Scottie Scheffler surges on Day 2 of PGA Championship

Scottie Scheffler isn't yet leading the PGA Championship but remains within striking distance.

On the second day of the tournament at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, the No. 1 player in the world shot a 68 to move into a tie for fifth place with fellow American Max Homa. He's now just three shots behind 36-hole leader Jhonattan Vegas and one behind Matthieu Pavon, Matt Fitzpatrick and Si Woo Kim. 

Scheffler didn't play his best, failing to capitalize on key opportunities. He missed a birdie putt on hole No. 17 and bogeyed on hole No. 13.

After the round, Scheffler said he didn't start shooting well until the end but was still satisfied with his performance. 

"I didn't give myself many opportunities as I would have liked to early in the round," Scheffler said, via Paul Hodowanic of the PGA Tour website. "But I was still able to shoot under par on the front nine. I kept a clean card, made some nice up-and-downs. Overall, I was pleased with the score I posted today."  

Scheffler seems calmer than he did on the tournament's first day, when he had to deal with pesky mud balls. Mud balls have mud clinging to them, which can affect a golfer's control.

"Over the course of a tournament this long and on a major championship setup, there's going to be, like I said, some bumps in the road," Scheffler said, per Sports Illustrated's Bob Harig. "It's all about how you respond to those. I did a good job of responding to those mistakes today and keeping myself in the tournament." 

Scheffler's performance on Day 2 of the PGA Championship should make his competitors nervous. The 28-year-old has had six top-10 finishes this season. Perhaps he'll keep rolling over the next two days of the 72-hole tournament.