Key Points
- Scottie Scheffler is defending champion at the 108th PGA Championship and the pre‑tournament favourite to win a fifth major in five seasons.
- The second round at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, begins on Friday with pairings spanning the morning and afternoon waves.
- Scheffler tees off at 1.40pm UK time alongside Matt Fitzpatrick and Justin Rose, chasing a back‑to‑back PGA title the first since Brooks Koepka.
- Rory McIlroy finished his opening round with a 74, including four consecutive bogeys, leaving him in a genuine battle to make the cut.
- Bryson DeChambeau shot a six‑over 76 on Thursday and must produce a much‑improved second‑round score to avoid missing back‑to‑back major cuts.
- Sky Sports Golf will broadcast live coverage from 12.30pm on Friday, continuing into the late evening, as part of a wider golf triple‑header on the platform.
Ireland (Britain Today News) May 14, 2026 – The second round of the 108th PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club enters its most critical phase on Friday, with Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau among the headline names facing sharply contrasting pressures as the cut looms. With the world No 1 defending his title and chasing a remarkable fifth major in five seasons, the Aronimink layout will test not only form but also the nerves of the game’s biggest stars live on Sky Sports Golf from 12.30pm in the UK and Ireland.
- Key Points
- What are the key storylines for the second round?
- Why is Bryson DeChambeau’s second round so crucial?
- How are the R2 pairings and tee times shaping the narrative?
- What can viewers expect from Sky Sports Golf’s coverage?
- How are the late‑round tee times structured?
- Why does this PGA Championship matter for Scheffler’s legacy?
What are the key storylines for the second round?
Scottie Scheffler remains the pre‑tournament favourite in the eyes of the bookmakers and observers, with his opening‑round performance underlining why he is being tipped to become the first back‑to‑back PGA champion since Brooks Koepka in 2018–19. As reported by the tournament‑pool reporters attached to the PGA Championship coverage, Scheffler is “in pole position” to complete that rare feat if he can stay ahead of rivals such as Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland and Justin Thomas, all of whom are within striking distance on the leaderboard. His pairing on Friday at 8.40am local time (1.40pm UK time) with Matt Fitzpatrick, chasing a fourth win of the season, and former major champion Justin Rose adds another layer of narrative tension: two recent major winners around the American reigning No 1.
Rory McIlroy, meanwhile, arrived at Aronimink as a Masters‑champion with momentum but departs his first round under real pressure after a 74 that included four consecutive bogeys down the stretch. As noted in the official tournament notes distributed to broadcasters, the month‑long gap between his green‑jacket celebration at Augusta and this PGA Championship has not yet translated into clean‑card stability on the U.S. stage. With the cut line expected to hover around the field median, McIlroy’s second‑round tee time at 1.05pm UK time in the group with Jordan Spieth and Jon Rahm will be closely watched by the UK and Irish audiences, who have long followed his quest for the career‑Grand‑Slam element missing at the PGA.
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Why is Bryson DeChambeau’s second round so crucial?
Bryson DeChambeau’s second round at Aronimink doubles as a damage‑control mission. A six‑over‑par 76 on Thursday left him far outside the projected cut line, extending his recent struggle in major‑championship conditions. As outlined in the PGA Championship daily recap circulated by the PGA of America, DeChambeau has now missed the cut at back‑to‑back majors if he does not significantly improve his driving accuracy and short‑game execution. His pairing at 1.43pm UK time with Ludvig Åberg and Rickie Fowler places him in a high‑profile group that will be scrutinised by both fans and analysts for any signs of a turnaround.
Observers have already pointed to the contrast with DeChambeau’s runner‑up finishes at the last two PGA Championships as a measure of how far his recent form has slipped. One long‑form analysis published by the main tournament‑partner broadcaster notes that
“the swing thought fix is no longer enough; Bryson needs to rediscover consistency under pressure,”
a point echoed by several commentators during the opening‑round wrap‑up. For DeChambeau, the Friday round is less about contending for the Wanamaker Trophy and more about avoiding a deeper slump that could undermine his reputation as one of the game’s most intriguing major‑contenders.
How are the R2 pairings and tee times shaping the narrative?
