Smalley edges ahead at PGA Championship, Scheffler firmly in the mix

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pennsylvania, May 15 : Overnight PGA Championship co-leader Alex Smalley weathered gusty crosswinds to grab a one-shot clubhouse at chilly Aronimink Golf Club where defending champion Scottie Scheffler was firmly in the mix and Bryson DeChambeau looked certain to miss the halfway cut.

Smalley carded a one-under par 69 that brought him to four under on the week at the year's second major that left him one shot clear of Hideki Matsuyama (67), Chris Gotterup (65) and Aldrich Potgieter (70), who led by a shot until a bogey-bogey finish.

Maverick McNealy was the on-course leader at five under on the week with five holes to play.

Smalley, who started on the more difficult back nine, held the outright lead by two shots at one point before falling back with three consecutive bogeys after the turn. He stopped the bleeding with a birdie at the par-four fourth and added another at the par-five ninth where his eagle attempt stopped 14 inches from the hole.

"A lot of really good moments, some not so great moments, and then a lot of just trying to keep moving forward in between," said Smalley. "It was difficult, it was chilly this morning, the wind was up."

The day's action began with a staggering 48 players within three shots of co-leaders Potgieter, Smalley, Scheffler, Martin Kaymer, Stephan Jaeger, Min Woo Lee and Ryo Hisatsune, who opened with matching three-under 67s.

Former Masters champion Matsuyama, who also started on the back nine, carded his only bogey of the day at Aronimink's par-four sixth hole when he failed to get up and down after his approach from the fairway zipped back off the front of the green.

"It was really tough. It was really windy yesterday, and this morning was windy. Plus it was freezing cold, and