Bounceback birdie for Kizzire at 6. He rattles in a 30-footer to return to -2. Meanwhile a par on 18 for Fitzpatrick, and the Englishman signs for a fine two-under 68. No better way to finish our day one coverage, then. Thanks for reading! See you tomorrow.
-5: McIlroy
-4: Zalatoris, Hoge
-3: Kuchar, Ancer, Thomas, Herbert (17*)
Herbert splits the 7th fairway and sends his second over the flag to 15 feet. But he can’t nail the putt coming back and he remains at -3. He’s got another look at birdie coming up at the par-three 8th, albeit from 30 feet.
Patton Kizzire had been going along nicely. He was -2 and in the middle of the fairway at the par-five 5th. But he sent his approach into a bunker at the front, then knifed one into more sand at the back. One weak splash out later, and he was putting from the fringe in the hope of scrambling par. He couldn’t make it, and he slips to -1.
Herbert wedges up from the back of 6 to seven feet, but the par putt slides by, and he’s back to -3. The shadows getting longer now.
Scheffler steers in his left-to-right par putt on 18, and that’s a brilliant par. One that didn’t look likely when he was setting about his bag in a hot funk. But he cooled his boots quicksmart, and that’s a one-over 71. Not ideal, but it’s better than Jon Rahm’s 73 and Collin Morikawa’s 72. All three members of the afternoon’s marquee group over par ... but none of them out of it yet, either.
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Birdie for Lucas Herbert at the par-five 5th. He moves to within a shot of the lead at -4, though having sent his tee shot at 6 over the back of the green and into thick rough, he’ll have a test to get up and down to stay there.
Yep, it’s in all right ... and Scheffler, well-known for his placid demeanour, loses the plot spectacularly, repeatedly slamming his driver into his bag in a wild fury. The pressure of trying to win back-to-back majors, right there. Only six men have won the first two majors of the season in the modern Masters era: Craig Wood, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth. Having taken his penalty drop, he gathers himself to wedge his third pin high to 15 feet, and he’ll have a chance to salvage his par.
Scheffler really is stumbling home. A fair chance that he’ll be ending with three straight bogeys, because having shipped shots at 16 and 17, he now slices his drive at 18 dangerously close to the drink down the right. Nothing confirmed yet, but that looks to have disappeared into the blue vagueness.
A perfect ending for Justin Thomas! Birdie on 18, his third of the back nine. He comes home in 32 for a three-under 67. Meanwhile the unfortunate Scheffler can’t get up and down from the sand and he drops to +1.
-5: McIlroy (F)
-4: Zalatoris (F), Hoge (F)
-3: Kuchar (F), Ancer (F), Thomas (F), Herbert (13*)
-2: Kirk (F), Pereira (F), Schauffele (F), Smith (F), Na (F), Riley (F), Simpson (15*), Fitzpatrick (14), Niemann (13)
Birdies at 10 and now 13 for the young Chilean Joaquin Niemann. He’s been steady but not spectacular in his last six major appearances. No cuts missed, but nothing above a tie for 23rd (in the 2020 US Open) either. He’s -2, and perhaps preparing to make a big career statement this week.
Scheffler’s drive at 17 ends up behind the trunk of a large tree. He’s still able to chop out towards the green with his wedge, though there’s no option to complete his follow through, as the tree would surely break his club and possibly both hands, arms, etc. A brilliant stab out falls just short of the green and into a bunker at the front. With the flag nearby, that was close to perfection. Such a shame.
Scottie Scheffler continues to gently oscillate up and down the leaderboard. A bogey this time as he dumps his second into a bunker guarding the front of 16. He can’t get up and down, and he’s back to level par.
Lucas Herbert bounces back in style. He’s slightly unlucky as his second into 3 catches a slope that sends his ball rolling off the green and down a swale. That wasn’t far off being very close, but away it goes. No matter! He chips up and in to get back to -3. Limiting the damage to bogey on 2 suddenly feels huge.
Scottie Scheffler sends his second into the heart of 15, allowing the camber to send his ball on a big right-to-left journey down towards the flag. His ball stops six feet short, and he makes the birdie putt, repairing a little of the damage made by those back-to-back bogeys. He’s back into the red at -1, though not bothering the toppermost of the poppermost quite yet.
-5: McIlroy (F)
-4: Zalatoris (F), Hoge (F)
-3: Kuchar (F), Ancer (F)
-2: Kirk (F), Pereira (F), Schauffele (F), Smith (F), Na (F), Riley (F), Thomas (16), Fitzpatrick (12), Herbert (11*), Kizzire (10*)
A big bogey putt this time. Lucas Herbert is in all sorts of trouble down 2, having found a water hazard with his drive. After taking a drop, he sends his third into a bunker at the back of the green. His escape from sand isn’t all that, but he guides in the left-to-right 12-footer to limit to the damage to bogey. He slips to -2. Meanwhile local lad Talor Gooch is in the house with a 69.
A big par save for Collin Morikawa on 14. Having left his tee shot at the par-three short of the green, then leaving his second 20 feet short, a third bogey in five holes looks most likely. But he rattles in the putt to remain at +1. Pars too for Scottie Scheffler (E) and Jon Rahm (+2) and Rory McIlroy (-5, feet up, cigar on) will be a happy man right now.
