The Biggest Names Who Missed the Cut at 2023 PGA Championship
The second round of the 2023 PGA Championship is officially complete and the cut line has landed at 5 over par. With on-and-off rain showers softening the greens but thickening the rough at Oak Hill, a few big names managed to sneak into the top 70 players and ties, while a handful struggled down the stretch to miss the weekend.
One of those players was Matt Fitzpatrick, winner of last month’s RBC Heritage, whose opening round of 76 left him some work to do on Friday. Fitzpatrick made up ground early when he went 2 under in his first four holes, but his iffy play returned later in the round. Fitzpatrick carded two straight bogeys to finish his PGA Championship run. On the 18th, the Englishman three-putted for bogey to move outside the cutline.
Jason Day, last week’s AT&T Byron Nelson champion who didn’t even play a practice round at Oak Hill, also opened with a 76 and tried to rally Friday, with several hopeful stretches. But he made three double bogeys, including one on his penultimate hole, along five birdies and a bogey to shoot a 2-over 72, leaving him three shots outside the cut.
Like Fitzpatrick, Rickie Fowler missed by one. Back-to-back rounds of 73 weren’t enough to make the weekend on the challenging Donald Ross venue. The five-time PGA Tour winner had been trending after two years of swing struggles, but the recent form didn’t show up at Oak Hill.
Brendan Steele, a member of Phil Mickelson’s LIV Golf team, had perhaps the most painful closing stretch to miss the cut. The 40-year-old three-time winner on the PGA Tour drove it in the left rough on his last hole (the 9th) and only advanced his next shot 52 yards. He reached the green in three but missed a 14-footer for par that would have sent him to the weekend.
After being assessed a two-shot penalty for failing to move back his ball marker on the green, Cameron Young missed the cut by a large margin. A Friday 75 put him at 9 over for the tournament.
Sungjae Im had major issues during his first round in which he shot 80—one of the seven rounds of 80 or higher on Day 1. He rallied for a Friday 73 but it wasn’t nearly enough to make up for Thursday’s disaster.
Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Phil Mickelson and Tony Finau all made the cut on the number.
Source: Sports Illustrated
