Bryson DeChambeau would have been wanting to make a statement walking onto the first tee at the PGA Championship – the first major since his future was thrown into limbo by confirmation LIV Golf‘s funding would dry up at the end of the season.
And a statement he made – just not the one he would have been hoping for.
DeChambeau, a two-time US Open champion, was a disaster in his opening round at Aronimink Golf Club and shot a 6-over 76, about six weeks after Amen Corner put him through the wringer again at The Masters.
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On the par-4 second, his 11th hole of the day, he sprayed his tee shot way right of the fairway and it ended up on the stairs of a hospitality tent.
DeChambeau wasn’t sure how to play that shot, and told officials, “I’m so confused right now”.
He was eventually granted relief from the ‘temporary object’ – a somewhat controversial decision in itself – and he was allowed to take a free drop. From the dirt at the base of the stairs, he played his second shot to the middle of the green and made a two-putt par.
Six holes later, DeChambeau flubbed a pitch from the rough so badly the ball landed short of the green and rolled right back to his feet on the closely mown area around the putting surface.
His initials stamped into his yardage book seemed to sum up DeChambeau’s day – B.A.D. He is on the brink of missing the cut of his second straight major following his breakdown at the Masters.
DeChambeau had a shocker during the first round of the PGA Championship. Getty
This 76 is his worst score to par ever in the PGA Championship. This is the fifth time he shot 4-over or higher in the first round of a major. He made the cut in two instances, the 2018 US Open and 2021 Masters.
His round over, DeChambeau headed straight to the scoring tent, and he then stormed through the parking lot and to the driving range.
DeChambeau pounded ball after ball, stopping after most shots to review his form on the mobile phone video shot by a member of his team. He did not speak to the media.
Going into the weekend, there was a widely-held fear the wide-open nature of Aronimink would lead to some drastically low scores. Scores after the first round suggest those fears were wide of the mark.
Scottie Scheffler is one of seven players in a tie for the lead at 3-under. PGA of America via Getty Images
Seven players ended the day in a tie for the lead at 3-under – among them world No.1 Scottie Scheffler and Aussie Min Woo Lee.
Of note, despite the chilly morning temperatures in the US north-east, five of those seven leaders played in the morning – only Scheffler and German Martin Kaymer bucked the trend.
Xander Schauffele, who set the major championship scoring record in the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla with a 21-under 263, opened with a 68 and was pleased.
He said the higher scores were due to “really, really thick rough”, coupled with wind, “really difficult greens” and tucked pin locations.
After missing the cut at the Masters, Min Woo Lee is also in a share of the lead after the first round. Getty
Rory McIlroy struggled out of the damp, dense rough. He struggled on the greens. He closed with four straight bogeys and described his round in one word: “Shit”.
Some overnight rain only dampened the course, but did little to soften it. And the greens on this Donald Ross original design lived up to the fears with its massive undulations.
The first players onto the course were greeted with calm conditions. By mid-morning, much of the cloud had burnt off, the sun broke through and the winds picked up.
Garrick Higgo had the worst start imaginable — a late one. The South African was seconds late getting to the first tee when his group was announced. He was assessed a two-shot penalty before he even hit his opening drive. It cost him a share of the lead.
The second round continues on Friday night (AEST), with the first groups to tee off at 8.45pm.
PGA Championship 2026 leaderboardPosPlayerScoreT1Aldrich Potgieter-3T1Stephan Jäger-3T1Min Woo Lee (AUS)-3T1Ryo Hisatsune-3T1Martin Kaymer-3T1Scottie Scheffler-3T1Alex Smalley-3T8Daniel Brown-2T8Sahith Theegala-2T8Max Greyserman-2T8Xander Schauffele-2T8Corey Conners-2T8Patrick Reed-2T8Shane Lowry-2AUSTRALIANST15Jason Day-1T15Cameron Smith-1T67Elvis Smylie+2T67Adam Scott+2T105Travis Smyth+4
Projected cut (top-70 and ties): +3.