Matt Fitzpatrick clips his tee shot at 11 to six feet, and makes no mistake with the birdie putt. He’s -2. Meanwhile birdie for Justin Thomas at 15, and the 2017 champ moves to -2 as well.
While the marquee group struggles, Lucas Herbert is once again the main man of the second wave. Birdie at 1 takes the Aussie back up to -3.
-5: McIlroy (F)
-4: Zalatoris (F), Hoge (F)
-3: Kuchar (F), Ancer (F), Herbert (10*)
-2: Kirk (F), Pereira (F), Schauffele (F), Smith (F), Na (F), Riley (F), Kizzire (8*), Wise (8)
Turns out that Scheffler was in more bother than everyone initially thought. His drive found a creek, so he had to take a penalty drop before hitting out of the trouble down the left of 13. It’s back-to-back bogeys for the world number one, and he’s back to level par. His demeanour is nevertheless much cooler than partner Jon Rahm, who blades a chip, then races a long putt past the hole; his bogey drops him to +2.
Scheffler is getting a little bit ragged. Another wayward drive, this time into the trees down the left of the Homeric journey that is the 628-yard par-five 13th. Again he whips out, taking an aggressive line with so much trouble around, and again he nearly sends his ball into a watery grave. But the ball stops short, and he’s back in position. A good chance for an up and down to make birdie! Then he nearly dunks his lob wedge into a bunker. His ball just gets over, settling on the fringe, from where he’ll have a look at birdie from 20 feet, but he’s making heavy work for himself right now.
Three birdies in four holes for Aaron Wise, and the 25-year-old from Vegas rises to -2. His compatriot Patton Kizzire is alongside him after picking up shots at 13 and now 17. Birdie for Tommy Fleetwood at 10 brings the joyous Evertonian up to -1. And there are back-to-back birdies for Louis Oosthuizen at 10 and 11, repairing all the damage of an outward nine of 37. Last year’s joint runner-up is back to level par.
Scottie Scheffler chances his arm on 12. He flays his tee shot into the trees down the right. Spotting a gap between a couple of branches, he opts against taking his medicine and instead of carefully chipping out sideways, powers his ball through that gap instead. He clips a few leaves en route, and his ball nearly squirts into a creek on the other side of the fairway. It stops just short of trouble, and he’s able to chip close and scramble his pa... scrub that! He horseshoes out from a couple of feet, and drops to -1. Hmm. Meanwhile Shane Lowry can’t get up and down from the bunker at 14, but despite slipping back to +1, there’s no effing and blinding this time, so there’s no further attack of the vapours Chez Sky. All good news. Everybody happy.
Shane Lowry is battling with himself right now. He slices his second at the par-five 13th into the drink. He then chips from 85 yards to 15 feet and drains the par saver, but immediately dunks his tee shot at the following hole, a par-three, into deep sand at the front. He loudly utters the f-word, “fuck”, a couple of times, causing UK broadcaster Sky Sports to apologise to its audience of adults, despite it being nearly 11pm BST, quite some time past the watershed. Anyway, he’ll need another fine up and down if he’s to remain at level par.
Now it’s Collin Morikawa’s turn to bounce back with a birdie. He fires his tee shot at the par-three 11th straight at the flag. The ball threatens to topple back off the green, but sticks on the fringe, from where Morikawa guides in a left-to-right slider. He returns to level par.
It’s been a pretty miserable day for Patrick Cantlay. The reigning FedEx Cup champion took 38 strokes on his way out, and he’s just pulled a tiddler left of the cup at 12 to drop yet another shot. He’s +4.
The 2020 champion Collin Morikawa’s run of pars comes to a disappointing end. Bogey at 10, the result of sending his second shot into a bunker. He’s +1. A bounceback birdie for his playing partner Scottie Scheffler, though, and the Masters champ rises to -2 again.
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The wind continues to blow. Not particularly dramatically, but enough to give the players pause for thought. Otherwise, it’s a bit of a low-energy afternoon. Not a great deal of excitement right now, other than Matt Fitzpatrick taking three to get down from the fringe at 7 and dropping back to -1. Plenty of time left for drama this week. It’ll come.
Tommy Fleetwood’s day gets better and better! First Everton secure their Premier League status by coming back from 2-0 down against Crystal Palace to win 3-2. Now he trundles in a chip from the front of 8 to get back to level par. A world-class shot! Nil satis nisi optimum.
Scottie Scheffler gets a huge break on 9. He hooks his tee shot into the trees down the left, but the ball pings back onto the fairway. The sort of thing that happens to world number ones. However he doesn’t take advantage of his good fortune, leaving his second short of the green. He can’t scramble par, and slips back to -1.
Ewan Murray is at Southern Hills. Here’s his take on Rory McIlroy’s fine opening round of 65. That was ten shots better than Lee Westwood, who has lost a sponsor over this LIV business, something also touched upon in this article. To reiterate: the LIV Golf Series can do one!
