New Zealand golfer Daniel Hillier in action during the 2026 PGA Championship.
Photo: DAVID CANNON
New Zealand golfers Dan Hillier and Ryan Fox have both made strong moves up the leaderboard in the sport’s second major of the year, the PGA Championship, being played in Pennsylvania.
Both are tied for 22nd at even par, just four shots behind leaders Americans Alex Smalley and Maverick McNeal, at the halfway stage.
Starting at the tenth hole, it was a tough beginning to the second round for Fox, who recorded three bogeys in his first five holes.
But he fought back with birdies at the 16th, the 2nd and the 5th.
His mixed round continued over his last four holes, trading birdies for bogeys, to eventually post an even par 70 for the second straight day.
Hillier was more consistent, as he opened with five straight pars before a birdie at the sixth.
But even though he gave it back the very next hole, he made a serious move up the leaderboard when he chipped in for an eagle at the ninth.
It was a tough finish for this year’s New Zealand Open champion though, with two bogeys spoiling his scorecard.
In the end, he fired a one-under 69, to join Fox on even par.
The pair are, however, in touch of the leaders Americans Alex Smalley and Maverick McNealy, who’re both at four under.
Smalley carded a one-under par 69, while McNealy recorded a three-under 67 to join him at the top of the leaderboard.
Both are one shot clear of a group of six players, which include Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama and South African Aldrich Potgieter, who led by a shot until a bogey-bogey finish.
Smalley, who started on the more difficult back nine, held the outright lead by two shots at one point before falling back with three consecutive bogeys after the turn. He stopped the bleeding with a birdie at the par-four fourth and added another at the par-five ninth where his eagle attempt stopped 14 inches from the hole.
“A lot of really good moments, some not so great moments, and then a lot of just trying to keep moving forward in between,” said Smalley. “It was difficult, it was chilly this morning, the wind was up.”
The day’s action began with a staggering 48 players within three shots of co-leaders Potgieter, Smalley, Scheffler, Martin Kaymer, Stephan Jaeger, Min Woo Lee and Ryo Hisatsune, who opened with matching three-under 67s.
Former Masters champion Matsuyama, who also started on the back nine, carded his only bogey of the day at Aronimink’s par-four sixth hole when he failed to get up and down after his approach from the fairway zipped back off the front of the green.
“It was really tough. It was really windy yesterday, and this morning was windy. Plus it was freezing cold, and it made it very difficult,” Matsuyama said after mixing four birdies with a bogey.
World number one Scheffler (71), who also went off the back nine, dropped out of the lead with bogeys on three of his first four holes as he struggled to find the fairways in windy conditions while also dealing with tricky pin positions.
He mixed a bogey with three birdies the rest of the way, including at the ninth where his eagle attempt settled three feet from the cup.
Through it all, Scheffler finished the day on two under for the tournament, and was able to keep perspective.
“I feel like if it’s hard for me out there, then it’s going to be hard for other players,” said Scheffler. “It was pretty obvious to tell this morning the conditions were pretty tough, and so I just kept trying to remind myself of that.
– Reuters with additional reporting from RNZ