Vegas is the Venezuelan who left the diamond for the course

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — He started by hitting rocks with a broomstick. Now what Jhonattan Vegas is trying to hit is the jackpot.

Halfway through the PGA Championship that was to be the showcase for Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, and Rory McIlroy, it’s Vegas who’s in the spotlight and in the lead.

Not by much, a single stroke, but when play comes to an end Sunday evening, the margin would be plenty. Then again, with 36 holes remaining at Quail Hollow Club, where the rough is thick and the greens are slick, the one shot may not hold up. 

Vegas shot a one-under 70 Friday in the second round of this 107th PGA Championship, maintaining the lead he had surprisingly taken Thursday as one of the last players to complete his round. He's at 8-under 134 and two shots ahead of Matthieu Pavon, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Si Woo Kim.  

Max Homa, the Cal grad, and Scheffler are both another shot back at 137. Scottie, a two-time Masters Champ, remains very much a presence at this PGA. 

When you think of sports stars from Venezuela, you think of shortstops such as Luis Aparicio, Omar Vizquel, and Ozzie Guillen. But Vegas, although he did play baseball growing up, stepped away from the infield and onto the tee. He perfected his game with what implements were available, that broomstick and the rocks, near the oil field camp where he lived.

No one from South America has ever won a PGA Championship, which makes the 40-year-old Vegas even more of a focus than others high on the leaderboard.

“I had a solid round (Friday), a little bit up and down," Vegas said. “I feel like finishing so late yesterday, not getting a great sleep, and having to come back early kind of put me not in the best mood all day.”

Still, Vegas, who would play for the University of Texas before turning pro, kept his game enough in control to stay in first.  And found a proper measure of satisfaction.

“Every chance you get to lead a major and play with the lead is never easy,” said Vegas. “You’ve got to keep the pedal down, keep your head down, and keep working hard. So I feel proud of a solid round today.”

Pavon, from France, had played on the DP World Tour before coming to the United States and winning the 2024 Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. 

Someone wondered if the PGA “felt like a big-time tournament”—a silly question about one of the game’s four majors. Pavon responded, “I was able to play Wells Fargo (at Quail) last year, so I knew what test of golf this tournament could be. I think it’s even bigger now being a major.  The atmosphere is great, and the golf course plays tough.”

It's supposed to. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be a major.