Matt Fitzpatrick sticks his tee shot at the par-three 6th pin high, 16 feet to the right. He rolls the putt straight into the cup, in the calm fashion, and rises to -2 again. He’s met there by Lucas Herbert, coming the other way after dunking his approach at 15 into deep sandy trouble.
-5: McIlroy (F)
-4: Zalatoris (F), Hoge (F)
-3: Kuchar (F), Ancer (F)
-2: Kirk (F), Pereira (F), Schauffele (F), Smith (F), Na (F), Riley (F), Scheffler (8), Schwartzel (6), Fitzpatrick (6), Herbert (6*)
Jon Rahm makes an awful balls of the par-three 8th. His tee shot takes a hot bounce over the back of the green. He then blades his chip past the flag and off the front. He can’t get up and down from 60 feet, and that’s a double that crashes him down the standings to +1. His partners are in better mood and better nick: Collin Morikawa has made eight straight pars, while Scottie Scheffler pars to remain at -2.
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There’s not a great deal happening for Tommy Fleetwood. He’s +1 through 5 after dropping one at 3. But his beloved Everton are safe from relegation, so it’s swings and roundabouts!
... and Herbert was so very nearly joined there at -3 by Schwartzel! The South African looked to have rolled in a fairly straight downhill 12-footer on 5, only for the ball, just as it prepared to drop over the lip, took a little shimmy to the left and stayed up. Eh? Not sure how that happened, but there we have it. He remains at -2.
Lucas Herbert becomes the hottest player of the afternoon wave! The 26-year-old from Queensland won his first PGA Tour event earlier this season at the Bermuda Championship, and is the current Irish Open champion. So while he doesn’t have much of a record in the majors yet, he has form elsewhere. He’s just followed up birdies at 10 and 13 by curling a long-distance right-to-left swinger into the cup from the back of 14. He’s the only player from the second wave of starters to reach as high as -3. So far.
-5: McIlroy (F)
-4: Zalatoris (F), Hoge (F)
-3: Kuchar (F), Ancer (F), Herbert (5*)
-2: Kirk (F), Pereira (F), Schauffele (F), Smith (F), Na (F), Riley (F), Scheffler (7), Schwartzel (4)
Justin Thomas has started to move in the wrong direction. He can’t get up and down from sand at the front of 9, and it’s back to back bogeys. He’s back where he started at level par.
Quite a few players have been struggling with the bunkers today. Tiger, for one. Brooks is another. Having failed to get up and down from sand at 8, he repeats the failure at 9, and the two-time champion is turning in 40 strokes. He’s +5, and these sort of days happen to us all. Succour for weekend hackers everywhere. Hey, we need it.
Justin Thomas drops his first stroke of the week. It’s the result of finding the bunker to the right of the par-three 8th. He slips back to -1. His place alongside Scottie Scheffler at -2 has been taken by 2011 Masters champion Charl Schwartzel, who follows up birdie at 1 with another at 4.
Rickie Fowler holes out from a bunker at 7. The birdie cancels out the shot he dropped at the opening hole, and I can reveal that he’s still cutting quite the dash with his Vic Colfari moustache.
Brooks Koepka continues to struggle. He pulls his tee shot at the par-three 8th way to the left, then chunks his chip into a bunker. He can only hack out to 20 feet ... but then rolls the bogey putt straight into the cup. Difficult to know whether that will make him a little happier or not. You’d suspect not. He’s +4. That hip must still be bothering him. Koepka playing with a dodgy hip, Bryson already withdrawn due to a sore wrist ... this was supposed to be the rivalry of the age. Where’s our rivalry of the age?! Get well soon, fellows.
Belated word of John Daly. The 1991 champion was mixing it with the leaders for a while, but ran out of whisky and water steam towards the end. After bogeys at 14, 16, 17 and 18, the old boy signed for a still-decent 72. And never anything but entertaining. What a hero.
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Scottie Scheffler makes mincemeat of the 665-yard par-five 5th! He bashes a 380 yard drive down the middle, then draws a fairway wood around the trees into the heart of the green, tucked away a little on the left. That’s ten feet away! That is absurd. He rolls in the putt, and all of a sudden the world number one and new Masters champion joins Jesse Mueller and Justin Thomas as the only players out there this afternoon at -2. His playing partner Jon Rahm’s birdie (-1) looks positively mundane by comparison.
Jesse Mueller bounces back immediately with birdie at 17! He nearly spins another approach into the cup from the centre of the fairway, but this one stops a couple of feet to the right of the hole. He pops in the putt and he’s back to -2. In do-si-do news, he once again swaps places with Matt Fitzpatrick, who yips a tiddler on 3 to ship a needless shot. He slips to -1.
It’s just not happening for Brooks Koepka. He crashes a huge drive down 7, then wedges to six feet. He looks to have confidently nailed the birdie putt, only for the ball to sling around the back of the cup and stop out. He’s forced to settle for par and remains at +3.
... and having brought up Mueller, the club pro drops his first stroke of the afternoon soon after. Bogey at 16, and he’s back to -1. He’s replaced at -2 by Justin Thomas, who birdies the super-long (665 yards) par-five 5th. Time for a look at that old leaderboard!
