The opening round of the US PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club produced a congested leaderboard, with seven players tied for the lead at three-under-par 67. Among them is world number one Scottie Scheffler, who is seeking his second major title. The logjam at the top set a record for a major championship, with 42 players within three shots of the lead and a third of the field within striking distance. Sixteen major winners are in contention, including Scheffler, who looms as a formidable threat.
A Day of Struggle for Some Stars
Rory McIlroy endured a disastrous finish, carding four straight bogeys on his last four holes to end at four-over 74. It was the first time in his major career he has closed with four consecutive bogeys. Asked to sum up his round, McIlroy offered a single-word verdict: "Shit." He admitted he misjudged the course strategy, saying after his opening drive landed in deep rough, "That lie was as bad as I've seen."
Bryson DeChambeau also struggled, shooting six-over 76. His round included an iron shot that hit a grandstand, another that landed on porch steps, and a 30-foot putt that rolled 60 feet past the hole. DeChambeau, who recently prioritized growing his YouTube following, may now have to translate "another missed cut" into Mandarin Chinese for his international audience.
Other Notable Performances
Jordan Spieth and Jon Rahm managed to scramble to one-under, joining a thicket of players including Brooks Koepka, Jason Day, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas, and Cam Smith. Smith recently parted ways with his childhood coach after missing the cut in his last six majors. Xander Schauffele and Patrick Reed are one shot ahead at two-under.
The slow pace of play was a major complaint, with rounds taking five and a half hours. Nicolai Høgaard, among those at one-under, remarked, "The pace of play was incredibly slow."
Record-Breaking Congestion
The seven-way tie for the lead includes Aldrich Potgieter, Stephan Jaeger, Min Woo Lee, Ryo Hisatsune, Martin Kaymer, and Alex Smalley alongside Scheffler. The course, which last hosted a major in 1962, features canted fairways and cambered greens, making it a challenging test. Players described it as tilting over the ball like on a listing ship.
Garrick Higgo received a two-shot penalty for arriving 30 seconds late to the first tee but still shot 69. The tournament remains wide open as the second round approaches.
