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After his wild tee-shot at the par-3 14th, Thomas needs two more attempts to find the green. Even then, he’s still nearly 40 feet away so is staring double bogey in the face. But JT has a special relationship with this event – he’s won it twice, his ‘only’ two major wins – and avoids the big number by draining his putt from downtown. Far less dramatic so far for Matt Fitzpatrick, who has made 14 straight pars.
Sky showing Rory McIlroy trying to work something out on the range. Meanwhile, back on the course, Scottie Scheffler again plays a smart, no-risk approach shot at 13, avoiding trouble and finding the heart of the green. He knocks his 35-footer to kick-in range. Par. T1.
Justin Thomas, one of the joint-leaders, gets hot under the collar. He hoicks his tee-shot way left at the long par-3 14th – his ball almost ending in the grandstand – and angrily spears the offending iron into the turf. It bounces away, performing a triple lutz before resting near a microphone. Will he get a telling off after the round? Maybe, but I don’t think Pete Townshend has much to worry about.
Scheffler does the sensible thing at 12. It’s a medium-tough hole, playing a tad over par. Scottie finds the fairway again, hits an approach to just inside 50 feet and takes two putts to remain tied for the lead. The 13th is a shorter par 4 so he’ll be able to go in with something like a 9-iron. Once more, he’ll be doing so from the fairway. Aronimink is a much more straightforward test if you’re constantly hitting from short grass.
Updated at 17.54 EDT
I claimed earlier that two Germans had never been tied for the lead at a major. But, get this, that unofficial record could now extend to three as Matti Schmid is now just one off the lead. True, Martin Kaymer is also one back after a bogey but he and Schmid both have holes to play and could join Stephan Jaeger at the top again. Now just checking if Bernhard Langer is in the field.
Scottie Scheffler ties for the lead! A fourth birdie in six holes for the defending champ as he adds another circle to his scorecard at 11. This one comes on a short par 4 so he’s able to get closer to the pin this time after yet again finding the fairway. His wedge from 99 yards plonks down just over eight feet away and such putts are now meat and drink to the World No.1. It’s a seven-way tie again.
-3: Potgieter (F), Jaeger (F), Lee (F), Hisatsune (F), Conners (14), Thomas (11), Scheffler (11)
Often in majors, you need to be right up there from the start. Take the US Masters where six of the last seven winners were in the top three after 18 holes. But here at the US PGA, there is some wriggle room if you don’t hit the ground running.
Winners and where they stood after R1
2025 Scottie Scheffler: 20th and five back
2023 Brooks Koepka: 38th and six back
2020 Collin Morikawa: 33rd and four back
2018 Brooks Koepka: 33rd and five back
2017 Justin Thomas: 44th and six back
This is good news for those who are at +1, +2 and +3, a bunch which includes Ludvig Aberg, Tyrrell Hatton (both +2).
Scottie Scheffler’s putter is on fire! At the par-4 10th, he hits a careful tee-shot, a sensible approach to 28 feet and then drains the putt for birdie, his ball just catching enough of the hole to do a little twirl and drop. That seems to be his strategy today. No risks tee to green and ride a hot putter. It’s working as the World No.1 is now just a shot off the lead.
Here’s Jon Rahm’s theory on why scoring is tough. He fired a pleasing 1-under 69 but that included a hole-out eagle and a chip-in.
double quotation markIf you just go by some of the numbers, some of the fairways are wide, the greens aren’t crazy firm. But a lot of those fairways are sloped in a way that they play very narrow. Like 15 today, I thought I was going to be in the fairway undoubtedly, and I was off the fairway. Same on 10, same on 4. It can easily roll off.
I can see how in appearance it might be easier, but it’s not. You need to play really good golf to shoot lower than 3-under. And then on top of that, those pin locations today are good ones. I mean, they’re tucked. They’re not easy.
There was somebody earlier in the week where there was some chatter where people thought 15- to 20-under was going to win… if the golf course stays like this and it keeps firming up, yeah, obviously it’s not going to be anything like that.
No movements at the very top of the leaderboard. Justin Thomas stays tied for first place with a solid two-putt par at 10. A rung below, major winners Patrick Reed and Shane Lowry have pulled to within a shot.
-3: Potgieter (F), Jaeger (F), Lee (F), Hisatsune (F), Kaymer (14*), Thomas (10)
-2: Brown (F), Theegala (F), Greyserman (F), Schauffele (F), Conners (12), Reed (12*), Lowry (11), Stevens (9*), Smalley (8)
Simon McMahon emails.
