Schauffele battles back to make the cut at the PGA Championship, extends streak to 64 tournaments

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Xander Schauffele kept his cut streak alive — barely.

The defending champion shot an even-par 71 on Friday at the PGA Championship to make the cut on the number at 1-over 143, extending his streak to 64 tournaments. He hasn’t missed a cut since the 2022 Masters.

It's the longest since Tiger Woods' 142-event run that started in 1998 and ended in 2005.

It was a nailbiter for sure and Schauffele said he knew he was “in trouble” when he dropped to 3 over for the tournament early in the round. But he holed a chip to save par on the par-5 seventh hole after finding the water, and then made birdie on two of the final seven holes to secure a spot in the field this weekend at Quail Hollow.

“It was hard for me,” Schauffele said. “Some guys made it look really easy there and I thought I was going to be one of this guys. Hopefully those are my bad two rounds of golf and I can shoot something nice and low this weekend."

Masters champion Rory McIlroy also had some drama, making the cut on the number after bogeying 17 and 18.

McIlroy, the third-ranked Schauffele and No. 4 Collin Morikawa were all nine shots behind second-round leader Jhonattan Vegas.

McIlroy didn’t make it easy on himself after missing a short putt on the par-3 17th and then clanking his drive off the roof of a metal concession stand on the left side of the fairway on No. 18. He caught a break when the ball came to rest just feet from the creek, avoiding a potential drop and penalty stroke.

Six of the top 10 players in the world missed the cut — two-time PGA winner Justin Thomas (No. 5), Ludvig Aberg (No. 6), Hideki Matsuyama (No. 7), Russell Henley (No. 8), Sepp Straka (No. 9) and Shane Lowry (No. 10).

Jordan Spieth, who was looking to complete the career Grand Slam with a win this week, missed the cut by a stroke after a 68.

The top 70 players, including ties, made the cut.

Thomas came into the tournament as hot as any player in the field, having finished in the top two in three of his last four tournaments, including a playoff win over Andrew Novak at Harbour Town that snapped a three-year drought. But he bogeyed three of his final four holes to shoot 72, leaving him at 3-over 145.

Aberg was considered one of the favorites coming into the tournament, but shot 75 after an opening 70.

Straka and Lowry both shot 73-71 to finish one shot off the cutline.

Lowry took a costly bogey on the eighth hole when he tried to hit out of a pitch mark and his ball shot off to the right, prompting him to slam his club in the dirt.

Lowry called that bit of bad luck a “kick in the teeth.”

“I feel like I’ve played the last two holes beautifully and gave myself two lovely chances and to be honest,” Lowry said. “I didn’t think I needed to make birdie in the last, I thought 2 over was probably going to be good enough.”

Brooks Koepka shot 75-76 and missed the cut in back-to-back majors in the same year for the first time. He now has gone eight straight majors without a top-10 finish since winning the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill, the longest such streak of his career.

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Ludvig Åberg, of Sweden, waves after making a putt on the ninth hole during the first round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Thursday, May 15, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, chips to the green on the seventh hole during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Friday, May 16, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, celebrates after a birdie on the seventh hole during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Friday, May 16, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Xander Schauffele hits from the bunker on the sixth hole during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Friday, May 16, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Xander Schauffele wipes his face on the sixth hole during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Friday, May 16, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

U.S. President Donald Trump says Iran has proposed negotiations after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic as an ongoing crackdown on demonstrators has led to hundreds of deaths.

Trump said late Sunday that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports mount of increasing deaths and the government continues to arrest protesters.

“The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night.

Iran did not acknowledge Trump’s comments immediately. It has previously warned the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has accurately reported on past unrest in Iran, gave the death toll. It relies on supporters in Iran cross checking information. It said at least 544 people have been killed so far, including 496 protesters and 48 people from the security forces. It said more than 10,600 people also have been detained over the two weeks of protests.

With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.

The Latest:

A witness told the AP that the streets of Tehran empty at the sunset call to prayers each night.

Part of that stems from the fear of getting caught in the crackdown. Police sent the public a text message that warned: “Given the presence of terrorist groups and armed individuals in some gatherings last night and their plans to cause death, and the firm decision to not tolerate any appeasement and to deal decisively with the rioters, families are strongly advised to take care of their youth and teenagers.”

Another text, addressed “Dear parents,” which claimed to come from the intelligence arm of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, also directly warned people not to take part in demonstrations.

The witness spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing crackdown.

—- By Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Iran drew tens of thousands of pro-government demonstrators to the streets Monday in a show of power after nationwide protests challenging the country’s theocracy.

