To kick off his week at the 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club on Thursday afternoon, Jhonattan Vegas made a little golf history, firing an impressive 7-under round of 64 to become the first Venezuelan to lead any round of any of the four modern major championships.
Holding a two-shot lead over Cam Davis and Ryan Gerard after Round 1, the 40-year-old didn't play nearly as well during Friday's second round but did just enough to reach red figures—he got a little help from a well-placed rake—firing a 1-under 70 to get to 8-under at the midway point, thus securing a two-shot advantage over Matt Fitzpatrick, Si Woo Kim, and Matthieu Pavon heading into the final 36 holes.
As such, Vegas has now become just the 10th player since 1934—the year The Masters was first played—to hold the outright lead after both Rounds 1 and 2 of a major championship at age 40 or older, which is great.
What isn't so great for the four-time PGA Tour winner is that of the previous nine, only one went on to win.
Jhonattan Vegas can join Ben Hogan in an exclusive club with a win at the PGA Championship
Before Vegas at Quail Hollow, here are the nine others aged 40 and up who held the outright lead in the first two rounds of a major. Technically, it's only eight players, but Justin Rose accomplished the feat twice at Augusta. But here's a look at the nine instances:
- Fred Daly (40): The Open Championship, 1952
- Ben Hogan (40): U.S. Open, 1953
- Gene Littler (47): PGA Championship, 1977
- Gil Morgan (45): U.S. Open, 1992
- Greg Norman (41): The Masters, 1996
- Payne Stewart (41): U.S. Open, 1998
- Phil Mickelson (46): The Open Championship, 2016
- Justin Rose (40): The Masters, 2021
- Justin Rose (44): The Masters, 2025
Of these nine, the only one to emerge victorious was Ben Hogan at the 1953 U.S. Open at Oakmont, which is actually where this year's edition of America's national championship will be contested.
Hogan, who turned 40 roughly 10 months ahead of this tournament, held a three-shot lead after Round 1 after opening with a 5-under 67 and owned a two-shot advantage at the midway point following an even-par 72 in Round 2.
Sam Snead got to within one after 54 holes, but Hogan ultimately won by six and was the only player in the field to finish in red figures at 5-under. Snead finished in solo second at 1-over.
So, that's the history Vegas, who has never finished in the top 20 of a major, is working with at the PGA Championship.