“Evening David. Golf pro names have always been a source of fascination for me. Your mention of the PGA club pros took me back to my Sega Mega Drive days and the likes of Joey Sindelar, Brandt Snedeker, Chip Beck, Bob Tway, Lanny Wadkins, Fuzzy Zoeller to name but a few. Maurice Flitcroft and his aliases may well have been in there too?”
Yes, I can recall those on-screen messages saying that Joey Sindelar has made birdie at the 13th. Or Bruce Lietzke has eagled the 7th at TPC Avenel.
Then again, if you weren’t following last week’s golf action, Simon, Brandt Snedeker (now 45) actually won the PGA Tour’s Myrtle Beach Classic. I know that because it flashed up on my Commodore 64.
Updated at 17.00 EDT
At least he’s honest. Rory McIlroy is asked how he would describe his opening round 74. In a theatrical move, he leans into the mic, says “shit” and turns his head away again.
He opens up a little more when probed further.
double quotation markI’m just not driving the ball well enough. It’s been a problem all year for the most part.
I’ve sort of got, like I miss it right, and then I want to try to correct it. And then I’ll overdo it, and I’ll miss it left.
It’s a little bit of back and forth that way. So that’s pretty frustrating, especially when like I pride myself on driving the ball well.
The stats back it up. He’s currently ranking 118th for Strokes Gained: Off The Tee. There does seem to be some recency bias in his answer though. Check out the season-long Off The Tee charts and Rory ranks 1st.
An email. Kim Thonger (another club pro surname contender) gets in touch with a theory on why no-one can get beyond 3-under.
“Watching the round develop I feel sure that the failure of the entire field to deliver a really low score is simply because none of them are deploying an 11 wood. My regular golfing partner ridiculed mine when I started using it this year, but he’s had to admit that it produces remarkable results. I’m so pleased with it I’m now thinking of ordering a 13, 15 and 17 wood from an American bespoke manufacturer of such weapons. It does occasionally let me down, yesterday I pulled my drive slightly on the 158 yard par 3 18th at Saffron Walden and it bounced heavily into the thankfully toughened glass of the clubhouse French doors. A couple of members were roused from their afternoon nap, I know because they gesticulated to that effect in unison, but nobody died. Anyway, such clubs are the future. I urge the top players to experiment.”
Playing partners Cam Young and Keegan Bradley have come dressed the same today. Not sure who is the David Brent to the Neil Godwin. Is Young trying to impress his Ryder Cup captain or is Bradley trying to show he’s as cool as the massively in-form World No.3. Regardless, both look the part in their Sergio Georgini outfits and both are going on along pretty well at even par after 8 holes.
Can Scheffler make it three birdies on the spin? It’s a tough ask on the 245-yard par-3 8th which is averaging more than half a stroke over par so far today. Scheffler looks set to make that average climb as he finds sand and can only splash out to 14 feet. But, once again, the putter trumps what came before it and he pours in the par attempt to remain at -1.
Should the US PGA really still persist with 20 club pros? Michael Block is the best advert after his 15th place at Oak Hill in 2023 and he’s flying the flag for them again here: -1 after 14. Plus, they often have surnames you’ve never seen in any other walk of life. In the field this week we have Garrett Sapp, Jesse Droemer, Michael Kartrude and Braden Shattuck. Is this actually an in-joke by the PGA of America? Perhaps these guys are really called Bill Smith and Dan Johnson and they just allocate them a daft name for the week. Sort of a strange nod to Maurice Flitcrfoft entering the Open as Gene Paycheki, Arnold Palmtree and Count Manfred von Hoffmanstel.
Shane Lowry eagles in big events usually come in the form of hole-in-ones. He’s had two at Augusta and one each at Sawgrass and Pebble Beach. But here he does it in more conventional style after chipping across the par-5 9th green and, from 100 feet away, watching his ball track towards the hole and drop. The clenched fist marks a notable move from +1 to -1.
Get in. Photograph: Carl Recine/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 16.25 EDT
Is this the first time two Germans have ever held the joint-lead in a major? Surely it’s a ja. Martin Kaymer, the 2010 US PGA winner, joins Stephan Jaeger in T1 with a birdie at 2, his 11th. It’s a seven-way tie at the top and Scheffler and Players Championship winner Cam Young are just two back. Official leaderboard status: ‘bunched’.
Scottie Scheffler is on the move! The World No.1 finds the fairway at 7 and then plays what seems a fairly average approach to just inside 40 feet. But there’s nothing ho-hum about the putt as he knocks it into the back of the hole for a second straight birdie. From +1 to -1 in no time. Looking at his in-play Strokes Gained stats, Scheffler is only 107th for Approach so he’ll need to sharpen those irons ups. But as well as the putter looking hot, he’s hit every fairway so far.