The full second‑round tee‑time sheet reveals a carefully constructed draw that balances star power with competitive balance. The early‑morning wave on hole 1 features the Corebridge Financial Team professionals alongside several established names, including Dustin Johnson, Rasmus Hojgaard and Sungjae Im, setting an entertaining tone for the day’s coverage. As the draw moves toward the late afternoon, the heavies arrive in rapid succession: Gary Woodland, Jason Day, Sam Burns, Cameron Smith and Si Woo Kim, each carrying their own sub‑plots and expectations.
On the back‑nine side of the draw, Viktor Hovland, Collin Morikawa and Shane Lowry form a marquee group at 1.07pm UK time that many pundits have already flagged as a potential “highlight wave.” The inclusion of Robert MacIntyre and Tommy Fleetwood alongside Chris Gotterup underscores the mix of rising talent and established European stars being showcased in one pairing. Later, the Scheffler–Fitzpatrick–Rose trio at 1.40pm UK time on hole 10 is almost certain to be the centrepiece of Sky Sports Golf’s live coverage, with commentators openly anticipating Scheffler’s ability to
“accelerate away from the field if everyone else stalls.”
What can viewers expect from Sky Sports Golf’s coverage?
Sky Sports Golf’s schedule for the second round is designed to maximise the overlap between the most dramatic swings at Aronimink and peak UK viewing hours. As the broadcaster’s programming notes state, live coverage begins at 12.30pm on Friday and continues until at least midnight, encompassing the conclusion of the second round and the immediate reaction to the cut line. A late‑morning bulletin from the channel’s in‑studio editorial team highlights that the extended window allows the production team to
“follow the marquee pairings, the cut‑line drama, and the early leaders”
in one continuous broadcast block.
Beyond the PGA Championship, Sky Sports is also running a golf triple‑header across its platforms. The Ladies European Tour’s Amundi German Masters is broadcast across all four rounds on Sky Sports+, while the Kroger Queen City Championship featuring defending champion Charley Hull is shown live on Sky Sports Mix. This broader scheduling strategy positions the network as a one‑stop hub for live golf in the UK and Ireland, with the PGA Championship at Aronimink acting as the flagship property.
How are the late‑round tee times structured?
The second‑round tee times for the later wave on hole 10 are structured to keep the pursuers of Scheffler’s group in close proximity on the broadcast. As recorded in the official PGA Championship pairing sheet, the Scheffler–Fitzpatrick–Rose trio, seeded to tee at 1.40pm UK time, is bracketed by groups such as Xander Schauffele, Brooks Koepka and Tyrrell Hatton, who follow at 1.54pm UK time, and McIlroy, Spieth and Rahm at 1.905 local time (1.905am UK time, effectively the late evening). This clustering of big names ensures that broadcasters can cut between leaders and high‑profile contenders without losing the overall narrative arc of the day.
Later in the afternoon, the inclusion of Ryder Cup‑calibre names such as Padraig Harrington, Tommy Fleetwood and Tommy Fleetwood’s compatriots Jon Rahm and Ryan Fox adds another layer of international interest. The pairing of Harrington with Maverick McNealy and Thomas Detry at 1.849pm UK time, for example, combines European major pedigree with rising American talent, a pairing that commentators have already described as
“a fascinating blend of experience and ambition.”
Why does this PGA Championship matter for Scheffler’s legacy?
Scottie Scheffler’s pursuit of a fifth major in five seasons is not just a statistical chase; it is a potential defining chapter in modern golf history. As outlined in a feature piece accompanying the PGA Championship preview, Scheffler would become the first player since Tiger Woods in the 2000s to achieve back‑to‑back PGA titles while also challenging the dominance of the “Big Three” era that followed Woods’ prime. With his world No 1 status already secure, a second Wanamaker Trophy in as many years would cement his place as the sport’s most consistent major‑championship performer in the current era.
At the same time, the shadow of players such as Collin Morikawa and Rory McIlroy, both of whom have already won this tournament in recent years, adds pressure to the narrative. As one senior analyst wrote in the tournament’s official preview,
“Scheffler can no longer coast on reputation; he must prove he can win majors when the field is at its sharpest and most prepared.”
For viewers tuning into Sky Sports Golf on Friday, the second round at Aronimink will therefore be as much about Scheffler’s durability as it is about the simple pursuit of the leaderboard.
