By Frank Pingue
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Reuters) – Leading a major may be unchartered territory for Jhonattan Vegas but the Venezuelan is not intimidated by the prospect of heading into the weekend in search of what would be a career-defining victory.
Vegas is a four-times winner on the PGA Tour but the world number 70 has a dismal history in the majors and was not at all in the conversation in the build-up to the PGA Championship.
“This is kind of what we put all those hours for. You put all those hours to give yourself chances like this,” Vegas said after one-under-par 70 left him with a two-shot lead at the midway point of the year’s second major.
“Unfortunately I haven’t been able to do it throughout my career, but like I said, you never know. You got to keep the pedal down, keep your head down and keep working hard. You never know when things are going to turn your way,” Vegas said.
Vegas is just the fourth player ranked 50 or higher in the world to hold the outright lead at the end of each of the first two rounds of a major championship.
With rounds of 64-70 this week, Vegas also has consecutive under-par rounds for first time in his 17 major championship starts.
Coming into this week, Vegas had missed the cut in 10 of his 16 career major appearances, including at last month’s Masters where the 40-year-old was making his first start in one of golf’s blue-ribbon events since 2022.
“It’s definitely been annoying. It’s been very, very annoying, especially knowing I have the game to compete in these big events. I feel like my game is very complete, but I just haven’t been able to put it all together in a major,” Vegas said.
“I’ve been patient enough to not really get too down on myself for not playing well at majors. I’ve played good at The Players. I’ve played good at some good, big tournaments, but never a major, right?” Vegas added.
“It’s just kind of one of those things that you’ve just got to keep learning about yourself and what it takes to play good here. … Unfortunately, it’s taking me a little bit longer than usual, but I’m glad that I’m in this position right now,” Vegas said.
After sleeping on a two-shot lead following the first round, Vegas returned to Quail Hollow early on Friday and overcame a shaky start before grabbing control of all aspects of his game and reaching the closing par-four 18th hole four shots clear.
But Vegas, from the middle of the last fairway, sent his approach shot into a greenside bunker, watched helplessly as his third shot rolled off the green from where he chipped it close and then missed a pair of short putts for a double-bogey.
Vegas opted to focus on the good, of which there was plenty in his second round.
“It’s easy to hang your head on that, but there were way too many things to keep fresh in the mind,” Vegas said. “Even though it’s never easy to give two shots away right at the end, a lot of golf left, so got to keep remembering the good stuff.”
(Reporting by Frank Pingue; Editing by Will Dunham)
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