Jordan Spieth’s annual bid to complete the Grand Slam has started well thanks to a 1-under 69. Spieth banked the first three legs in a golden stretch between 2015 and 2017 but this one has remained elusive. Is this the week? Here’s what he said.
double quotation markI struck the ball well. I drove it really well. I was in a good position on a lot of holes. If I drive it like that, I’d expect to shoot what I did or better. Just didn’t quite finish the way I wanted to the last three holes, but under-par was a good score.
It was blowing really hard, and it was cold this morning. The course played very, very difficult. It was a good start. I’m going to need to improve on it, I think, each day.
I’ll go try to tighten a couple things up that got off at the end of the day and just go out there tomorrow and try to make a few more putts.
An elongated bray of the lips from Justin Thomas. At 7 he finds the green but has no path to the hole. An aerial route is needed so he chips over a grassy mound and lets the ball run out, his dink ending 12 feet away. But in goes the putt and JT, a two-time winner of this event, remains just one back at -2.
The lead has swelled to six. Akshay Bhatia birdies 11 while fellow American Alex Smalley has picked up shots at 2, 4 and 5. Let’s see the leaderboard.
-3: Potgieter (F), Jaeger (F), Lee (F), Hisatsune (F), Bhatia (11), Smalley (5)
-2: Brown (F), Theegala (F), Greyserman (F), Schauffele (F), Putnam (10*), Kaymer (10*), Thomas (6*)
Rose’s tee-shot at 6 wedges between the roots at the stump of a tree and he’s forced to take a penalty drop. That’s not good news for the Englishman whose move to McLaren irons has prompted plenty of furrowed brows. Rose is at +1 but Scottie Scheffler is now back to even par after stroking in an eight-footer at 6.
Justin Rose looks stumped. Photograph: Michael Reaves/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 16.34 EDT
A few quotes from the 2024 US PGA champion, Xander Schauffele. The Valhalla winner has finished in the top 10 in 18 of his 35 majors – a remarkable record. He’s on track for another, and perhaps even a second Wanamaker Trophy, after firing a 2-under 68 earlier. That’s currently just one off the lead.
double quotation markIt’s always nervy playing in a major, so nice to get off to a good start for sure. I made three birdies in the first four holes and was feeling pretty good.
Then started to play a lot worse golf for the next six holes. Then got a little bit better again. So I got the full experience today.
“It’s blowing out here now,” says Sky’s man on the ground, Wayne Riley. Scottie Scheffler wears a fairly tight pant so it’s hard to see much trouser flapping on him. For that, we need Jason Day who likes to wear clothing about five sizes too big for him. Fortunately, he got done before the winds picked up, piecing together a fine 1-under 69. Scheffler, by the way, has just seen a 31-footer for birdie graze the hole at 5 so he stays at +1. Playing partners Matt Fitzpatrick and Justin Rose also make pars, the former showing his mettle by sinking a 10-footer to avoid the dreaded three-putt. Just a note that Rose appears to be battling a stiff back/side. He was filmed earlier doing a series of twists and lunges on the fairway, more medicinal than Rasputin dance-based.
Updated at 15.32 EDT
The wind has picked up a little for the afternoon starters. But Akshay Bhatia continues to bowl along merrily and the lefty birdies the long par-5 9th to turn in 3-under 32. Now for the second nine which measures 150 yards longer than the front – 3,749 yards to 3,600. The finishing stretch is particularly testing. These are the final five holes with difficulty level in brackets: 14th (3), 15th (4), 16th (17), 17th (7th), 18th (5th). The par-5 17th is a good birdie chance puts pars are very acceptable at the others.
Ouch Viktor Hovland. His three-footer for birdie at 6 horseshoes out and he remains at +2. Compatriot Kristoffer Reitan, who scored a superb win in last week’s Truist Championship, finished earlier at +1. Staying in the region, Sweden’s Alex Noren also signed for a 1-over 71 but the best Scandie golf is being played by the Danes. Nicolai Hojgaard, who finished runner-up to Reitan at Quail Hollow last Sunday, came in with a 1-under 69 while Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen is -1 after 6. As for Nicolai’s twin, Rasmus Hojgaard is level par after 11. Oh, and let’s not forget that Ludvig Aberg had to settle for a 2-over 72 earlier.
