Jhonattan Vegas enjoying surprising ride atop the PGA Championship leaderboard

CHARLOTTE, N.C.— Jhonattan Vegas is in unfamiliar territory: In position to win a major championship.Entering this week’s PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, Vegas had played 16 career majors and missed the cut 10 times without posting a single top-20 finish.Now, after two rounds of this PGA, he leads the tournament at 8-under par after shooting a 1-under-par 70 on Friday. That, at the time Vegas finished his round, was good for a two-shot lead over Frenchman Matthieu Pavon, who’s 6-under par.The 40-year-old Vegas, a four-time winner on the PGA Tour, held the lead after the first round, becoming the first Venezuelan player ever to hold the lead after any round in a major championship.Vegas said leading the major “means a lot,’’ adding, “This is kind of what we put all those hours for.

You put all those hours to give yourself chances like this.Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to do it throughout my career, but you never know. “You’ve 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.I know I have the game to compete in these big events.

I’ve just got to do what I do, and good things could happen.’’Vegas cruised into the 18th hole with a four-shot lead and took a messy double bogey even after hitting his tee shot onto the fairway.It was the only real blemish on his otherwise stellar round.“It was a great day,’’ Vegas said.

“I can’t really get too down on myself for the double on 18, even though I wish I didn’t take that. I managed game really well on a tough day for me. Every chance you get to lead a major and play with the lead is never easy.I feel proud of a solid round today.“I’ve got to remember all the good stuff and repeat it the next two days,’’ Vegas went on.

“Our brains like to scramble and go places that don’t take you to good places.It’s cliché, but we do so much training on taking one shot at time for moments like this....