Venezuela’s Jhonattan Vegas leads US PGA by two shots while Aussies falter, longest hole-in-one in major history achieved
Jhonattan Vegas learned golf by hitting rocks with broomsticks in Venezuela and he now finds himself in command of a major championship. He is well clear of the likes of Rory McIlroy, who only just made the cut.
From his days as a South American child swatting rocks with broomsticks where baseball and football are king, Jhonattan Vegas dreamed of being a golf star and winning major crowns.
So it’s no wonder he has been able to overcome injury and struggles for years to find success to grab the lead at the PGA Championship.
“I have the game to compete in these big events,” Vegas said. “I’ve just got to do what I do, and good things could happen.” The 40-year-old Venezuelan led Friday on eight-under-par 134 for 36 holes at Quail Hollow after his career best major round of 64 on Thursday.
“The game has always been there,” Vegas said. “I’ve gone through a lot of injuries and that type of stuff and hasn’t been easy the past few years, but the game has always been there. It’s about putting it together and playing your best when it’s time to play.
“Haven’t been able to do it at the majors, so it’s a goal I have in mind to put myself in these type of positions. We started the right way.”
Vegas, chasing his first major title, clung to a two-stroke lead in Friday’s second round of the PGA Championship while top-ranked Scottie Scheffler and South Korean Kim Si-woo made late charges at Quail Hollow.
Vegas closed with a double bogey to fire a one-under-par 70 and stand on eight-under 134 after 36 holes with France’s Matthieu Pavon shooting 65 to share second with England’s Matt Fitzpatrick and Kim on 136.
The actual start for Vegas in golf came from his father, a caddie at a golf course near their home.
“My dad grew up near a golf course, and he grew up caddying at that place as a little kid. He picked up the game that way,” Vegas said.
“We grew up near a nine-hole golf course owned by the oil companies and we had access to a course and plus the love of my dad for the game, put it together and we started playing.
“Venezuelans, we’re not known for being golfers, but I’ve been blessed and here I am.”
He has traded broomsticks and rocks for golf clubs and balls, but carries the same passion into his game as he had in youthful days.
“As a kid, I would hit anything that I could find. Rocks, broomstick, everything,” he said. “I would grab anything that I could swing and I would do it. Feel like I was a good athlete as a young kid, so that’s kind of how things started.”
Vegas missed most of the 2022-23 season with elbow and shoulder injuries but won the 3M Open last year while on a medical exemption to snap a seven-year PGA Tour win drought.
It was a boost that helped bring his success at the PGA after going without a top-20 finish in 16 prior major starts.
“It means a lot,” Vegas said. “This is what we put all those hours for, to give yourself chances like this. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to do it throughout my career, but you never know.”
Longest hole-in-one in major history
During the second round, Kim aced the par-three sixth hole from 252 yards with a five-wood, hitting the longest hole-in-one in major history, and added six birdies against a lone bogey to equal Max Homa for the day’s low round of 64.
“It was exciting,” Kim said of the ace. “I hit it like exactly how I wanted. So it was cool and it was pretty memorable hole-in-one in major.”
🚨 ACE ALERT 🚨
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 16, 2025
Si Woo Kim just made a hole-in-one from 252 yards on the 6th hole! 🙌#PGAChamppic.twitter.com/o3HDWlfRIQ
Sharing fifth in the clubhouse were Americans Homa and Scheffler, who shot 68 to stand on 137 — three off the lead.
“A little below average for me,” Scheffler said. “I felt like I did a good job scoring. I was able to hit the right shots when I need to.” Scheffler’s playing partners in the feature group — second-ranked Masters winner Rory McIlroy and third-ranked defending champion Xander Schauffele — grinded through the final hole just to make the cut on the number at one-over 143.
McIlroy, who completed a career Grand Slam with his Masters win, closed bogey-bogey to flirt with missing the weekend, lipping out from three feet for par at 17 and hitting off a hospitality tent roof into rough at 18 and two-putting for bogey from 36 feet to shoot 69.
Closing par putts at 17 and 18 from inside four feet gave Schauffele a 71. Vegas, who fired a 64 on Thursday, never lost the lead despite pressure while Pavon and Homa each delivered their career-low major rounds.
“That was really very solid,” Pavon said. “Got a nice momentum with the putter early on. A few birdies on the front nine helped me to be more confident on the back nine. Overall it was a super satisfying day.” Homa shot 30 on the same back nine where he fired 39 on Thursday. “I knew the game was good,” Homa said. “Didn’t know I was going to shoot seven-under but I’ll take it.” Fitzpatrick, the 2022 US Open champion, fired a 68 and will draw upon his major win to try and pad his trophy haul.
“The fact I’ve done it before, that’s always a big confidence boost,” he said. “You can lean on that. I’m just happy to be in this position.”
Sleepless Vegas night
World number 70 Vegas was set to become the lowest-ranked player to lead a major outright after each of the first two rounds since American Gil Morgan at the 1992 US Open.
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Vegas was battling after a sleepless night sitting on the lead. “Not getting a great sleep and having to come back early put me not in the best mood all day,” Vegas said. “It felt like three hours, but I probably got a little bit more than that. I got some sleep but it wasn’t the best.”
American Jordan Spieth, needing a win the complete a career Grand Slam, missed the cut on 144.
Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, whose 19 made major cuts were the longest active streak, and two-time major winner Justin Thomas were out on 145.
Originally published as Venezuela’s Jhonattan Vegas leads US PGA by two shots while Aussies falter, longest hole-in-one in major history achieved
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