The 2025 PGA Championship at the wind-whipped and unrelenting Quail Hollow has taken an unexpected turn. While tight pin placements, unpredictable gusts, and firm greens challenged several top-ranked players early on, there emerged a surprising leader after Day 1—Jhonattan Vegas. Ranked 70th globally, he shot a 7-under 64, bolstered by five birdies in his final six holes. Despite a double-bogey on the 18th hole during the second round, Vegas maintained his lead with a 1-under 70, finding his footing on a notorious course. While Vegas held steady, major champions fell—some spectacularly so.

Brooks Koepka, a three-time PGA Championship winner, failed to make the cut after posting a 9-over-par across two days. Jordan Spieth and Shane Lowry also missed the cut by a single stroke, while Justin Thomas, fresh off a win at the RBC Heritage, could only manage a 3-over-par score. Watching the tumble into unfamiliar territory, the theme of this championship has quietly shifted: Quail Hollow isn’t just sorting the field—it’s scrubbing it.

Amidst the upheaval, Jon Rahm  managed to stay in contention, finishing Day 2 at T27 with a score of 2-under-par. When informed about the number of major champions missing the cut, Rahm not just expressed surprise but also pointed out what could be behind the struggles of players with major wins under their belt. “It’s a difficult golf course. I can see how somebody can shoot 5, 6-under fairly easily, and I can easily see how a round gets going the wrong way and you shoot 3-, 4-over,” he explained. “I don’t really ever think about how many major champions are out there, so I couldn’t tell you if this is normal or not. I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of those are 1-under to 1-over, that are good players, major champions, get a good run on the weekend, and tomorrow get a little bit more of a benign golf course and be in the afternoon, get the round going.” Rahm sits six shots back heading into the weekend, tied at 2-under, and sounding like a man who knows a move is still very much possible.

You could be shocked to know that Matt Fitzpatrick is the highest-positioned major winner on the leaderboard. He is T2 with a score of 6 under par. He is closely followed by Scottie Scheffler at T5, followed by DeChambeau at T17. Adam Scott, Jon Rahm, and Keegan Bradley are at T27 with a score of 1 under par. While moving day is precariously poised, there are several big names that will not feature, as they failed to make the cutline of 1 over par.

Jordan Spieth, who was aiming for a career grand slam this week, and Shane Lowry missed out by 1 stroke, while Justin Thomas, who just recently won the RBC Heritage, could only manage a 3-over-par score. The biggest disappointment will undoubtedly be three-time PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka, who carded a worrying 9 over par score across two days. This is in stark contrast with the other side of the table, where significant movement was on display thanks to a brilliant round 2 of golf.

Big movers ahead of Saturday at the PGA Championship

One of the biggest gainers of day 2 was Max Homa. The six-time PGA Tour winner carded a 2-over-par on day 1, and it looked like business as usual for him. But an inspired comeback on day 2 saw him jump 68 positions to T5, ending level on the scoreboard with Scottie Scheffler and poised well to give a firm challenge to Jhonattan Vegas in first place.

Si Woo Kim and Matthieu Pavon also made significant jumps from day 1, improving 58 and 44 positions, respectively. Si Woo matched Homa’s round high performance of 7 under par after starting the day 1 over par, while Pavon carded a 6 under par. Both of them are at T2, two strokes off the lead.

After a disappointing day 1, Northern Irish golfer and one of the pre-tournament favorites, Rory McIlroy, also leaped, gaining 36 places. McIlroy scored 2 under par to just make the cutline and give himself a fighting chance on day 3.

Who do you think will make the most impact in Quail Hollow on Saturday? Will the Moving Day see significant changes in the leaderboard?