Australian Min Woo Lee seized a share of the lead in Thursday’s opening round of the PGA Championship while Rory McIlroy was frustrated after a miserable start.

South African Aldrich Potgieter, top-ranked defending champion Scottie Scheffler, Japan’s Ryo Hisatsune and Germany’s Stephan Jaeger each fired a three-under par 69 to share the early clubhouse lead on a wild day at Aronimink.

On the course at three-under were two-time PGA winner Justin Thomas of the United States, Canada’s Corey Conners and Scheffler, who made a 38-foot birdie putt at the seventh hole, a 28-foot birdie putt at the 10th and curled in another from just inside nine feet at 11 to share the lead.

“Drove the ball really well,” Lee said. “I played pretty solid all day, didn’t get myself in too much trouble.”

Second-ranked Masters champion McIlroy had no problems with his blister-hit right foot but plenty with his golf swing.

McIlroy, a back-nine starter, closed a round of 74 with four bogeys in a row and five in his last six holes.

“I’m just not driving the ball well enough,” McIlroy said. “It has been a problem all year for the most part.

“That’s pretty frustrating, especially when I pride myself on driving the ball well. I just need to try to figure it out. I honestly thought I had figured it out.”

Aussie LIV Golf star Cameron Smith appears on track to break his horror run of missed cuts in majors, he is sitting two shots off the early leaders tied for 16th at one-under-par with fellow Aussie Jason Day.

Smith has missed six consecutive cuts in majors, dating back to 2024 and including the US Masters last month at Augusta.

But an up and down round of five birdies and four bogeys had the former world No.2 sign for a 69 and give himself hope of reaching the weekend.

– ‘Phenomenal shot’ –

Others on 69 included five-time major winner Brooks Koepka, two-time major winner Jon Rahm and South African Garrick Higgo, issued a two-stroke penalty for being late to the first tee.

“I wouldn’t have been late if I knew I was running late,” Higgo said. Spain’s Rahm holed out from the fairway for eagle with a wedge from 101 yards at the second hole.

“What can I say? It was a phenomenal shot,” Rahm said.

Two-time major winner Bryson DeChambeau fired a 76 with five bogeys and a double bogey.