The PGA Championship might be the greatest gift to golf and major events. At the US Open and the Masters, we read articles about how the field is essentially whittled down to a select twenty, and no one else should have a shot at the title. Inevitably, this happens. What about the other 130 golfers in the field? Why should their chances be reduced? Doesn’t that make it a boring affair? Hardly. When it comes to the Open Championship, it’s a similar but different notion. Winners come from out of the blue, but the Royal and Ancient is not nearly as dismissive as the American viewing public (alongside some of the working journalists). The winner is the Champion Golfer of the Year, and he is welcomed into the shrine of winners, with no baggage nor criticism. That’s how Brian Harman, Francesco Molinari, Paul Lawrie, and Tom Lehman won major titles since 1980. Even farther out in the rings of golfing Saturn, that’s how Ben Curtis and Todd Hamilton went back-to-back in the early 2002s, and how Ian Baker-Finch, Bill Rogers, Kel Nagle, and Max Faulkner, among many, claimed a solitary major title.

It’s time to stop the bullying. First and foremost, the PGA Championship is a major title. If there’s a flaw in golf’s hierarchy, it’s the restriction of major titles to four. Adding the Australian Open and one more wouldn’t diminish what golfers have done over the years. The LPGA has more than four, as does the PGA Tour Champions. A winner will emerge from this year’s crowded field, and he will be a worthy winner. For this week, at the very least, he will be the PGA Professional of the Year, and he will have earned the right to be welcomed into the fold of the many course and club professionals, who toil daily to support the game that we the viewers, we the fans, we the golfers, play as often as possible. Long live the PPOTY!

OK, back to this gig. It’s Friday evening, and it’s time for a Five Things We Learned on Friday at the PGA Championship. In case you missed Thursday’s action, we’ll leave you with those highlights. Then, we’ll get down to business.

First, take my caddie, and I’ll take the lead…almost

John Maxwell Homa was just what Charlotte, Quail Hollow, and the PGA of America needed on Friday morning. He played the inward nine first, and absolutely electrified the in-person and on-screen fans with a 30 over his first half-round. Highlight of the day was the 300+ flight of his tee ball on 14. Homa’s strike settled within 12 inches of the hole, guaranteeing eagle. It was never on line to be an albatross, but a hole in one on a par-four hole would have been something! Homa came home in one-under figures on the front (his second) nine, lowering the week’s low from Vegas’ 65 to 64. He would be matched later in the day, but Homa and his new caddie found themselves inside the top five, guaranteed a 2:25 tee time with a pretty strong compatriot.

Second, sometimes it’s all about the rake place at the rake time

With two rounds in, Jhonattan Vegas is still the leader, and international players still feature prominently (the top four hail from Venezuela, Korea, England, and France) in the competition. Vegas stood on the 36th tee Friday with a four-shot advantage. After bogey at the second hole, he had scratched four birdies from the greens to reach ten-under par for the week.

Vegas reached the 17th tee, played a less-than-flush tee ball, and watched it do what you see in the video below. Might he have gotten up and down from the bunker? Perhaps. Holed a long putt or chip? Perhaps. His rake shot will be remembered for the memes that it will produce: I didn’t read that much rake in the putt, for example. Luck has a way of evening out, and Vegas found a double bogey without finding the creek that protects the left flank of the hole. His approach never turned, and found sand. His recovery had to be played gently, and it came out too gentle. A chip and two putts later, Vegas was still your clubhouse leader, still with a multi-shot advantage, and perhaps, a bit of grounding as the weekend loomed.

Third, welcome back to the Si-Woo Kid!

We all remember 21-year-old Si Woo Kim, who shocked the world in 2017 with a Players Championship win. Kim performed his mandatory military service after becoming the Sawgrass sensation, then returned to professional golf. In addition to his Wyndham (that he won the prior season), Kim added American Express and Sony Open titles, but has yet to join the ranks of major champions. Mid-May of 2025 might be his week.

Like Max Home, Si Woo had a 30 of his own on the front nine. Like Homa, Kim signed for a 64 on day two, matching the low round of the week. Unlike Homa, Kim actually dunked a tee shot for an ace on day two. It wasn’t quite as long as Homa’s hole, but an ace is an ace, and Kim rode his perfect strike on hole six to an afternoon tee time in Saturday’s final pairing. Major status might finally beckon to the great Korean golfer.

Fourth, these are some names among the chasers

For all those looking for the next Tiger, stop praying for a Scheffler win every week. If he earns it, wonderful. He’ll have his hands full, despite following a 69 with 68, to reach the weekend at five-under par. Scheffler is tied for fifth spot, three back of the leader. No doubt he has eyes on the heavy Wannamaker trophy, but he’s not alone.

There is greatness and potential in Robert MacIntyre, Matthieu Pavon, Denny McCarty, Garrick Higgo, and others among the pursuing pack. There is opportunity for glory and disaster along the emerald fairways of Quail Hollow. Most importantly, there are sixteen golfers between -4 and -8, and another eleven at minus-three. Without a dominant leader, the 107th playing of the PGA Championship is anyone’s game. If that’s not enough to get you excited for Saturday, remember that Masters champion Rory McIlroy is only a 62 away from minus-eight. That would get him in contention for Sunday.

Fifth, guys we’ll miss and predictions we’ll make

Not everyone made the cut on Friday evening. We shall miss the likes of Shane Lowry, Jordan Spieth, Hideki Matsuyama, Ludvig Aberg, Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, and Min Woo Lee, all whom missed by three shots or fewer. The green mile of closing holes is daunting, and fellows like Akshay Bhatia, a home-state Carolinian, testified to that. Bhatia was minus-three on the 14th tee. Two doubles and one single later, he was not five shots back of the leader; he was out of the tournament.

Time to make some lurker predictions. Four of our six lurker picks reached the weekend, but we’ll eschew their names for six new lurkers. Here goes nothing, friends!

• -4  Denny McCarthy. He’s a great putter, so if he can find the greens, he can make putts.
• -3  Taylor Pendrith. Nick Taylor broke the Canadian Open curse. It’s time for Taylor to end the major one.
• -2  Viktor Hovland. How good can this guy get? He had a close call in 2023. Time for redemption.
• -1  Beau Hossler. This far back, you need a birdie machine. Hossler can light it up when he’s on. Today!
• 0   Stephan Jaeger. He was a dark-horse prediction by many. He bounces back on Saturday with 63.
• +1  Bud Cauley. Another comeback story. He has a 60 in him. Minus-eleven on major Saturday? Aye.