Lee is joined at the top of the leaderboard by world No.1 Scottie Scheffler and South African Aldrich Potgieter, who spent much his childhood in Perth as well as Japan\u2019s Ryo Hisatsune and Germany\u2019s Stephan Jaeger and Martin Kaymer.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776909012_441_poster-fallback.png\"\/)
<\/p>\n
Australian duo Jason Day and Cameron Smith also made strong starts with the major champions shooting one-under par 69s.<\/p>\n
Adam Scott started strongly but three straight bogeys on his back nine saw the veteran Australian finish at two over.<\/p>\n
AUSSIES IN THE FIELD<\/p>\n
T1. Min Woo Lee -3<\/p>\n
T15. Jason Day -1<\/p>\n
T15. Cameron Smith -1<\/p>\n
T68. Elvis Smylie +2<\/p>\n
T68. Adam Scott +2<\/p>\n
T105. Travis Smyth +4<\/p>\n
Smith recently made the big decision to change swing coaches<\/a>, moving away from long-time, Australian-based mentor Grant Field in a bid to snap his streak of six straight missed cuts in majors.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s been playing on my mind for a little bit,\u201d Smith told the LIV Golf website<\/a> of the missed cut streak. \u201cIt\u2019s not really the goal but absolutely I want to be in contention on the weekend in majors again. It\u2019s been a while. That\u2019s what sparked all this change.\u201d<\/p>\n He added: \u201cI feel like I\u2019ve been working hard for a long time, and I haven\u2019t been getting results,\u201d Smith said. \u201cThat\u2019s frustrating. You do everything you can. Grant\u2019s still a great mate of mine, but I had to do something else. I had to get a different voice in my head. Had to do something different.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not like we\u2019re reinventing the wheel. It\u2019s just getting some simple thoughts and going out there and playing. I feel like I\u2019m hitting a lot of nice shots. So far so good.\u201d<\/p>\n The 2022 Open champion\u2019s wayward driver has been a cause for concern across the last two years, but he tided that up by hitting nine of 14 fairways in his opening round.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t remember the last time I hit nine fairways,\u201d Smith said. \u201cIt\u2019s nice. There\u2019s still some angst on some awkward shots, but I feel like I can swing a little bit freer and actually hit a shot. So, we\u2019re getting somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n LEADERBOARD: Live scores from the PGA Championship<\/a><\/p>\n Cameron Smith of Australia acknowledges the crowd on the tenth green during the first round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n Elsewhere, it was a tough opening for some of the game\u2019s biggest names with Rory McIlroy closing his round of 74 with four bogeys in a row.<\/p>\n \u201cS***\u201d was the only way the Masters champion was able to describe his day as Bryson DeChambeau found the going even harder – the LIV star shot 76 with five bogeys and a double bogey.<\/p>\n His nightmare opening round included an interesting moment with a rules official.<\/p>\n The LIV star missed the second fairway, which doglegs to left, a long way right and his ball ended up on some steps that lead up to a grandstand.<\/p>\n DeChambeau then had back-and-forth with a rules official to figure out where he could take relief, and could be hearing saying: \u201cI am so confused right now.\u201d <\/p>\n Cameron Smith had a similar experience on the 18th, his ninth hole of the day, when he pulled his drive next to the ESPN broadcast booth and was forced to move wires and take relief from the temporary structure to play his second shot.<\/p>\n Lee, a back-nine starter, birdied the fifth and seventh to briefly lead alone before a bogey at the eighth.<\/p>\n The 27-year-old carded five birdies for the day with his highly-regarded driving and short game on point – sitting in the top six in the rankings from stroke gained off the tee and around the green.<\/p>\n \u201cPlayed great. Drove the ball really well. I think every major you have to, but especially this course, the rough is pretty juicy, and you don\u2019t want to attack the greens over in the rough just because you can get some flyers or you can get some lies that sit down,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cSo drove it really well and pretty happy with that side of the game. I thought I played pretty solid all day, didn\u2019t get myself in too much trouble. There\u2019s tough holes out there,<\/p>\n of course, but yeah, played really well.\u201d<\/p>\n MORE FROM THE PGA CHAMPIONSHIP<\/p>\n \ufeff\u2018On time, but late\u2019: Star cops brutal penalty late as \u2018Gen Z\u2019 explanation debated<\/a><\/p>\n \ufeff\u2018You screwed up\u2019: Inside golf\u2019s \u2018nasty\u2019 LIV reunion… and why stars could demand blood<\/a><\/p>\n Min Woo Lee of Australia plays his shot from the 14th tee during the first round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club.Source: AFP<\/p>\n Kaufman dissects ‘diabolical’ hole 11 | 05:38<\/p>\n