Following a blistering 65 on a challenging day at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Will Zalatoris holds a one-shot lead at -9 after the first two rounds of the 2022 PGA Championship.
Mito Pereira of Chile is one shot behind at -8, with the 2017 PGA Champion Justin Thomas three shots adrift at -6. Right now at DraftKings Sportsbook Zalatoris is the favorite at +210 to take home the Wanamaker Trophy. Thomas is set at +320, with Pereira at +500.
For Zalatoris, his first PGA Tour win coming in a major might be appropriate. The former Wake Forest Demon Deacon has finished second in sanctioned events twice, including at the 2021 Masters. With 13 career Top 10 finishes, including five this season, there is plenty of experience in being in contention at the top of the leaderboard.
Pereira is in the same boat as he’s never won a Tour event either, much less a major. But in two seasons with a Tour card he’s got three Top 10’s, including a third at Fortinet Championship last September. He’s picked up a Top 30 in his last four events as well, not counting a withdrawal in New Orleans a month ago.
Thomas has won 14 times on Tour, and has six second-place finishes as well. The former Alabama Crimson Tide player has eight Top 10’s in his last 12 starts, and despite being three shots adrift, he’ll understand the pressure of the next two days better than his fellow competitors.