Adam Cairns-USA TODAY Sports
Amidst the growing rivalry between the two tours, LIV Golf has been well represented at the 105th PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club.
The 105th PGA Championship began Thursday morning with some of the best golfers in the world. Many people might have been surprised to hear that LIV golfers were entering the tournament.
But PGA of America announced earlier this year that if players qualified through normal means, they would be allowed to play. That includes being a previous winner of the PGA Championship, other majors in the last five years, having won certain tournaments like the Players over the last three years, or being ranked inside the top 100.
There are 16 LIV Tour players that met those requirements and were in the field. With the second round in the books, once again LIV Golf is making a statement that they possess some of the best in the world. They finished the Masters Tournament with two inside the top 10 and looked to improve upon that at Oak Hill.
Here is where the LIV Golf players sit through the first two rounds of the 2023 PGA Championship.
Bryson DeChambeau / T-4th 3-under
Bryson DeChambeau has played beautifully through two rounds of golf. He shot a field-leading 4-under 66 on Thursday and after some early struggles Friday, he climbed back near the top of the leaderboard. However, DeChambeau dropped on a shot on 18 after splitting the fairway off the tee. We’ll see if that comes back to haunt him.
He is not the only one in the top six though.
Brooks Koepka / T-6th 2-under
Brooks Koepka essentially played opposite of DeChambeau. He struggled during his opening round but rebounded nicely Friday. The four-time Major champion carded an impressive 4-under 66 and sits 2-under entering the weekend.
He is just three shots back of the lead and well within striking distance to win his fifth Major.
Dustin Johnson / T-19th 1-over
Dustin Johnson has quietly played very well thus far at Oak Hill. He is looking to win the PGA Championship for the first time in his career. That would bring him within a victory at The Open Championship from winning the career Grand Slam.
Johnson previously won the 2016 U.S. Open and the Masters in 2020.
He is joined by fellow LIV golfers Mito Pereira and Harold Varner III at 1-over par.
Patrick Reed / T-35th 3-over
Most people will not be thrilled with the news, but Patrick Reed finds himself on the edges of contention heading into the weekend. After signing an opening round 72 Thursday, he shaved a stroke off Friday and carded a 71.
If he can put together a solid round on moving day, the divisive and highly disliked Reed just may find himself with a shot at the Wanamaker Trophy.
Sihwan Kim will also enter the weekend eight shots off the lead.
Cameron Smith / T-48th 4-over
Cam Smith had a very tumultuous second round Friday. He birdied the par-4 2nd, only to double bogey the par-5 7th a few holes later. The up and down round only continued from there.
The 2022 Open Championship winner burst onto the scene the last couple seasons. He has a number of other PGA Tour victories before joining LIV, including the Players Championship. But don’t count out the talented Aussie just yet.
He is joined by fellow LIV golfer Dean Burmester at 4-over.
Phil Mickelson / T-59th 5-over
Lefty mostly struggled yet again, but found his way into the weekend with a clutch par putt on 18 to just make the cut line. It’s going to take a heroic effort from the legendary Phil Mickelson to make a dent on the leaderboard.
But with inclement weather on the way, anything can happen. Thomas Pieters also just made the cut at 5-over.
Only five LIV golfers did not make the cut. They are comprised of Abraham Ancer, Brendan Steele, Juaquin Niemann, Talor Gooch and Anirban Lahiri.
