Bob MacIntyre struggles as 'US Open breaks out in PGA Championship'

Three hours later, as carnage started to break out, the Irishman changed his tune. “Wow!” he declared in an update. “It’s way windier than yesterday and what was forecasted. A US Open has broken out here at the PGA Championship. Greens particularly treacherous.”

Bob MacIntyre handled a treacherous test when finishing second in last year’s US Open at Oakmont. Not this one, though. He’d started the day handily-placed, sitting just three shots off a logjam for the lead after an opening level-par 70 on Thursday.

Especially on the back of a good driving display, he would have been hoping to improve his position before the afternoon starters headed out on day two. Instead, the Oban man was facing an early exit after signing for a five-over-par 75 in his second circuit. The bulk of the damage was a double-bogey 6 at the third - his 12th hole of the day.

Playing in the same group as MacIntyre, FedEx Cup champion Tommy Fleetwood was also set to miss the cut on the same mark after rounds of 72-73. In contrast, Genesis Scottish Open champion Chris Gotterup, the third member of the group, underlined his new star status.

In what was a truly brilliant effort, the American signed for a five-under-par 65. Moving him to three under, one off the clubhiuse lead held by American Alex Smalley, Gotterup had jumped more than 60 spots by the time he finished his day’s work on the Donald Ross-designed course near Philadelphia.

“Yeah, I felt like I grinded it out nice today,” admitted Gotterup. “Finished it off strong at the end with a couple birdies in a row.” What about how tough it was? “Yeah, even though I played pretty well today I don't think it felt easy at any point out there,” he added. “I think it's a little more almost US Open-esque.”

On the back of some players in the earlier groups having been grumbling as they came off the course, Gotterup was asked if he felt the course set up had been fair. “I'm going to try to answer this properly,” he replied. “I don't think it's unfair, but 14 today is probably aggressive. You're hitting a 4-iron to a ten-foot circle, and, if it doesn't go there, it's off the green, And, if you hit it 40 feet left, you have a very hard two-putt.

“Yesterday. I think hole 8 was probably pushing it a little bit. I hit 5-wood yesterday, and I hit 7-iron today. Granted, I don't know if they were expecting 30 mile an hour winds yesterday, but I also did shoot five-under today. I don't think it's unfair by any stretch of the imagination, but you're not going to get any four-and-a-half rounds out here.”

A week after holding off Rory McIlroy at The Renaissance Club to land his links success on Scottish soil last July, Gotterup finished third behind Scottie Scheffler in The Open at Royal Portrush. He’s accomplished a lot in a short period of time and was asked if he feels he is now ready to win a major.

“So far I've been just trying to put myself in the best position possible,” he replied to that one. “I’m trying to be in a good flow out there, both mentally and within my golf game. Today was definitely a much better version of that. For the most part any time that you can get in the mix, you just get more and more comfortable. And that's not going to say that anything is easy to win. Every tournament that I've won has been a challenge. So hopefully give myself a challenge come Sunday.

“If I'm playing well, I feel like I can compete anywhere. That's no different here. But I think it's just hard to say what it did for me other than build confidence. I felt like I played some of my best golf maybe ever as a pro that week, and I came in third. I feel like you got to keep putting yourself in position, and you hope that one day it breaks through and it was your time.”

Justin Thomas, a two-time PGA champion and going well again in the battle for the Wanamaker Trophy after reaching the halfway stage on two under, spoke about the difficulty of the challenge players were facing at the 11th despite having a wedge in hand for the second shot.

“Yeah, yesterday that was one of the easiest holes on the course,” he observed. “But today that pin is just over a slope there, and it's really hard to hit it close. You don't want to try to do too much and try to hit it close, kind of like I did there this morning, and the wind knocks the ball right out of the air and doesn't even come close and I'm grinding to make a 5 when I have a sand wedge in my hand. So it just kind of speaks volumes to how this course can be throughout the entire day.”

Defending champion Scottie Scheffler started the day in a seven-way share of the lead on three under. The world No 1 was back to level par for the tournament after just four holes before digging in to cover the remaining stretch in two under.

Signing for a 71, he also sits on two under at the midpoint and has Cameron Young, The Players champion, for company. “I feel like if it's hard for me out there, then it's going to be hard for other players.,” said Scheffler.