Iranian state television showed images of demonstrators thronging Tehran toward Enghelab Square in the capital.

It called the demonstration an “Iranian uprising against American-Zionist terrorism,” without addressing the underlying anger in the country over the nation’s ailing economy. That sparked the protests over two weeks ago.

State television aired images of such demonstrations around the country, trying to signal it had overcome the protests, as claimed by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi earlier in the day.

China says it opposes the use of force in international relations and expressed hope the Iranian government and people are “able to overcome the current difficulties and maintain national stability.”

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Monday that Beijing “always opposes interference in other countries’ internal affairs, maintains that the sovereignty and security of all countries should be fully protected under international law, and opposes the use or threat of use of force in international relations.”

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned “in the strongest terms the violence that the leadership in Iran is directing against its own people.”

He said it was a sign of weakness rather than strength, adding that “this violence must end.”

Merz said during a visit to India that the demonstrators deserve “the greatest respect” for the courage with which “they are resisting the disproportional, brutal violence of Iranian security forces.”

He said: “I call on the Iranian leadership to protect its population rather than threatening it.”

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman on Monday suggested that a channel remained open with the United States.

Esmail Baghaei made the comment during a news conference in Tehran.

“It is open and whenever needed, through that channel, the necessary messages are exchanged,” he said.

However, Baghaei said such talks needed to be “based on the acceptance of mutual interests and concerns, not a negotiation that is one-sided, unilateral and based on dictation.”

The semiofficial Fars news agency in Iran, which is close to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, on Monday began calling out Iranian celebrities and leaders on social media who have expressed support for the protests over the past two weeks, especially before the internet was shut down.

The threat comes as writers and other cultural leaders were targeted even before protests. The news agency highlighted specific celebrities who posted in solidarity with the protesters and scolded them for not condemning vandalism and destruction to public property or the deaths of security forces killed during clashes. The news agency accused those celebrities and leaders of inciting riots by expressing their support.

Canada said it “stands with the brave people of Iran” in a statement on social media that strongly condemned the killing of protesters during widespread protests that have rocked the country over the past two weeks.

“The Iranian regime must halt its horrific repression and intimidation and respect the human rights of its citizens,” Canada’s government said on Monday.

Iran’s foreign minister claimed Monday that “the situation has come under total control” after a bloody crackdown on nationwide protests in the country.

Abbas Araghchi offered no evidence for his claim.

Araghchi spoke to foreign diplomats in Tehran. The Qatar-funded Al Jazeera satellite news network, which has been allowed to work despite the internet being cut off in the country, carried his remarks.

Iran’s foreign minister alleged Monday that nationwide protests in his nation “turned violent and bloody to give an excuse” for U.S. President Donald Trump to intervene.

Abbas Araghchi offered no evidence for his claim, which comes after over 500 have been reported killed by activists -- the vast majority coming from demonstrators.

Araghchi spoke to foreign diplomats in Tehran. The Qatar-funded Al Jazeera satellite news network, which has been allowed to work despite the internet being cut off in the country, carried his remarks.

Iran has summoned the British ambassador over protesters twice taking down the Iranian flag at their embassy in London.

Iranian state television also said Monday that it complained about “certain terrorist organization that, under the guise of media, spread lies and promote violence and terrorism.” The United Kingdom is home to offices of the BBC’s Persian service and Iran International, both which long have been targeted by Iran.

A huge crowd of demonstrators, some waving the flag of Iran, gathered Sunday afternoon along Veteran Avenue in LA’s Westwood neighborhood to protest against the Iranian government. Police eventually issued a dispersal order, and by early evening only about a hundred protesters were still in the area, ABC7 reported.

Los Angeles is home to the largest Iranian community outside of Iran.

Los Angeles police responded Sunday after somebody drove a U-Haul box truck down a street crowded with the the demonstrators, causing protesters to scramble out of the way and then run after the speeding vehicle to try to attack the driver. A police statement said one person was hit by the truck but nobody was seriously hurt.

The driver, a man who was not identified, was detained “pending further investigation,” police said in a statement Sunday evening.

Shiite Muslims hold placards and chant slogans during a protest against the U.S. and show solidarity with Iran in Lahore, Pakistan, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)

Activists carrying a photograph of Reza Pahlavi take part in a rally supporting protesters in Iran at Lafayette Park, across from the White House, in Washington, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Activists take part in a rally supporting protesters in Iran at Lafayette Park, across from the White House in Washington, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Protesters burn the Iranian national flag during a rally in support of the nationwide mass demonstrations in Iran against the government in Paris, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)