Matsuyama leads the PGA Championship: Eagles and Ryder Cup in sight!

Hideki Matsuyama Leads the BMW PGA Championship with an Impressive Performance

Japanese golfer Hideki Matsuyama, with an outstanding performance, took the lead at the BMW PGA Championship after the second round. Matsuyama achieved two eagles and a score of 64 strokes, eight under par, which allowed him to lead by one stroke a trio of European players preparing for the Ryder Cup. Viktor Hovland (66), Ludvig Åberg (69) and Justin Rose (66) are close behind Matsuyama in this event prior to the Ryder Cup, which will be held at Bethpage Black from September 26 to 28. Of the eleven European team members participating this week, only one failed to make the cut: rookie Rasmus Hojgaard, who finished five over par after a round of 75 strokes. Matsuyama, in his debut at this prestigious event on the European circuit, has demonstrated his adaptation to the Wentworth Club. The former Masters champion has accumulated eleven birdies this week, including eagles on two of the four par 5s in the second round, which puts him at twelve under par in the tournament. In the fourth hole, he holed a 15-foot putt, and on the 17th hole, he managed a chip from the edge of the green to take the lead at the end of the day.

I didn’t expect to play so well.

Hideki Matsuyama

Hovland, for his part, stated that he did not remember having a chip and putt game as effective as Friday’s, where he achieved three consecutive birdies starting from the 4th hole, a birdie on the 16th hole and an eagle with a 40-foot putt on the last hole.

I am very happy with my performance and, in terms of scoring, it’s incredible, to be honest.

Viktor Hovland

Hovland, who will likely play alongside Åberg at Bethpage, is also in good form, following an opening round of 64 with a 69. Rose, with eight birdies, joined his Ryder Cup teammates in second place. Other Ryder Cup players had mixed results: Rory McIlroy, with a double bogey on the last hole, finished with a par of 72 strokes and was nine strokes behind the leader, while Jon Rahm, with birdies on the last two holes, achieved a round of 69 strokes, four under par.