Three Shots Back: Jon Rahm Finds His Rhythm at Aronimink

The 2026 PGA Championship is quickly shedding its reputation as the “younger sibling” of the Grand Slam. At Aronimink Golf Club in Philadelphia, the combination of meticulous course preparation and a suffocating atmosphere has turned this major into a brutal test of nerves. For most of the field, the weekend is a distant dream; 127 players have already been sent packing, unable to tame a layout that is punishing even the game’s elite.

But for Jon Rahm, the noise of the crowd and the difficulty of the greens are exactly where he wants to be. Sitting at 1-under par after 36 holes, the Spaniard finds himself just three strokes off the lead. In the world of major championships, three shots is a heartbeat—a distance that can be erased in a single blistering stretch of holes. As the tournament heads into the weekend, Rahm isn’t just in the hunt; he is playing with the confidence of a man who knows he belongs at the top of the leaderboard.

The Surprise Leaders and the Grinding Field

While the gallery naturally gravitates toward the substantial names, the top of the leaderboard currently belongs to the unexpected. Alex Smalley and Maverick McNealy are tied for the lead at 4-under par, having navigated the treacherous Philadelphia conditions with a precision that has eluded the world’s top-ranked players. They are followed closely by Hideki Matsuyama, Nick Dunlap, and others sitting at 3-under.

To put these scores in perspective, only 16 golfers in the entire field have managed to stay under par. This isn’t a tournament where a low score is expected; it is a tournament where survival is the primary goal. The setup at Aronimink has been designed to provoke mistakes, and for the majority of the field, it has succeeded.

The Spanish Connection: Rahm and Puig

Among the few who have conquered the course so far, two Spaniards stand out. David Puig, the 24-year-old catalyst of a new generation of Spanish golf, sits in a tie for ninth at 2-under par. Puig has silenced any doubts about his ability to handle the pressure of a major, firing a superb 67 on Friday that included four birdies and only one dropped shot. For a player with only a few years of professional experience, his composure in Philadelphia has been a revelation.

Then there is Jon Rahm. The former World No. 1 entered the week with a point to prove, not just to the field, but to himself. After an opening 69, Rahm followed it up with a level-par 70. While he didn’t make a massive leap up the leaderboard on Friday, the quality of his play suggests a player who has rediscovered his “competitive tooth.”

Rahm’s second round was a lesson in resilience. He spent the first seven holes grinding through a series of pars, refusing to let the lack of birdies frustrate him. He eventually found his rhythm, carding two birdies in a four-hole stretch. However, the course reminded him of its teeth on the back nine, where uncharacteristic bogeys on the 13th and 15th holes threatened to derail his momentum. Despite struggling to find the fairway consistently, Rahm relied on his world-class short game to save par and keep his hopes alive.

The LIV Golf Outlier

The 2026 PGA Championship has been a sobering experience for many of the LIV Golf contingent. While the league has boasted some of the biggest names in the sport, the results in Philadelphia have been mixed at best. According to reports from Golf Monthly, Rahm and Puig are the only two LIV players currently under par. Other notable names, including Dustin Johnson and Joaquin Niemann, are fighting to stay relevant at 2-over par, while Cameron Smith sits at even par.

This disparity underscores the unique challenge of Aronimink. It is a course that rewards patience and precision over raw power—traits that Rahm has historically mastered. For Rahm, winning here would not only be a personal triumph but a significant statement for the LIV Golf circuit during a major championship.

Beyond the Fairway: Settling the Score

It hasn’t all been about the golf for Rahm. The Spaniard has spent as much time in the headlines for his legal battles as his birdies. Ahead of the tournament, attention turned to a settlement regarding fines that Rahm had previously characterized as “extortion.” While Luke Donald has distanced himself from the specifics of the dispute, the resolution of these claims allows Rahm to focus entirely on the trophy. For a player of his intensity, removing off-course distractions is often the final piece of the puzzle before a major run.

The Road to a Third Ring

For Rahm, the stakes are higher than a simple trophy. He is chasing the “Spanish Grand Slam”—the pursuit of the only major title that has yet to travel to the Iberian Peninsula. Having already tasted success at the highest level, including his 2023 U.S. Open victory, the PGA Championship represents the final frontier in his quest for total dominance.

The weekend forecast suggests a tight race. With 43 players separated by only five strokes, the leaderboard is a powder keg. Rahm has spent the last two days playing alongside titans like Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth, and in that trio, the Spaniard was the standout. He has played the role of the champion for 36 holes; now he just needs to do it for 72.

Whether he can bridge the three-shot gap to Smalley and McNealy depends on his ability to avoid the “big number.” At Aronimink, the difference between a trophy and a T20 is often a single missed putt or one errant drive into the thick Philadelphia rough. But if there is any player capable of grinding out a victory in these conditions, it is Jon Rahm.

Next Checkpoint: The third round begins Saturday morning. We will provide live updates on Rahm’s progress and the evolving leaderboard as the cut-makers fight for the title.

Do you think Jon Rahm has the momentum to overcome a three-shot deficit, or will the surprise leaders hold on? Let us know your predictions in the comments below.