-5: McIlroy (F)
-4: Zalatoris (F), Hoge (F)
-3: Kuchar (F), Ancer (F)
-2: Kirk (F), Pereira (F), Schauffele (F), Smith (F), Na (F), Riley (F), Thomas, (5), Fitzpatrick (2)
... so having said that, Matt Fitzpatrick immediately curls in a 15-foot left-to-right curler on 2. Back-to-back birdies to open, and the Sheffield star joins Mueller at -2.
Early days for the second wave, of course, but birdies seem a little harder to come by this afternoon. The wind’s up, which might explain things. In fact, the only player currently out there better than one under for his round so far is the aforementioned club pro Jesse Mueller, who holed out from the fairway at 10.
An awful start for the two-time winner Brooks Koepka. Bogeys at 1, 3 and 4, and the 2018 and 2019 champion is already up against it. This is his first outing since the Masters, at which he missed the cut. He’s clearly not on top of his game, and yet has also recently tied for fifth at the World Match Play and for third at the Phoenix Open. It’s also easy to forget now that he finished in a tie for second at Kiawah Island last year, victim of the perfect storm that was Phil Mickelson. He could do with finding something soon, though ... and nearly gets it on 6, but his long birdie rake across the green stops a couple of inches short. He’s +3.
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Justin Harding started slowly, with bogeys at 2 and 3. He’s just wiped those out with one fell swoop, eagling the par-four 7th by holing out from 180 yards! He pitched his ball a couple of feet to the left of the flag. It gripped the turf, took an elegant little double bounce, then toppled slowly into the cup! The 36-year-old from South Africa doesn’t have a particularly storied career, though he does have a tie for 12th at Augusta in 2019 and a top-20 finish in last year’s Open on his resumé. Now he’s got another major memory to put into the bank. He’s level par.
Charl Schwartzel and Matthew Fitzpatrick take turns to pepper the flag at 1. They both tidy up from a couple of feet and it’s the perfect start for the pair. They’re -1. A slow start for Dustin Johnson, though; he’s +1 through 4 after dropping a stroke at 2.
Moving the right way early doors: Justin Thomas, Louis Oosthuizen and Kevin Kisner, who have all made birdie at 1.
Rahm bounces back from that opening bogey with birdie at 2! He rolls in the sort of 25-foot left-to-right slider that, according to the statisticians, only gets made eight percent of the time.
Davis Riley has been hovering around the top of the leaderboard all day. The 25-year-old from Mississippi is a hotly tipped one to watch, and finishes his debut round at the PGA Championship by nearly draining a 40-footer on 9. A tap-in par, and that’s a fine round of 68. He’s -2.
This has also been a breakthrough year for Tom Hoge, albeit in a much more understated way. The 32-year-old North Carolinian won his first PGA Tour event in 203 starts at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February, and has since made the cut at his first Masters, and finished in the top 20 at both the Phoenix Open and last week’s Byron Nelson. He follows up his birdie on 15 by closing out his round with three pars. He signs for a superb 66 and is currently tied for second.
-5: McIlroy (F)
-4: Zalatoris (F), Hoge (F)
-3: Kuchar (F), Ancer (F)
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Since winning his first PGA Tour event back in February at the Phoenix Open, Scottie Scheffler has gone on quite the spree. Further wins at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the World Match Play, and of course the Masters; ascension to number one in the world; and in the four other tournaments he’s played since Phoenix, he’s made two top-20 finishes and one tie for seventh. He’s therefore one of the hot picks this week. He’s part of the afternoon’s marquee group with Collin Morikawa and Jon Rahm, and opens with a par. Morikawa makes one too, despite flaying his drive into woods down the left of 1. Rahm however dumps his approach into sand, and doesn’t get particularly close with his splash out. The reigning US Open champion trudges off, slightly irritated by his immediately slipping to +1.
Rory speaks to Sky. “I have felt comfortable for the last few weeks ... I took a lot from the final day at Augusta and played well at the Wells Fargo ... once the draw came out I was excited to play in a group like that ... I enjoy playing with Tiger and Jordan, it’s a pretty comfortable group for all of us ... we all know each other pretty well ... it was a great day, and great to get off to a good start in a major for a change! My game is in good shape so it’s just a matter of executing the shots like I know I can ... today I did that very well and I just need to replicate that tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday, and not to get ahead of myself, although it was a great start.”
Jesse Mueller is one of the 20 PGA club pros competing in his organisation’s flagship event. A coach at Grand Canyon University Golf Course in Phoenix, Arizona, he’s teeing it up in the PGA Championship for the first time, and has taken all of two shots to announce himself in spectacular style. Having found the centre of the 10th fairway, he pitched his second shot 30 feet past the flag, spinning it back on an inevitable journey into the cup! It’s surely the shot of the 39-year-old’s life: an eagle at a major championship, and one that instantly takes him to -2. He’s currently tied for sixth!
Sky have a word with Tiger, sweat pouring from his brow. “Physically I have felt better! Emotionally I’ve actually felt better too. It was frustrating. I got off to a great start ... but I did not keep it going. I hit a lot of bad iron shots. I felt comfortable with the driver ... but from there, it was not very good. That’s not normally how I play, but it’s how it was. I’m going to try to shoot something in the mid-60s. Rory proved it today, he made it look very easy, it can be done. So hopefully I can put together something tomorrow and get back in the tournament.”
