Charlotte, USA, May 17 – Indo-British golfer Aaron Rai experienced a challenging second round at the PGA Championship, sliding from a promising tied-4th to tied-17th, while Indo-American Akshay Bhatia suffered a late collapse and narrowly missed the cut.
Rai Holds On Despite Dip in Form
Aaron Rai opened the tournament with a solid 68 on Thursday, raising hopes for a strong finish. However, Friday’s round saw him struggle with a 2-over 73, resulting in a 13-spot drop on the leaderboard. Despite the setback, Rai managed to stay above the cut line and will continue into the weekend.Bhatia's Promising Run Ends Abruptly
Akshay Bhatia carded rounds of 70 and 74, finishing just one stroke short of the cut. He was in the top-20 midway through his second round and looked poised for weekend contention, standing at 2-under for the day and 3-under for the tournament through 13 holes. But the final stretch proved disastrous.Bhatia stumbled with a double bogey on the Par-4 14th, followed by another double on the Par-3 16th. A closing bogey on the 18th sealed his exit from the tournament.
Vegas Leads, Kim Makes History
At the top of the leaderboard, Jhonattan Vegas emerged as the surprise leader, holding an 8-under 134. This marks the first time Vegas is leading in a Major tournament.Chasing him closely are France’s Matthieu Pavon, former U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick, and South Korea’s Si Woo Kim, all at 6-under.
Kim created a slice of golfing history on Friday with the longest hole-in-one in a Major championship. He aced the 252-yard Par-3 sixth hole at Quail Hollow using a 5-wood, helping him to a stunning 64 for the round.
As the action intensifies over the weekend, all eyes will be on whether Rai can climb back into contention and if Vegas can hold his nerve in uncharted territory.