PGA Championship R2 leaderboard: "Not as s---" Rory McIlroy claims Aronimink not a great setup

Rory McIlroy said the bunched leaderboard at the 2026 PGA Championship was a sign of "not a great setup" after he battled hard to make the cut.

The Masters champion, 37, was in danger of missing the cut at the second men's major of the year after driving the ball terribly in round one at Aronimink Golf Club on Thursday. 

But he bounced back and then some, carding composed bogey-free 67 to jump up the leaderboard.

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McIlroy sits on one-over par overall and is five strokes adrift of surprise 36 hole leaders Alex Smalley and Maverick McNealy. 

They are being chased by a group of players that includes world number one and defending champion Scottie Scheffler, two-time major winner Justin Thomas and in the in-form Cameron Young. 

LIV Golf recruit Bryson DeChambeau was among the big names to miss the cut. 

"Not as s---," McIlroy told reporters when asked to sum up his second round. McIlroy was in no mood to discuss his performance length 24 hours ago.

But he declared he is back in the tournament

"I had a better understanding of how the course was playing, and just watching a little bit of the coverage early on today," McIlroy said.

"I probably went out there yesterday being a little too aggressive thinking that guys were going to go lower than they were. 

"Because I certainly didn't, in the practice rounds, I certainly didn't see it playing as difficult as it has played.

"So I think knowing that the field isn't going to get away from you, you can be a little bit more patient, especially this afternoon."

Pace of play was glacial in round two, with the first group out completing 18 holes in five hours and 40 minutes. 

The aforementioned Thomas, playing alongside Young and former U.S. Ryder Cup captain, were put on the clock after the fourth hole. 

"It was slow," McIlroy said. "But it's fine. It seems like that's the first two days of major championship golf are always going to be like that. 

"You get that afternoon tee time on Friday at Augusta, and it's one of the slowest rounds of the year. 

"You don't mind being out there because it's Augusta, but at the same time it is very, very slow. 

"Obviously over the weekend it will speed up. Hopefully we can play in two balls and things will flow a bit better."

Not a great setup

Scheffler is attempting to defend the Wanamaker Trophy and claim his fifth major title. 

Next month, the 29-year-old American will tee it up at the U.S. Open and attempt to join McIlroy in the grand slam club. 

Scheffler carded a 71 on Friday, mixing four bogeys with three birdies. 

After his second round, Scheffler explained that the pin locations chosen by the PGA of America were "kind of absurd". 

Scheffler said they were the toughest he had ever seen since making his PGA Tour debut. 

McIlroy said: "The only thing I would say is, I think a bunched leaderboard like this, I think it's a sign of not a great setup, I think when it's as bunched as it is, because it hasn't really enabled anyone to separate themselves. 

"It's like, you know, it's easy to make a ton of pars, hard to make birdies, and not that it's hard to make bogey, but it feels like bogey's the worst score you're going to shoot on any one hole."

He added: "There's not a lot of hazards. There's not, you know ... yeah, I think the setup is fine, like the golf course is good, the pins were tough, and the wind was what it was as well.

"But I just think, yeah, I've always felt like really good setups, it starts to spread the field a bit, and not great setups sort of bring everyone together. 

"I feel like that's what's happened the last two days."