Canada’s Taylor Pendrith waiting in the wings after steady second round
For the second major in a row, there’s a Canadian lurking near the top of the leaderboard. Taylor Pendrith sits at 3 under through 36 holes at the PGA Championship, and his driving prowess could be the difference-maker going forward.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — For the second major championship in a row in 2025, there is a Canadian lurking near the top of the leaderboard.
Taylor Pendrith sits at 3 under through 36 holes at the PGA Championship and was inside the top 15 as the morning wave wrapped up at Quail Hollow Club.
Two-time RBC Canadian Open winner Jhonattan Vegas continues to lead the way in Charlotte after a 1-under 70. Vegas was up four at one point before making a disastrous double bogey on the par-4 18th. He’s at 8 under through two rounds and is up two on Matthieu Pavon of France, who shot a 6-under 65 Friday — his lowest-career round at a major.
Pendrith skirted to the house with a final-hole par that lipped in on No. 18. He went 1 under through the closing tricky trio of holes (nicknamed ‘The Green Mile’), which meant, he said, he was likely picking up some strokes on the field.
The run of holes from Nos. 16-18 are playing as the three hardest holes on the course, with No. 18 the toughest.
Pendrith hit a 6-iron from over 200 yards to just 10 feet on No. 16 and converted the birdie. He just missed another 10-footer on No. 17. The 1-under stretch came after he missed a birdie try on No. 15, the easiest hole on the course so far.
“I was around the green (on 15) and didn’t make birdie there, which was a little frustrating knowing that the last three holes were very strong,” Pendrith told Sportsnet. “It was a really good finish.”
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Coming into the week at Quail Hollow Club, Pendrith’s skillset likely fit the course the best out of the five-golfer Canadian contingent. Pendrith, who finished tied for 10th at the Truist Championship in 2024 (the PGA Tour stop annually played at Quail Hollow), said he’s been able to lean on his driving prowess through 36 holes. He’s fifth in strokes gained: off the tee and is 13th in strokes gained: tee to green.
“The driver has been great. (I hit) driver pretty much off every tee here, which I like. I’ve been putting it in the fairway and giving myself chances — driver has been really good so far,” Pendrith said. “Hit some really nice iron shots today and a couple poor ones. So, that’s been average but rolled in some putts.
“Hopefully more of that.”
Despite the fact that Pendrith admitted the rest of his game has been average to this point, he’s excited about the next two days as he gives chase to the leader.
“I feel like I haven’t really put myself in too many awkward positions. My speed on the greens has been good. Hit a couple really nice shots inside 15 feet and then a couple to 30 or 40 feet, and the lag putting has been solid. Hopefully keep hitting it in the fairway, get a little closer tomorrow, and see some putts go in.”
Max Homa had the round of the day Friday, a tidy 7-under 64 — his lowest career round at a major. Homa has gone almost as far down as a professional golfer can go of late, with his made-cut at the Masters his first since last summer (he would go on to finish tied for 12th).
“I’ve kind of realized that, as bad as it’s been, I’m quite good at golf to play decent from some of the positions I’ve been in [with] my golf swing,” Homa said Friday. “It was kind of in a way nice to be able to play in the morning and just get to go immediately because I knew the game was good. Didn’t know I was going to shoot 7-under, but I will take it.”
Homa started on the back nine Friday at Quail Hollow Club and went out in 6-under 30, which included an eagle on the par-4 14th. He hit his drive from 340 yards away to just one foot.
That ‘2’ on the scorecard came after he made a birdie ‘2’ on No. 13. The only golfer to go 2-2 at the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club was Canada’s Graham DeLaet.
Corey Conners teed off in the afternoon Friday, but the rest of the Canadian crew at the PGA Championship will not play the weekend.
On Friday, Nick Taylor shot a 1-over 72 to finish at 6-over 148, Mackenzie Hughes shot a 2-over 73 to finish at 9-over 151, and Adam Hadwin struggled to a 9-over 80 to finish at 11-over 153.
