Smalley edges ahead at PGA Championship, Matsuyama and Gotterup chase

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pennsylvania, May 15 : Overnight PGA Championship co-leader Alex Smalley weathered gusty crosswinds at chilly Aronimink Golf Club to grab a one-shot clubhouse lead over Hideki Matsuyama and Chris Gotterup, while defending champion Scottie Scheffler fell slightly off the pace.

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 former Masters champion Matsuyama (67) and Chris Gotterup (65), a two-times winner on the PGA Tour this year who roared into the clubhouse having made three consecutive birdies.

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 Smalley, Scheffler, Martin Kaymer, Aldrich Potgieter, Stephan Jaeger, Min Woo Lee and Ryo Hisatsune, who opened with matching three-under 67s.

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 it made it very difficult," Matsuyama said after mixing