ROCHESTER, NY — They say numbers don’t lie. Thankfully the good people at the Elias Sports Bureau are on site this week at the 105th PGA Championship to track all the happenings. Through 36 holes, Scottie Scheffler, Corey Conners and Viktor Hovland share the lead but the weather has turned nasty on Saturday. Soak Hill? Wet-chester? In short, umbrellas are in high demand at the merchandise tent.
But for the statistical information from the obscure to the historical to what the leaders are doing right, the Elias Sports Bureau has it all covered. It has tracked down the pertinent stats we need to know from the first 36 holes at Oak Hill. Here are 10 of its stats you need to know.
These men move the most on ‘Moving Day’
Tom Hoge walks to the 15th green during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-USA TODAY Sports
Among the 105 players who have carded at least 10 third-round scores on the PGA Tour this season, here are the players with the best ‘moving day’ scoring averages:
-
Tom Hoge, 11 rounds, 67.73
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Jon Rahm, 10 rounds, 68.00
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Sungjae Im, 14 rounds, 68.21
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Tony Finau, 12 rounds, 68.25
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Keegan Bradley, 10 rounds, 68.40
Viktor Hovland ranks T-15th (12 rounds, 69.00), Scottie Scheffler ranks 21St (12 rounds, 69.17) and Corey Conners ranks T-52 (10 rounds, 69.90).
No. 6 is a beast
The sixth hole at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York. (Photo: Gabe Gudgel/Golfweek)
Scottie Scheffler said Friday that No. 6 was “probably the hardest hole I’ve ever played.” The par four played to a scoring average of 4.75 during round two. To put that into perspective, there were 90 par-five holes on the PGA Tour this season that played to a scoring average lower than 4.75 for the week.
Viktor’s approach game has been on point
Viktor Hovland hits a tee shot on the fourth hole during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Through two rounds of this championship, Viktor Hovland had the highest average Strokes Gained: Approach (3.71 per round) which is a career high for him through 36 holes of a PGA Tour event.
His previous career high through 36 holes was 2.39 at the 2023 Players Championship, where he went on to finish T-3. Hovland’s highest average over an entire tournament is 2.37, at the 2022 Players Championship where he finished T-9.
Better get off to a fast start at the PGA
Jason Dufner celebrates with the Wannamaker Trophy after winning the 95th PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports
During the PGA Championship stroke play era (since 1958), 63 of the 65 eventual champions were ranked among the top 20 on the leaderboard at the end of Round 2. The exceptions are Collin Morikawa at TPC Harding Park in 2020 (T-25 after 36 holes) and Padraig Harrington at Oakland Hills in 2008 (T-26).
Here are the 36-hole rankings for all the major champions crowned at Oak Hill CC:
2013 PGA Championship, Jason Dufner, solo first after 36 holes
2003 PGA Championship, Shaun Michel, tied for first after 36 holes
1989 US Open, Curtis Strange, solo first after 36 holes
1980 PGA Championship, Jack Nicklaus, tied for second after 36 holes
1968 US Open, Lee Trevino, solo second after 36 holes
1956 US Open, Cary Middlecoff, tied for third after 36 holes
In short, every major champion crowned at Oak Hill CC was among the top three on the leaderboard at the end of Round 2.
Outward nine wreaks havoc
The green on the second hole at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York. (Photo: Gabe Gudgel/Golfweek)
Seven of the most difficult nine holes this week are on the outer nine. It has been 30 years since so many of the most difficult holes were on one side of the scorecard at a PGA Championship through 36 holes. In 1993 at Inverness Club, seven of the most difficult nine holes through round two were on the front nine.
Oak Hill is winning through 36 holes
A flag flies during a practice round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Oak Hill Country Club. (Photo: Adam Cairns-USA TODAY Sports)
Over the last 10 PGA Championships, the average number of players under par through the second round is 36. There were nine this year. The last time fewer than 10 players were under par through the halfway point of a PGA Championship was in 2008 at Oakland Hills, when only JB Holmes was under par after Round 2.
Block in rare company for club pros in top 10 after 36 holes
Michael Block reacts to a tee shot on the 18th hole during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-USA TODAY Sports
Michael Block was among the top 10 on the leaderboard at the conclusion of Round 2. Over the last 40 years (1983 to present) only two club professionals were among the top 10 on the leaderboard after 36 holes of a PGA Championship:
Jay Overton, 1988 at Oak Tree, solo second place after 36 holes, finished the championship T-17; Buddy Whitten, 1983 at Riviera, tied for fourth place after 36 holes, finished the championship T-27.
Scheffler’s record with the 36-hole is spotty
Scottie Scheffler fist bumps his caddy on the ninth green during the first round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Oak Hill Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Scottie Scheffler has at least a share of the 36-hole lead seven times during his PGA Tour career. Here is how he has fared the rest of the way (listed chronologically):
|
Date |
Tournament |
36-hole finish |
Final |
|
09/2019 |
The Greenbrier |
T-1 |
T-7 |
|
11/2019 |
Bermuda Championship |
T-1 |
T-3 |
|
01/2020 |
The American Express |
T-1 |
3rd |
|
4/2022 |
Masters |
1 |
1 pc |
|
5/2022 |
Charles Schwab Challenge |
T-1 |
Lost in playoff |
|
2/2023 |
WM Phoenix Open |
T-1 |
1 pc |
|
5/2023 |
AT&T Byron Nelson |
1 pc |
T-5 |
Koepka’s ‘ringer round’
Brooks Koepka hits a tee shot on the 13th hole during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-USA TODAY Sports
Brooks Koepka had the outright lowest score in Round 2 on Friday, posting a 4-under 66. It was the second time in his majors career that Koepka has posted the outright lowest score of a round, having also done that in Round 1 of the 2019 PGA Championship at Bethpage Black when he opened with an eye-popping 63 (7 under).
In case you were wondering, the PGA Championship record for most career ‘ringer rounds’ is four, shared by Jack Nicklaus and Vijay Singh. Tiger Woods is one of several players with three.
Trio at the top of the leaderboard is rare
Corey Conners reacts to a putt on the second green during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-USA TODAY Sports
Corey Conners, Scottie Scheffler and Viktor Hovland share the lead after 36 holes. It is just the fifth time in PGA Championship history that three or more players are tied for the lead at the halfway point of the championship. That also happened in:
2012 Kiawah Island // Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh and Carl Pettersson
2006 Medinah // Billy Andrade, Luke Donald, Tim Herron, Henrik Stenson
2002 Hazeltine //Rich Beem, Mark Calcavecchia, Fred Funk, Retief Goosen, Justin Leonard
1984 Shoal Creek // Gary Player, Lee Trevino, Lanny Wadkins
Story originally appeared on GolfWeek