Thanks Niall ... so that’s a pretty good first day’s work for Rory McIlroy, huh? For the first time in the majors in quite a while, he hasn’t left himself facing an uphill climb from the get-go. His last two rounds in major championship golf are now 64 and 65. (That final round at Augusta was a blast, wasn’t it.)
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Time to hand back to Scott, who will guide you through the rest of the day’s play. Here is the current leaderboard:
-5: McIlroy (F)
-4: Hoge (16), Zalatoris (F)
-3: Kuchar (F), Ancer (17)
-2: Schauffele (F), Kirk (F), Pereira (F), C Smith (F), Mueller (2*)
McIlroy regains the lead! A big moment for Rory, with a birdie chance to end the round – and he takes it, completing an excellent round of 65. He moves clear at the top of the leaderboard again, while Jordan Spieth ends on two-over, and Tiger Woods finishes four over par after a final bogey.
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McIlroy loses outright lead! Another dropped shot at the eighth puts Rory McIlroy level with Hoge – and Zalatoris ends his round with another birdie, posting a 66 to take the clubhouse lead, and a share of the in-play lead. Matt Kuchar signs for a 67, one shot back.
Tom Hoge picks up a birdie at the 15th, and he’s now just one behind Rory McIlroy. Here’s how the leaderboard stands:
-5: McIlroy (16*)
-4: Hoge (15)
-3: Kuchar (17), Zalatoris (17*)
-2: Schauffele (F), Kirk (F), Pereira (18), C Smith (17*), Ancer (16), Riley (14*)
*Started round on 10th hole
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McIlroy has to settle for a par at the seventh, and has just two more holes to try and extend his two-shot lead. Alongside him, Tiger Woods stays two-over for the day but rescues an excellent par after making a mess of his tee shot. Meanwhile, Xander Schauffele and Chris Kirk have both signed for 68s, and share the clubhouse lead at two under – although probably not for long.
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Thanks Scott, and hello everyone. First up, I have to report that Rory McIlroy has dropped a shot at the sixth, giving himself just too much to do with his par putt. Elsewhere, Matt ‘Kooch’ Kuchar has picked up back-to-back birdies, joining a growing group at three under, two behind McIlroy.
And that group now includes Will Zalatoris, who has bounced back from a bogey at the sixth with a birdie at the next. Rory could do with following his lead ...
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A stroke of bad luck for Dean Burmester on 17. A 15-foot par putt stays stubbornly on the lip. Half a dimple to the left, and it’s surely dropping. In fact, how is it not dropping anyway? It’s a real gravity-defying conundrum. The South African stands over it, casting his shadow in the hope of wilting the grass and the ball dropping in ... but really pushes the limits of the ten seconds he’s allowed to wait. He eventually taps in for bogey, slipping back to -2, but we might - stress might - not have heard the last of that. A three-putt bogey on 6 for Will Zalatoris, meanwhile, and suddenly the top of the leaderboard is once again thinning out.
-6: McIlroy (14*)
-3: Hoge (13)
... and with that, I’m taking a break. Niall McVeigh will guide you through the next hour! See you again soon, and godspeed Rory.
Rory McIlroy keeps on keepin’ on! His second at the par-five 5th dribbles into a bunker guarding the front of the green. But he gets up and down, splashing out to ten feet, then walking in the putt. Yet another birdie, and with the wind expected to give the afternoon starters no little hassle, right now he’s in very good shape indeed.
-6: McIlroy (14*)
-3: Burmester (16), Zalatoris (14*), Hoge (12)
Matt Kuchar has never won a major. The closest he’s come so far was the 2017 Open at Birkdale, when Jordan Spieth screeched away from him with that birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie blitz down the closing stretch. At 43, the penny-pinching Floridian still has time on his side, and he’s looking good right now: he nearly holes out from 100 yards on 15, tapping in for birdie that brings him up to -2. He’s alongside another US veteran in Stewart Cink, the 2009 dream-wrecker Open champion following up birdie at the par-five 13th by rolling a 20-footer straight into the cup for another.
The Players champion Cameron Smith is suddenly back in this! Having traversed the back nine in 37 shots, one of the pre-tournament favourites found himself well off the pace at +2. But he’s just strung together a run of four birdies in five holes - at 1, 2, 3 and now 5 - and that’s one hell of a turnaround by the highly entertaining Aussie. He’s -2.
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Xander Schauffele is the new Rickie Fowler, in so much as he’s from southern California and surely, surely has to win a major at some point. But it never happened for Rickie during his imperial phase, despite several close misses, and Schauffele will be acutely aware that the same fate could befall him if he doesn’t get a wriggle on. To this end, he’s going along nicely today; having played the back nine in 34 strokes, he’s parred the next five holes, and now makes birdie at the par-three 6th, sending a fine tee shot to seven feet. He’s -2.
Another bogey for Tiger ... the result of another mishit bunker shot. This one flies over the green at 4, and he’s +2 again. He’s limping badly, and should he go on to miss the cut tomorrow, he might not be as upset as he normally would. The great man looks in pain. Meanwhile a huge chance for McIlroy to extend his lead further, but his straight-ish ten footer slips away to the left. He remains at -5.
