10/05/2026

theSun on Sunday MAY 10, 2026

SPORTS 12

Major hunt on

TOP-RANKED defending cham pion Scottie Scheffler and Masters repeat winner Rory McIlroy are oddsmakers favor ites for the 108th PGA Championship, which tees off on Thursday at Aronimink. Scheffler, who won the 2022 and 2024 Masters and last year’s British Open and PGA Championship, took a week off before trying for a first major title defense after a hot start to the season. The 29-year-old American won his first start of the year at the American Express tourna ment in the California desert and added a third place at Phoenix and fourth at Pebble Beach. He has been runner-up in each of his past three starts – at the Masters and Heritage tour naments in April and last week at Doral. “Sometimes you’re able to build some positive momentum, and at times in my career I’ve been able to really feed off of that,” Scheffler said. “When you feel like you’re in a good spot with your game and you’re seeing the right shots, Im leads Fleetwood by one stroke at Quail Hollow SOUTH KOREA’S Im Sung-jae fired a 2 under 69 to seize a one-stroke lead over England’s Tommy Fleetwood after yes terday’s second round of the PGA Truist Championship. Im birdied the par-five 10th and 15th holes and answered a bogey at the 12th hole with a birdie at 14 to stand on 9 under 133 after 36 holes at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina. “I’m very happy I’m leading,” Im said. “I didn’t putt very well, but I’m happy with where I’m at. I’m driving the ball very well. I’m keeping it in the fairways, so it makes it easier for me to hit my second shots on the green. I know this course very well, so I’m taking advantage of that.” Fleetwood fired a 67 to finish one adrift with England’s Alex Fitzpatrick and American Justin Thomas sharing third on 135 after each fired 68. Rory McIlroy, coming off a triumph in last month’s Masters, shot 67 despite a bogey at 18 to join a pack in eighth on 137 that included Americans Rickie Fowler, who fired a 63, and Matt McCarty, the first-round leader. “Would have been nice not to make that bogey at the last,“ McIlroy said. “But overall it was a good day’s work and puts me right into the thick of things going into the weekend.” Im, a 2020 Masters runner-up, seeks his third PGA Tour title after the 2000 Honda Classic and 2021 Shriners Children’s Open. The 28-year-old Asian star had strug gled with a wrist injury but said he was “100%” this week. Fleetwood sank a 13-foot birdie putt at 14 and made a five-footer for birdie at the par-three 17th to grab second. “Definitely didn’t have my rhythm, got ahead of a few shots, but I didn’t hit it in any terrible spots and I scored very well,” Fleetwood said. “I’ve definitely hit enough good shots. Today I didn’t quite have it, but still man aged to get a good score out of it. I holed out well and did a lot of other things well.” – AFP

Valspar and Heritage titles and the PGA pairs event in New Orleans with brother Alex. “I feel like I’m playing very well right now,” Fitzpatrick said. “Definitely high confidence. The ball is going where I intend it to go. “But I know there’s things I can still improve in certain areas. So that’s exciting, given the results I’ve achieved so far.” England’s fifth-ranked Justin Rose, with top-10 finishes in four of the past six PGAs, hopes to recover after leading late but set tling for third at the Masters. “That’s just like a little hollow empty feeling for a few days. But then kicked back into gear, got my motivation back,” Rose said. Aronimink promises a tough test with putting at a premium for the world’s top golfers. “It’s a severe set of greens. I think there’s more undulation at Aronimink and that’s really the defense of the golf course,” Australia’s Adam Scott said. “Get your driver and your wedge game ready and if you have a good putting week, you’re going to do well.” – AFP

Scheffler, McIlroy fancied for PGA Championship title

“If anything I’m more moti vated after what happened at Augusta this year than I’ve ever been.” Third-ranked Cameron Young, who won his first PGA title last August, has been in the top three in four of his past five starts – including wins at The Players Championship in March and at Doral. “It sets me up well,” Young said. “I’ve been playing great and the goal is just to put myself in a position to win as much as I can. “The biggest thing right now is just to continue to put myself in position where those things can happen.” Fourth-ranked Matt Fitzpatrick of England was sec ond at The Players Championship then won the

ning last year’s Masters and last month become only the fourth player to win back-to-back titles at Augusta National, boosting his motivation for this year’s majors. “This year I think winning was validation for all the work that I’ve put in over the last few years to get myself back to this place where I’m winning majors,” McIlroy said. Not since Jordan Spieth took the Masters and US Open in 2015, when the majors were on a different rotation, has a player won back-to-back majors, a feat McIlroy managed in 2014 and could achieve again next week. “I’m excited for the road ahead. I’m excited for Aronimink next week, Shinnecock, Birkdale,” six-time major winner McIlroy said.

sometimes it doesn’t feel that dif ficult.” Scheffler took confidence, and some ideas about what he needs to improve to win a fifth major. “A lot of positives,” Scheffler said. “Some stuff I can clean up, but overall definitely some posi tives from the last few weeks.” Scheffler could complete a career Grand Slam at next month’s US Open at Shinnecock, which concludes on his 30th birthday. “I would love to be able to win the US Open,” Scheffler said. “I’ve had some success at that tournament before and I think it suits my style of game. I’m excited to go to Shinnecock this year and hopefully get it done.” McIlroy completed a career Grand Slam and snapped a 10 year major win drought by win

DEFENDING CHAMPION Jeeno Thitikul pounced late after gusty winds died down to fire a 3-under 69 and take a three stroke lead in the LPGA Mizuho Americas Open yesterday. The world No. 2 from Thailand built a 36-hole total of 8 under 136 at Mountain Ridge Country Club in West Caldwell, New Jersey, where the chilly, blustery winds made put ting the speedy, undulating greens particularly dif ficult for much of the day. “I didn’t do well when the wind (was) really picking up in the begin ning,” Jeeno said. “Luckily we didn’t have much wind on the back nine. After the rain came the wind just, like, shut down. “We were just lucky. If we got the breeze (that we had) on the front nine, I don’t think my number is going to be that low for sure.” Jeeno, who won last year when the tournament was played at Liberty National, teed off on 10 and had two bogeys and a birdie in her first nine holes. After a birdie and a bogey at the first and second she got rolling, seizing the solo lead with back-to-back birdies at the third and fourth and picking up two more strokes at the sixth and eighth. Although she acknowledged the luck of her tee time, Jeeno was also pleased with her game. “I just hit it good, too,” she said. “I made two long putts. I hit it good on the par three and then birdied two par-fives, reaching the green.” Kupcho’s day was almost a mirror image of Jeeno’s as she teed off early and had five birdies in the first 13 holes before a pair of late bogeys dropped her to five-under. “I think early this morning on the front nine there was defi nitely a lot less wind, hardly any at all really,” said Kupcho, whose four LPGA titles include a major at the 2022 Chevron Championship. Once the wind kicked up, she said, players had to take care not to run putts off the green. “The greens are really fast, so you just have to think about it and just be careful about what you’re doing. “It’s a really hard golf course,” she added, noting that the pin placements on multiple back-nine holes were on the sides of a hill. American Brooke Matthews was alone in third after an even par round of 72 for 140. – AFP Jeeno in front at windy Americas Open She was three shots clear of American Jennifer Kupcho, who also carded a 69 for 139.

Jeeno Thitikul studies the line of her putt on the 13th green during the second round of the Mizuho Americas Open at Mountain Ridge Country Club in West Caldwell, New Jersey yesterday. – AFPPIC