Updated PGA Championship odds after Round 2: Scottie Scheffler retains odds-on favorite status

Nypost · 🇿🇦 public South Africa · May 15, 2026 · 487 words · By Sean Treppedi

PGA Championship Tournament Progress Sports Betting Odds

headphones Listen to the eFinder podcast briefing

Generate a natural audio summary of this story

Daily briefing

What to know about PGA Championship Tournament Progress

The greens at Aronimink Golf Club are keeping frustrations high and scores close to par.

Claims checked 20

Techniques found 1

Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center0%

Right100%

1 source compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

The greens at Aronimink Golf Club are keeping frustrations high and scores close to par.

Why it matters

After 36 holes of the 108th PGA Championship, the lead is split between Alex Smalley and Maverick McNealy, both of whom are 4-under after shooting a 1-under 69 and a 1-under 67, respectively.

Common ground

Despite those showings, Scottie Scheffler remains the betting favorite at FanDuel Sportsbook with a tag of +390, even after slipping two shots off the lead.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this PGA Championship Tournament Progress story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Aldrich Potgieter led for most of the day before recording bogeys on the last two holes to shoot even par and drop to 3-under overall?
How does this story connect PGA Championship Tournament Progress with Sports Betting Odds over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/15/betting/updated-pga-championship-odds-after-round-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 70% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 20 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 10

info Single Source 4

check_circle Corroborated 3

help Insufficient Evidence 2

cancel Disputed 1

schedule

Claim 1: “Aldrich Potgieter led for most of the day before recording bogeys on the last two holes to shoot even par and drop to 3-under overall”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 2: “both of whom are 4-under after shooting a 1-under 69 and a 1-under 67, respectively”

CORROBORATED

The Guardian and ultrasurfing.com confirm both players were at 4-under. Ultrasurfing specifically notes Smalley shot a 69. While the specific 67 for McNealy is implied by the total and the lead, multiple sources confirm the 4-under total.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2025 PGA Championship was the 107th edition of the PGA Championship and the second of the men's four major golf championships held in 2025. The tournament was held on May 15–18 at the Quail Hollow…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_PGA_Championship

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2025 Players Championship was the 51st edition of The Players Championship (the 48th as a standalone tournament), held from March 13–16 at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Rory McIlroy …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Players_Championship

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 PGA Championship is the 108th edition of the PGA Championship, scheduled for May 14–17 at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, a suburb west of Philadelphia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_PGA_Championship

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 3: “Smalley was also one of seven players tied atop a crowded leaderboard after the first round”

SINGLE SOURCE

Google News (Doug Ferguson) reports that Scottie Scheffler was part of a 7-way tie for the lead; while the claim specifies Smalley, the context of the lead being split later corroborates he was in that mix, but only one specific source mentions the 7-way tie for the lead in this tournament context.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Alex is a unisex name, employed either as a hypocoristic or a standalone given name, derived from the Greek element ἀλέξειν (aléxein), meaning "to defend" or "to protect."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — ALEKS is an adaptive learning platform offering personalized education in math, chemistry, statistics, and more for students and educators.
https://www.aleks.com/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Dec 13, 2025 · Learn about the name Alex including the meaning, gender, origin, popularity, and more.
https://momlovesbest.com/alex-name-meaning

check_circle

Claim 4: “After 36 holes of the 108th PGA Championship, the lead is split between Alex Smalley and Maverick McNealy”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources (ESPN, The Guardian, and Google News/Doug Ferguson) confirm that Alex Smalley and Maverick McNealy were tied for the lead at 4-under after two rounds (36 holes) of the 108th PGA Championship.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 Players Championship was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour, being held at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida from March 12–15. Officially, it was the 52nd edition of The Players Cham…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Players_Championship

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2023 PGA Championship was the 105th PGA Championship. It was a 72-hole stroke play tournament played on May 18–21 on the East Course of Oak Hill Country Club in Pittsford, New York. Brooks Koepka …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_PGA_Championship

+ 3 more evidence sources

cancel

Claim 5: “a 1-over 71 dropped him into a tie for ninth”

DISPUTED

The evidence shows that the '1-over 71' mentioned in search results refers to the U.S. Open at Oakmont, not the 108th PGA Championship. The claim misattributes a U.S. Open score to the PGA Championship.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 Masters Tournament was the 90th edition of the Masters Tournament and the first of the four men's major golf championships held in 2026. The tournament was played April 9–12 at Augusta Nation…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Masters_Tournament

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Scott Alexander Scheffler (born June 21, 1996) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He is currently ranked world number one in the Official World Golf Ranking, a position he h…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottie_Scheffler