Rory stripes one down 4. He’s got the ball on a string from the tee. And pretty much everywhere else right now. Would he take parring his way home from here? He looks in total control of his game at the minute, so maybe not ... but then again the wind is picking up a little bit. It’s due to get even gustier in the afternoon, too, and more problematic wind is forecast for Friday morning, so today’s early starters very much have the better of the draw. Should McIlroy continue as he’s doing, plenty of big names will have a job on this afternoon and early tomorrow.
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McIlroy maintains his momentum on 3. His approach topples back off the false front, and his first putt up from the fringe is a no-good bobbler. He’s left it six feet short ... but he’s currently in a good place with his putting in general, and salvages the situation by rolling the par saver into the centre of the cup. He remains at -5. A much-needed birdie for his partner Tiger, meanwhile, the reward for a fine approach knocked to four feet. He’s back to +2.
Will Zalatoris gets pelters for his bang-average putting, though most of the real bother comes with the tiddlers. He’s far less jittery further out, and on 3 he rifles in a ten footer for a birdie that brings him back to -3. Meanwhile bogey at 14 for the 1991 champ John Daly; he’s now -1 through 15.
Davis Riley sends his second into 18 well to the right of the green. He can’t get up and down and slips back to -2. Meanwhile behind him, on 17, the diminutive lefty Brian Harman lands his wedge from 75 yards a few feet past the hole, spinning it back into the cup for eagle. Suddenly a poor day - he started with four straight bogeys - looks a little brighter. He’s +2. And there’s another birdie for Tom Hoge, at 10; he’s -3.
-5: McIlroy (11*)
-3: Burmester (14), Hoge (10)
-2: Kirk (14), Zalatoris (11*), Ancer (11), Riley (9*), Molinari (8*)
Ancer finds the bunker at the front of the par-three 11th. The bogey that follows drops him back to -2. All of a sudden, he’s three off the lead, because on 2, McIlroy eases an almost effortless iron into the heart of the green and rolls in the straight 12-footer he leaves himself. Suddenly he’s got a small cushion at the top. Meanwhile it’s a third consecutive bogey for Tiger, who can only find the fringe on 2, then races his long birdie putt well past. He’s +2 and continues to limp uncomfortably.
-5: McIlroy (11*)
-3: Burmester (14), Riley (8*)
-2: Kirk (14), Zalatoris (11*), Ancer (11), Hoge (10), Molinari (8*)
A nice start to the week for the 2018 Open champion Francesco Molinari. He’s just followed up birdie at 12 with another at 17. He’s -2. Viktor Hovland breaks a run of ten straight pars with his first birdie of the day, steering in a 30-foot left-to-right slider on 2. He’s -1. But, to complete a European triptych, it’s another bogey for Justin Rose, this time at 18, and he slips back to -1, most of that three-birdie blitz now handed back to the field.
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Tiger is beginning to struggle. He sends his tee shot at 1 into trouble down the right. Bogey is inevitable, his second in a row. What’s worse, his limp appears more pronounced. He’s +1. McIlroy makes par, and remains a shot ahead of a suddenly expanded group at -3. Davis Riley being joined by South African Dean Burmester and Mexico’s Abraham Ancer, who have just birdied 13 and 10 respectively.
-4: McIlroy (10*)
-3: Burmester (13), Ancer (10), Riley (8*)
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Tom Hoge, who won his first PGA Tour event after 203 starts back in February, at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, continues to enjoy his season. After a top 40 finish at the Masters, the 32-year-old from North Carolina is in the mood for another decent showing at the majors. He’s just screwed his approach at 9 to a halt, a couple of feet from the flag. He’ll tidy that up to move to -2.
The notoriously difficult 18th is going to take chunks out of quite a few class acts this week. Having just done for Zalatoris, it now works over Tiger, who sends his approach into a greenside bunker, then blades his sand wedge. A bogey, and he’s back to level par. Spieth can’t get up and down from sand either, and he’s +2. But the tricky downhill par putt he misses gives McIlroy a read, and the leader tickles in to scramble a par that looked unlikely when he sent his drive into thick rough. Up next: Justin Rose, who knifed a bunker shot on 17 to drop back to -2. Suddenly the very top of the leaderboard is a lot lighter on names.
-4: McIlroy (9*)
-3: Riley (7*)
-2: Daly (13), Burmester (12), Kirk (12), Zalatoris (9*), Ancer (9), Rose (8*), Fox (6)
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The thin margins. On 18, Will Zalatoris nearly holes a 30-foot left-to-right swinger for birdie. The ball horseshoes out, then he misses the short par putt, as he so often does, the yips yet again doing a number on this otherwise brilliant young golfer. He slips back to -2.
An ugly double-bogey six for Max Homa at 18. Having flown the green with his second, he leaves himself a long par putt, and takes three from there. All of a sudden he’s back down to -1, much of his morning’s work out of the window. Meanwhile the 25-year-old Mississippian Davis Riley, starting in his first PGA Championship, has found his feet quickly, and in some style, too. Birdies at 12, 13 and 15 have taken him to -3.
