Ryan Fox scores two late birdies to keep him in contention at the PGA Championship. Photo: photosport
Two late birdies have kept New Zealand golfer Ryan Fox firmly in the hunt for a maiden major title at the midway point of the PGA Championship in North Carolina.
Fox was in a share of seventh after carding an even-par 71 at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, leaving four-under the card and four strokes behind Venezuelan leader Jhonattan Vegas.
It was a fighting round from the 38-year-old, who quickly lost his overnight fourth spot when carding successive bogeys on the first two holes.
He spent much of the round trying to break back into the top 20.
A birdie at the 10th was followed by a bogey at the 12th, before picking up shots at the par-five 15th hole and the par-four 18th to end his round on a high.
Ryan Fox hits a pitch shot at the 8th hole during the second round of the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Country Club. Photo: photosport
Fox shares the same four-under tally as nine other golfers on a bunched leaderboard, with all of them trailing world No.1 American Scottie Scheffler by a shot.
Overnight leader Vegas is two clear of three golfers sharing second place - Frenchman Matthieu Pavon, Briton Matt Fitzpatrick and Korean Si Woo Kim.
Fox has the form to stay on the pace, coming directly off his first PGA Tour title, at last week's Myrtle Beach Classic.
Evening focus
Much of the early evening focused on the status of defending champion Xander Schauffele and Masters champion Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland.
Schauffele's 71 and McIlroy's 69 left them both at 1 over, right at the projected cut line.
Vegas played the front nine in even par for the second round, with his lone birdie coming on No. 7. He notched birdies on three of the first five holes on the back nine.
The round included good fortune after Vegas' tee shot on the par-3 17th hole landed in front of the green, but the ball hit a rake alongside a bunker and rolled onto the green. He finished the hole with a par.
Vegas wasn't as lucky at 18, when his approach shot found a greenside bunker.
His blast from the sand then rolled off the green. He lipped out a putt from less than 3 1/2 feet away, resulting in a double-bogey 6.
Pavon has enjoyed his time at major tournaments in North Carolina after sitting near the top of the leaderboard throughout last year's US Open at Pinehurst, where he finished fifth.
Kim's ace from 252 yards out with a 5-wood ranks as the longest hole-in-one in major championship history.
Early in the second round, Homa moved in contention with his best round in a major by three strokes.
He began the round with a 30 on back nine, including consecutive 2s on Nos. 13 (birdie) and 14 (eagle).
England's Aaron Rai also moved to 5 under by early afternoon, but a double-bogey 6 at No. 16 left him at 72 for the day and 3 under for the tournament.
Weekend contenders include Michael Thorbjornsen, whose 70 put him at 4 under. He had bogeys on Nos. 16 and 17 that halted his momentum.
South Africa's Christiaan Bezuidenhout (68) is also among the 10 golfers at 4 under.
Ryan Gerard, who was two shots behind Vegas when the day began, started his second round around the time Vegas sank his last putt.
He shot 72 as one of the final golfers on the course Friday and his final-hole bogey left him at 4 under.
Cameron Davis, an Australian who was tied for second with Gerard after the first round, dropped off the leaderboard with a 74 as he fell to 2 under.
The course continued to dry out after heavy rains earlier in the week.
- RNZ/Reuters