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 6: “He is listed at 12/1 odds, a price shared with Ludvig Aberg”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 7: “entered Friday as the +170 favorite”

SINGLE SOURCE

One source mentions Scheffler carrying a price of +170 at FanDuel, which aligns with the claim of entering Friday as the +170 favorite.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2025 Open Championship, officially the 153rd Open Championship, was a golf tournament played from 17 to 20 July 2025 at Royal Portrush Golf Club in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The third Open …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Open_Championship

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 45th Ryder Cup Matches was a golf tournament in 2025 for the Ryder Cup, a biennial competition between Europe and the United States. It was held in the United States from September 26–28 on the B…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Ryder_Cup

menu_book

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 8: “the American owns just one top-20 finish in his nine-year pro career — and it came this year at the Masters”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 9: “Aberg shot the second-lowest score of the day behind Chris Gotterup’s 5-under 63 with a 4-under 64”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 10: “The 21-year-old South African became the youngest 36-hole leader at a major since Tiger Woods at the 1997 Masters Tournament”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 11: “Cameron Young gained ground back on both the oddsboard and leaderboard with a 3-under 67 to move up to T9 from T49”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 12: “Justin Thomas (T9 and 20/1) and Keegan Bradley (missed the cut) argued with an official after being warned for slow play”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 13: “Scheffler was part of a seven-way tie atop the leaderboard after the opening round”

SINGLE SOURCE

Google News (Doug Ferguson) reports that Scottie Scheffler was part of a 7-way tie for the lead after the opening round.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The Scottish Terrier (Scottish Gaelic: Abhag Albannach; also known as the Aberdeen Terrier), popularly called the Scottie, is a breed of dog. Initially one of the highland breeds of terrier that were …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Terrier

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Rocky Mountain Scottie Rescue, Inc. rescues, rehabilitates and rehomes Scottish Terriers in the Rocky Mountain regional states of Colorado, Utah, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming and Arizona. …
https://www.rockymountainscottierescue.com/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Is the Scottish Terrier the right breed for you? Learn more about the Scottish Terrier including personality, history, grooming, pictures, videos, and the AKC breed standard.
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/scottish-terrier/

check_circle

Claim 14: “With 33 players that sat within two shots of the lead after Round 1”

CORROBORATED

Two independent sources (The Guardian/Lowry report and the Collin Morikawa report) confirm that a record 33 players were within two shots of the lead after Round 1.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Round 1 of the PGA Championship is underway!Frustrated Rory McIlroy bluntly calls first round 's---' after wheels fall off late at PGA Championship 2026. 15 hours ago.
https://news.google.com/stories/CAAqNggKIjBDQklTSGpvSmMzUnZj…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — A record 33 players are within two shots of the lead, eclipsing the previous high of 28 at the 1993 Open, including 12 major champions. Scheffler started steadily but dropped a shot at the fifth. He m…
https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/golf/arid-41845308.html

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Morikawa birdied the 17th hole to join a logjam that has 33 players within two strokes at the top of the leaderboard. Morikawa ended a more than two-year victory drought with a win at the AT&T Pebble …
https://www.si.com/college/cal/other-sports/despite-an-uneve…

help

Claim 15: “pushing his odds only up to 13/1”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found regarding Alex Smalley's specific betting odds of 13/1.

schedule

Claim 16: “Ludvig Aberg, who is now T9 and opened the tournament with the fifth-shortest odds at 16/1”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 17: “McNealy, whose eagle on 16 shot him into a tie for the lead”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found regarding a specific eagle on the 16th hole by Maverick McNealy.

schedule

Claim 18: “the next shortest odds behind Scheffler at +950”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 19: “Scottie Scheffler remains the betting favorite at FanDuel Sportsbook with a tag of +390”

SINGLE SOURCE

One web search result mentions Scheffler as the favorite at +170 and notes the defending champion opened at +390, but it does not explicitly confirm his current tag is +390; in fact, it suggests he is +170.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's MLB odds to see the full menu of options. Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!PGA Championship Odds After First Round: Scottie Scheffler, Xand…
https://www.fanduel.com/research/home-run-predictions-today-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Scottie Scheffler has a five stroke lead with just three holes to play after rain halted play in the RBC Heritage on Sunday. The US Open champion and world number one continued his great form at Hilto…
https://www.irishnews.com/sport/golf/scottie-scheffler-five-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Scheffler remains the favorite to win the tournament, carrying a price of +170 at FanDuel. The defending PGA champion opened at +390. The world No. 1 golfer made late strides up the leaderboard with b…
https://nypost.com/2026/05/14/betting/updated-pga-championsh…

schedule

Claim 20: “Garrick Higgo (missed the cut) was assessed a two-stroke penalty for arriving late to his tee time”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.