Tyrrell Hatton may have just sparked his bid into life. He was +1 for his first eight holes, but after splitting the fairway at 18, fires his second straight at the pin from 200 yards. An inch away from dropping. So close to a sensational eagle! He’ll tap in to turn in level par. Meanwhile the leader Rory McIlroy nearly rolls another birdie putt in from the fringe at 17. The ball slides right on its very last turn, and he remains at -4.
A quick illustration of how quickly things can go belly up in golf. Like anyone who has ever picked up a club needs to be told. Michael Block, one of the 20 club professionals teeing it up this week at the PGA’s marquee event, had a share of the early lead a couple of hours ago. But three doubles in a row, at 15, 16 and 17, have sent him crashing down to the bottom of the standings. He turns in 41, +6, and the back nine is theoretically the easier stretch as well. Godspeed, sir.
From the front of the 16th, McIlroy bumps a wedge gently to a couple of feet. That’ll save his par. He stays at -4. Spieth misses a short par putt, though, following up one bogey with another, and suddenly the career-slam-chasing Texan is +1. Max Homa shaves another hole with a birdie effort; he remains one off McIlroy’s lead. And it’s a third birdie in a row for Justin Rose! He’s been off the pace for the best part of a year, since a top-ten finish at Kiawah 12 months ago. Not a bad time to rediscover some form.
-4: McIlroy (7*)
-3: Homa (8*), Zalatoris (7*), Rose (6*)
Some work to do here for the leader McIlroy at the monstrously long par-four 16th. (At 527 yards, it’s a par five for the members.) He sends his drive into the big bunker down the left of the fairway, and takes his medicine by laying up. He’s just off the front, requiring an up and down for his par. Meanwhile bogey for Bob MacIntyre at 1, and he slips back to -1.
-4: McIlroy (6*)
-3: Homa (7*), Zalatoris (7*)
-2: Daly (11), Kirk (9), Schauffele (8*), Streelman (8), Rose (5*), Riley (4*)
The Wild Thing refuses to go away! Birdie at 10, and John Daly rejoins the group tying for fourth at -2. It’s not going to happen, of course it’s not ... but if it did, it would be highly amusing if the absent Phil Mickelson’s record as oldest major winner was obliterated by the carefree 56-year-old PGA stalwart a mere 12 months on. Once more with feeling: there’s no point watching sport if you’re not allowed to dream. Also, the LIV tour can do one.
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The 2013 US Open champ Justin Rose rolls in a 30-footer on 13. It’s his second birdie in a row, and he joins the group at -2, one shot off the lead. That no longer features Tiger, who clips the ball first with his sand splash, sending it 20 feet past the flag. He can’t make the one coming back, and he’s -1. Spieth gets closer with his splash, but not close enough to salvage his par. He’s level. But it’s a fourth straight birdie for Rory, who rolls his birdie putt confidently into the centre of the cup! This is a sensational start by McIlroy, who has made a habit of stumbling out of the gates at the majors in recent years. But look at this!
-4: McIlroy (6*)
-3: Homa (7*), Zalatoris (6*)
Jordan Spieth is also in that front bunker with Tiger. His drive took one bound too many and crept into the rough down the right. This is difficult, thick stuff to deal with, and he can only gouge into further trouble. Spieth, hoping to complete the career slam this week, is -1 through his first five holes of the day, but will need all of his scrambling skills to stay in the red. A couple of momentum-saving saves required here by two of the USA’s big hopes.
Trouble for Tiger at 15. He sends his stinger into the thick rough down the right. He’s a long way back, and can only power his second into the bunker guarding the front left of the green. He’s not left with too much green to work with, so getting up and down to salvage par will be a result. By contrast McIlroy continues to go along nicely, stroking a 5-wood down the middle and sending his second pin high. He’ll have a look from 20 feet for a fourth birdie in a row.
A 20-foot birdie putt for Max Homa on 15. Can he make it four in a row? Nope. This one skims past the left lip and stays up. He remains at -3 ... and is joined there by Rory McIlroy, who sends a gorgeous iron over the flag at the par-three 14th and steers in a downhill right-to-left slider from 20 feet. Three birdies in a row, and major number five is on! Just the 67 holes to go. Birdie for Tiger, too, as he goes to school on Jordan Spieth’s near miss from 30 feet. Quite the leaderboard already!
-3: Homa (6*), Zalatoris (5*), McIlroy (5*)
-2: Yang (9), MacIntyre (8*), Horsfield (7), Schauffele (6*), Streelman (6), Woods (5*)
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Not the start the 2008 champion Padraig Harrington wanted. He sends his tee shot at 2 into the water, and it’s a double-bogey six at the long par four. He’s now +2 through 4.
Three birdies in a row for Max Homa! The latest comes at 14, and the in-form Californian grabs a share of the lead. Hot on his heels: Rory McIlroy, who sends his second at the par-five 13th into greenside sand, but slaps a fine wedge to kick-in distance, and that’s two birdies in a row for the Masters runner-up.
