Scottie Scheffler

Scottie Scheffler is looking for a second Major win. Image: PGA TOUR

Scheffler on track, Hovland and Connors chasing

Scottie Scheffler, Viktor Hovland and Corey Conners share the lead at 5-under through two rounds at Oak Hill during the PGA Championship.

Scottie Scheffler

Scottie Scheffler is looking for a second Major win. Image: PGA TOUR

Scottie Scheffler, Viktor Hovland and Corey Conners share the lead at 5-under through two rounds at Oak Hill during the PGA Championship.

They also represent three distinct classes in the current structure of professional golf.

Scheffler going hard early

Scheffler is the dominant force – searching for his second major championship to pair alongside an already prolific PGA TOUR season that includes wins at THE PLAYERS Championship and the WM Phoenix Open.

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Hovland is the up-and-comer that everyone agrees could reach the tier Scheffler currently presides in but needs a win like this one to prove it.

Then there’s Conners. Already a winner on the PGA TOUR this season, Conners has held a lead/co-lead of a major just once before.

But while it’s always been assumed Scheffler and Hovland will rack up majors throughout their career, that same can’t be said for Conners.

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Two South Africans made the weekend. Image: PGA TOUR

The result is a mighty intriguing trio heading into the weekend.

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Scheffler and Conners sat atop the leaderboard for much of the afternoon. Both grabbed a pair of birdies early in the round to jump in front, Scheffler on his first and second holes of the day and Conners on his fourth and sixth. Each player got as low as 6-under with birdies early on their inward nine but each dropped a shot late to fall back to 5-under.

Hovland spent most of the day chasing – and he was out and running early. He birdied his first two holes of the day, finding both fairways and then hitting a pair of good wedges to set up birdie looks. He drained a 10-foot putt on the first hole and a 20-footer on the second. His lone bogey came on the par-3 third. Hovland picked up another birdie on the par-4 10th and added another on the par-4 18th.

As quickly as Hovland burst on the PGA TOUR scene, it’s taken the Norwegian a bit longer to find his rhythm in major championships.

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The question now is whether Hovland can maintain his play through the weekend. He was in the second-to-last group at the Masters and shot a final-round 74 to to fall out of contention. He was tied for the lead entering the final round of the 2022 Open Championship and shot a 74 to lose by six shots. What is in store for the 25-year-old this week?

Corey Connors in the mix. Image: PGA TOUR

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