Portugal Colonial - Rose charges into contention at PGA Championship

The 42-year-old Englishman completed a one-under par 69 opening round at Oak Hill on Friday morning, then used a sizzling putter to briefly match the American for the lead on four-under overall.

A bogey at the 18th, Rose's ninth hole of the second round, dropped him into a second-place pack with second-ranked Scottie Scheffler and Canada's Corey Conners, who had yet to begin their second rounds.

DeChambeau, the 2020 US Open winner, fired a six-under par 66 in Thursday's opening round to take a one-stroke lead.

Rose was among 30 players unable to finish the first round on Thursday due to a frost delay, and missed a four-foot par putt to bogey the 16th early in his Friday restart.

But the 2016 Rio Olympic champion answered by closing with a birdie putt from just inside 20 feet at 18, setting the tone for the run to come.

Rose made a quick turnaround and began round two on the back nine.

He rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt at the 10th, sank a 26-footer for birdie at the 12th and made another from just outside 20 feet at 16 to pull level with DeChambeau, set to be among the last to tee off Friday.

But at 18, Rose missed the fairway and the green, chipped from a greenside slope to 12 feet and missed his par putt.

Rose, a winner in February at Pebble Beach for his first triumph since 2019, has 11 top-10 major finishes since capturing his only major title a decade ago at Merion.

Australian Adam Scott, the 2013 Masters champion, was at level par for his second round through 14 holes and in a pack on two-under with two-time major winner Dustin Johnson, Canada's Taylor Pendrith and later starters Ryan Fox of New Zealand, Viktor Hovland of Norway and Keegan Bradley of the United States.

American Michael Block, one of 20 club professionals in the field, began on the back nine and birdied three of his first five holes to move one back of DeChambeau.

But the 46-year-old American from California's Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club stumbled with a bogey at the par-5 fourth and a double bogey at the sixth, falling back to level par.

DeChambeau and Johnson were two of the big names lured from the PGA Tour by Saudi-backed LIV Golf, with record $25 million purses but amid criticism over Saudi Arabian human rights issues.

The PGA Tour banned LIV players and a court fight between the tours is set for trial next May. Until then, majors are the only venues where the best of LIV and the PGA can compete.

World number one Jon Rahm, the reigning Masters champion from Spain, and US Open champion Matthew Fitzpatrick of England both opened on 76 and must battle to make the cut to the low 70 and level.

Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy, chasing his first major victory since 2014, opened on 71.

Jordan Spieth, a three-time major winner trying to complete a career Grand Slam by winning this week, opened on 73. The American is battling a left wrist injury.

Cameron Smith, the reigning British Open champion, was on 72.

O.Gaspar--PC