Harrogate’s finest, John Parry, is one of the big bunch at -1. The Englishman is having a solid first crack as a PGA Tour player after winning his card last year. He’s had four top 20s, with a best of eighth in Puerto Rico. He’s an engaging chap too, like your chirpy, easy-going mate down the pub who comes back to the table with a few bags of crisps to share without being prompted.
Updated at 15.09 EDT
Thanks Scott. Everyone jockeying for position it seems. Will those 67s be beaten? A 67 (Corey Conners) led the way at Kiawah Island in 2021 but since then the pacesetting totals have been 65 (2022), 66 (2023), 62 (2024) and 64 (2025).
… and with that, I’ll hand you back to David Tindall, who will take this baby home. Enjoy the rest of this opening round, and see you again tomorrow!
It’s not quite happening for Scottie Scheffler yet. His second into 3 rolls off the back of the green, inches away from gripping onto the putting surface and spinning back towards the cup. Instead he’s forced to bump a chip close. It’s not far from going in. But he remains at level par. No fast start to what is in theory the easier nine. But then they were predicting a low-scoring bomb-and-gouge riot before anyone actually teed it up, and look how that’s panned out for some of the lads. Theory schmeory.
Scottie Scheffler slaps off a shot from the third tee. Photograph: Michael Reaves/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 15.11 EDT
The 31-year-old North Carolinian Andrew Novak missed the cut on his PGA Championship debut last year. But he’s since made cuts at the US Open and the Open, plus won the mixed Grant Thornton Invitational with Lauren Coughlin, and now he’s going very nicely in his second PGA outing. He’s responded well to bogey at 2, picking up shots at 5, 7 and 9 to hit the turn in 33. The third of those birdies, at the par-five 9th, was this close to becoming an eagle: a fairway wood with a gentle fade into the middle of the green followed by a 20-foot putt that stopped just short. He joins the group at -2.
-3: Potgieter (F), Jaeger (F), Lee (F), Hisatsune (F)
-2: Brown (F), Theegala (F), Greyserman (F), Schauffele (F), Novak (9), Bhatia (8), Kaymer (6*), Campbell (3*)
Cameron Young, who is busy making good on his early promise this season, rattles in a 20-footer on 3. He moves into the red at -1. Meanwhile slow starts for Shane Lowry, Robert MacIntyre and Tommy Fleetwood. They drop strokes at 1, 3 and 3 respectively, and are +1 early in their rounds.
Updated at 14.42 EDT
Remember Michael Block? Of course you do. The club pro from California finished in a tie for 15th at Oak Hill in 2023, the high point a hole-in-one celebrated during the final round with his playing partner Rory McIlroy. Well, he’s back, and despite a month away from turning 50, is playing as well as ever. Three birdies on his card today already, on 10, 13 and 16. though that’s been slightly soured by a double at 12. But only slightly, and he’s currently the only one of the 20 club pros competing this week in red figures. He’s -1 through 17, his first eight holes, and one way or another, we’ll be hearing of him again this week.
Par at the last for Ryo Hisatsune. The 23-year-old Japanese prospect matches the best-of-day 67s by Aldrich Potgieter, Stephan Jaeger and Min Woo Lee. Meanwhile news of last year’s Ryder Cup captains: par for Keegan Bradley at 1, but birdies on 5 and 6 for Luke Donald! The former was reward for one of the shots of the day, at the 179-yard par-three to six feet.
-3: Potgieter (F), Jaeger (F), Lee (F), Hisatsune (F)
-2: Brown (F), Theegala (F), Greyserman (F), Schauffele (F), Bhatia (6), Donald (6), Kaymer (5*), Neergaard-Petersen (4*), Campbell (2*)
Scottie Scheffler nearly slam-dunks his second at 1 into the cup. The ball lands a couple of inches behind and to the left … but instead of spinning back into the hole, keeps going for another 20 feet. He can’t make the birdie putt, and that’s unfortunate for the world number one, who was so close to a sensational eagle. If anything, he hit that wedge in too well.
Rory McIlroy is always out of position on the par-five 9th. Having visited a deep fairway bunker and only just squeaked onto the green, he three-putts for bogey, his fourth in a row. What a disastrous end to his round. A four-over 74. To par, that equals his worst-ever showing at the PGA Championship. But it’s a birdie-birdie finish for Jon Rahm, who will be feeling much more chipper for his 69. Chipper being the operative word, seeing he holed out with one twice. And completing the match, it’s a par for Jordan Spieth: given those dropped strokes at 7 and 8, that’s a slightly disappointing one-under round of 69. His dream of completing the career slam this week is very much on; Rory’s hope of sweeping all the majors this year not so much.
