the door for lower scores if conditions calm over the weekend.
Jordan Spieth remains alive as well despite a second-round 73. Spieth, seeking the PGA Championship to complete the career Grand Slam, is tied with McIlroy in 30th place and still within range in a tournament where no lead appears safe.
That uncertainty has become the defining theme of this PGA Championship.
Aronimink’s dramatic greens, thick rough and punishing hole locations have kept every player uncomfortable. Even those near the top have watched promising rounds unravel in a matter of holes. With so many stars packed tightly together and changing weather expected throughout the weekend, the race for the Wanamaker Trophy feels completely wide open.
Two rounds remain, and the 2026 PGA Championship may just be getting started.
