Of the 156 players in the PGA Championship field, just 11 are LIV Golfers, five fewer than a year ago.
While the circuit is not as strongly represented in the Major in terms of numbers this year, some serious pedigree is still among those playing at Aronimink Golf Club.
Following a compelling opening round of the event, the top-ranked LIV Golfer is a former PGA Champion. However, his name appearing so high up the leaderboard is also unexpected.
Martin Kaymer carded an opening round of 67 to finish the day three under in a seven-way tie for the lead alongside the likes of fellow German Stephan Jaeger and World No.1 Scottie Scheffler.
His position at the top of the leaderboard evokes memories of a time when the Cleeks GC captain led the world rankings, a status he enjoyed for eight weeks in 2011.
That came six months after his one PGA Championship win, when he beat Bubba Watson in a playoff in 2010 at Whistling Straits – an achievement that gave him a place at the Major for life.
Incredibly, since winning his second Major at the US Open four years later, Kaymer has had only one more top 10 in the big events, a T7 at the 2016 PGA Championship.
Could this be the event that breaks that run, as he looks to become just the second active LIV Golfer to win the PGA Championship after Brooks Koepka in 2023?
If the best-performing LIV Golfer after the opening round is a surprise, the identity of the player who fared the worst from the circuit is downright shocking.
Two-time US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau was among the favorites to win the event at the start of the week.
However, DeChambeau, who failed to reach the weekend at The Masters, is now in danger of missing the cut in back-to-back Majors for the first time since 2017.
The Crushers GC captain could only manage a six-over 76 on Thursday to leave him facing an uphill struggle to make it beyond 36 holes.
Between the two players, there were mixed results for the other nine LIV Golfers, with three of its big guns, Jon Rahm, Joaquin Niemann and Cameron Smith, in touch with the leaders in a tie for 15th at one-under.
In Smith’s case, that will be a big relief after he missed the cut in each of his last six Major starts.
David Puig is next on the list of LIV Golfers. He’s one under and [] on the leaderboard.
Four LIV Golfers, Thomas Detry, Tyrrell Hatton, Elvis Smylie and two-time runner-up Dustin Johnson, are on two over, with Tom McKibbin on four over.
Below is the LIV Golf leaderboard after the first round of the PGA Championship.
LIV Golf Leaderboard At The PGA Championship
- T1 -3 Martin Kaymer
- T15 -1 Joaquin Niemann
- T15 -1 Cameron Smith
- T15 -1 Jon Rahm
- T49 +1 David Puig
- T67 +2 Thomas Detry
- T67 +2 Tyrrell Hatton
- T67 +2 Dustin Johnson
- T67 +2 Elvis Smylie
- T105 +4 Tom McKibbin
- T135 +6 Bryson DeChambeau
