PGA Championship: Xander Schauffele leads after historic start by Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy close behind | Golf

Xander Schauffele currently leads by three shots after making history in the first round of the PGA Championship, with pre-tournament favorites Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy (Rory McIlroy) is off to a strong start as well.

Schauffele, the Wells Fargo Championship runner-up last week, had nine birdies in a stunning bogey-free run at Valhalla Golf Club, recording the first 62-round score in PGA Championship history, also for a man. The fourth result in a major championship.

The U.S. never came close to the daunting club target of 9-under in Thursday’s low-round score, with Tony Finau and Sahith Theegala tied for third Two, 6 under, with McIlroy further behind.

McIlroy shot a 5-under 66 to start his quest for a three-game winning streak and an elusive fifth major title, just as he did when he won the 2014 PGA Championship at this venue , with Scheffler chasing a fifth win in six games.

Brooks Koepka opened his title defense with a 4-under 67 to tie Scheffler with Jon Rahm in the final six holes Four birdies salvaged an incredible first-round 70, while Tiger Woods – the former winner at Valhalla in 2000 – was 10 shots shy of bogey-bogey Speed ​​after finishing the race.

A historic day at Valhalla

Schauffele started on the back nine and made birdies on the 11th and 13th holes. Starting on the 15th hole, he made three more birdies in four holes and finally won. A 31 going into the turn and then a shot on the par-4 second hole to extend the lead.

Back-to-back birdies on the fourth hole and another on the par-5 seventh pushed Schauffele to 9 under, adding the first 61 in men’s major championship history. odds, and the American still tied his lowest major score in history – compared to par – despite consecutive par finishes.

It was Schauffele’s second 62 in a major in as many years, after he and Ricky Fowler did it at the U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club and Brendan G. Lace achieved this result in the 2017 Open.

“I think not winning makes you want to win more, even though it’s weird,” said Schauffele, who last won at the 2022 Genesis Scottish Open. “At least for me, I reacted to it by wanting it more and more, which made me want to go harder.”

Finau started the week bogey-free and is tied for second with Sigala, who birdied each of his final three holes, while McIlroy had three birdies on his way , including a chip shot on the sixth hole.

Scot Robert McIntyre, two-time major champion Collin Morikawa, Tom King and Thomas Detry also rounded out the group at five under, while Scheffler Hitting the ball directly from the fairway, he made the first eagle on the par-4 hole and could become Schauffele’s closest challenger.

Scheffler, making his first appearance since the birth of his son last week, had four birdies and two bogeys the rest of the round, while Koepka had a 35-foot birdie late in the round. , catching up with the eagle and ranking first in the world.

“I’m not really going to worry about trying to shoot nine under,” Scheffler said. “I’m just going to go out and try to hit good shots and play my game. I want to correct some mistakes. I missed two putts that I felt I should have holed today, but that’s it when the greens were chewed up a little bit. will happen.

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Former major champions Cameron Smith and Bryson DeChambeau are among a 3-under group that includes FedEx Cup champion Viktor Hovland, two-time PGA champion Justin Thomas and major slam hopefuls Jordan Spieth shot 69 along with Matt Fitzpatrick and Sean Lowry.

Rahm recovered from four bogeys in the first six holes to birdie his fourth in the final six holes to finish under par as U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark stuttered to a 71 pole, Ludwig Aberg joined Brian Harman and Woods to end the day with one over.

“I had trouble with the speed on the greens today,” Woods said. Tell Sky Sports. “It was a real grind. I should have been under par that day but I was over par and we still have a long way to go.

“This is a big boy golf course. It’s getting longer, or maybe I’m just getting shorter!”

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