Scottie Scheffler begins the defence of his title. In reverse order, his last three finishes at the PGA Championship are win, tied eighth, tied second. He missed the cut in 2022, then before that, another tie for eighth and a tie for fourth. It’s an astonishing record. Anyway, having come second in his last three tour events, he’s coming into this week in form … and he splits the 1st fairway with a boomer. Of course he does.
Brooks Koepka, winner in 2018, 2019 and 2023, has hardly made a putt all day. He misses a short birdie effort on 18, and slaps the face of his putter in irritation. By all accounts he was on the practice green yesterday with an array of flat sticks, putting having been his achilles heel of late. Some more decisions to be made, then … though he’s still managed to card a one-under round of 69. His playing partners: Xander Schauffele in with a 68, Tyrrell Hatton with a disappointing 72 that threatened to get out of control early doors, with a bogey-bogey-double run … so perhaps he’ll not be too disheartened. But there’s another player hotly tipped before the tournament started, only to stumble now the action’s underway.
The Players champion Cameron Young begins his bid for that as-yet-elusive maiden major. He crashes his first drive down the left-hand side of the 1st fairway. He’s going round today with the two-time PGA champion Justin Thomas, and the 2011 winner Keegan Bradley. Both find the fairway as well. Meanwhile some news of another erstwhile winner: Martin Kaymer, the 2010 champ following birdie on 11 by walking in another from downtown at 12. He’s -2 in short order.
Back-to-back birdies for Ryo Hisatsune, at 15 and 16, and the upcoming Japanese star joins the leaders at -3. Heading the other way: Max Greyserman, who can’t get up and down from sand at the front of 18 to save his par. Bogey to end an otherwise impressive opening round of 68. He’s -2.
… meanwhile the third member of that stellar group, Rory McIlroy, can’t get up and down from the side of 8. A third bogey in a row, his fourth in five holes, and the calendar slam is beginning to look like a pipe dream already. He’s +3. Which is bad, but not as painful as the 76 Bryson DeChambeau signs for, after taking two putts on the 9th and making his first birdie of the day on his very last hole. He’s +6, and two of the pre-tournament favourites may well have played themselves out of contention.
Jon Rahm holed out from 100 yards for eagle on 2; now he’s chipped in for birdie from the side of 8! That’s only the second birdie of the day on this long par-three, Ryan Fox with the other. He’s back to level par for his round. Meanwhile it’s two bogeys in a row for his playing partner Jordan Spieth: a careless three-putt on 7 and now a weak chip having left himself shortsided on 8. He’s -1.
Bryson DeChambeau has suffered an absolute shocker today. The latest indignity: chipping back and forth across the par-three 8th green for a double bogey that sent him clattering down the standings to +7. So with little left to lose on his final hole of the day, he opens his shoulders at the 609-yard par-five 9th and sends a ripper down the middle. Followed by a fairway wood whip-cracked into the heart of the green. He’ll have a look at eagle from 35 feet. One way or another, whatever the big man gets up to, it’s very difficult to take your eyes off him.
A fast start for Adam Scott. A monster putt on 1, and the 2013 Masters champion is immediately into red figures at +1. He’s playing in his 99th consecutive major this week; he’ll make it 100 should he tee it up at Shinnecock in next month’s US Open, which he will do unless life somehow gets in the way. If he does it, he’ll become only the second player in history to reach the century, the other being Jack Nicklaus, who made it all the way to 146.
Thanks David … and hey, a handover’s pretty much the perfect time for a leaderboard update, isn’t it? Now featuring Max Greyserman, who has just sent a tramliner chugging into the cup at 17.
-3: Potgieter (F), Jaeger (F), MW Lee (F), Greyserman (17)
-2: Brown (F), Theegala (F), Schauffele (16*), Spieth (16*), Hisatsune (15), Bhatia (3)
Bryson DeChambeau hits a monstrous drive at 8. But the graphic which pops up to show his score as he larrups it down the lengthy par 5 says +7. The latest calamity: a double bogey at 7, his 16th. With that, I shall hand you over to Scott Murray for 90 minutes of descriptive excellence.
Updated at 13.31 EDT
Only one left-hander has ever won the US PGA Championship – Phil Mickelson. In fact, he’s won it twice, the second as a 50-year-old at Kiawah Island in 2021. It’s time for another southpaw to step up and how about Akshay Bhatia. The 24-year-old, who would surely fight at featherweight if he took up boxing, has started birdie-birdie and just now missed a 17-footer for the hat-trick.