5 things to know for Friday’s second round at Oak Hill

The first round of the 2023 PGA Championship was a chilly one, as a frost delay pushed tee times back by about two hours on Thursday.

But despite the cold temperatures, the top of the leaderboard was scorching hot with loads of starpower.

What can we look forward to on Friday?

Here are 5 things to know for the second round at Oak Hill.

The leader

Though not everyone has completed the first round yet, there is one clubhouse leader: Bryson DeChambeau, who fired a round of four-under 66.

The long bomber has been relatvely quiet lately, given his defection to LIV Golf last year. But the newly slimmed-down 29-year-old is right in the hunt for his second major championship. And that makes the next three rounds very intriguing indeed.

The schedule

Because of the lengthy frost delay on Thursday morning, some players have as many as five holes left to complete in the first round on Friday morning. Play was officially suspended due to darkness at 8:30 p.m. local time Thursday evening. Play is scheduled to resume at 7:00 a.m. local time on Friday for both the first-round finishes and the second-round starters.

The contenders

Though he still has several holes to finish on Friday, Eric Cole has the lowest tally of the tournament thus far at five under par. And trailing DeChambeau is a whole stable of starpower: Scottie Scheffler, Corey Connors and Dustin Johnson (-3), as well as Ryan Fox, Viktor Hovland, Keegan Bradley and Adam Scott (-2). Phew!

Will Jon Rahm make the cut?

One of Thursday’s biggest surprises was World No. 1 Jon Rahm’s opening round of six-over 76.

That means the reigning Masters champ has some serious work to do on Friday to simply make the cut, let alone contend — though if anyone is capable of going low on a tough course, it’s him.

What about Rory?

Rory McIlroy was looking to turn things around this week after his shocking missed cut at the Masters — and it seemed like Oak Hill could be the perfect venue for a resurgence. He’s a member, and comfortable here, as his wife has long-established roots in Rochester.

Through one round, McIlroy is right in the mix, firing a one-over-par 71 to sit T27. As a reminder, McIlroy is seeking his fifth major championship this week — and first since 2014.

Ready to tune in? Here’s how to watch.

Golf.com Editor

As a four-year member of Columbia’s inaugural class of female varsity golfers, Jessica can out-birdie everyone on the masthead. She can out-hustle them in the office, too, where she’s primarily responsible for producing both print and online features, and overseeing major special projects, such as GOLF’s inaugural Style Is­sue, which debuted in February 2018. Her origi­nal interview series, “A Round With,” debuted in November of 2015, and appeared in both in the magazine and in video form on GOLF.com.