-3: Homa (5*), Zalatoris (4*)
-2: Yang (9), MacIntyre (8*), Schauffele (6*), Streelman (5), McIlroy (4*)
John Daly no longer on that leaderboard, you’ll have noticed. Bogey at the par-three 8th, the result of finding sand with his tee shot. He slips back to -1. Bah. Time for something to take the edge off?
Will Zalatoris loves the majors. The 25-year-old Californian finished second at the Masters last year; tied sixth at the US Open at Winged Foot in 2020, coming this close to following up a first-round hole in one with a second a few holes later; and tied eighth on his PGA Championship debut at Kiawah Island last year. He’s now leading this one, after making it three birdies in his first four holes at 13. His partner Cam Smith meanwhile lobs to three feet from an awkward position down a swale to the side of the green, having only just cleared the drink with his second. He repairs some of the damage of that double at 12 and moves back to level par overall.
-3: Zalatoris (4*)
-2: Yang (8), MacIntyre (7*), Homa (4*)
Up on the 13th green, it’s back to back birdies for Max Homa. He joins the leading pack at -2. Once the green is cleared, Cam Smith nearly sends his second into a greenside body of water. Just over, but he’ll need to clear his head, which is possibly running hot after that needless double-bogey at 12. Meanwhile a clumsy three-putt par for Xander Schauffele at 14; he slips back to -1.
Xander Schauffele joins the leaders with birdie at the par-five 13th. His partner Tony Finau birdies as well, cancelling out the dismal three-putt bogey he opened with at 10. He’s back to level par. Meanwhile patient birdies for Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth at 12. Patient because they have to wait for the group ahead to hit their drives at the extended par-five 13th, the tee box positioned so players have to send their shots over the 12th green and towards the 13th fairway. The designers have squeezed every inch out of this real estate all right.
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John Daly finds himself over the back of 7, in thick rough near a penalty area. Having diced with bother, he then nearly takes sole ownership of the lead by clattering the flagstick with his chip. The ball stubbornly stays out, and he remains at -2. Will Zalatoris, who opened with birdie at 10, joins him by rattling in a long birdie putt at 12. Trouble for Zalatoris’s playing partner Cam Smith, though; a short-game meltdown and a double bogey that takes him back to +1.
-2: Daly (7), Yang (6), MacIntyre (6*), Zalatoris (3*)
Max Homa hasn’t got any record to speak of in the majors ... yet. The 31-year-old Californian is blooming late, having won three times on the PGA Tour in the last 15 months, the latest victory his second at the Wells Fargo just two weeks ago. He also tied for 13th at this year’s Players. Now he’s sent a tramliner into the cup at 12 to join the group at -1. Meanwhile it’s pars for Tiger, Rory and Jordan at the par-three 11th.
Yep, in pops Tiger’s birdie putt, and the great man opens with a birdie. Meanwhile his playing partners in this morning’s marquee group, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy, card garden-variety birdies. A birdie for the Players champion Cam Smith at 11. And YE Yang joins the leaders at -2 by holing a chip from the fringe at 6 that would still be rolling now had the flagstick not got involved.
-2: Yang (6), MacIntyre (5*), Daly (5)
-1: Borchert (4), Block (3*), Schauffele (3*), Smith (2*), Zalatoris (1*), Kuchar (1), Woods (1*)
Robert MacIntyre birdies the par-five 13th, and the young Scot leads the PGA ... alongside John Daly, who birdies the par-five 5th! These are long par fives, by the way: the 13th is 632 yards while the 5th measures 656 yards. It’s going to be a long trek - 7,556 yards in total - which may explain why Tiger Woods is already feeling it. As the CBS camera operative follows him down 10, after a well-placed opening tee shot, he’s told in no uncertain terms by Woods to “give me some breathing space”. Three times. But his mood improves quickly when he wedges his second from 95 yards to a couple of feet. He’ll be joining the crew at -1 imminently.
-2: Daly (5), MacIntyre (4*)
-1: Yang (5), Borchert (4), Block (3*), Schauffele (2*), Kuchar (1)
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The 2020 US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau sadly pulled out late last night. That sore wrist, jiggered during a game of ping pong, still hasn’t healed fully. He’s been replaced in the field by Denny McCarthy, who having been called up at short notice can perhaps be forgiven a cold start. The 29-year-old from Maryland bogeys 10, one of the more inviting par fours on the course. Onwards and upwards, and at least he’s here.
Speaking of erstwhile winners, Tiger Woods will be out in a few minutes. He lifted the Wanamaker Trophy the last time the PGA was staged at Southern Hills. Here’s how the Guardian reported major No.13 at the time.
The opening shot of the 2022 PGA Championship was hit by the 1991 champion John Daly. The big man went on to register the first birdie of the week, and by definition, for what it’s worth, became the first leader of the tournament. He was soon joined at -1 by a few others making a fast start: Oban’s Bob MacIntyre, US-reared Mancunian Sam Horsfield, PGA pros Matthew Borchert and Michael Block, Texan veteran Ryan Palmer, 2009 champion YE Yang, and major champion in waiting Xander Schauffele, who screeched a short iron at 10 from 120 yards to three feet, and tidied up for his birdie. The second major of the year is very much under way!
-1: Daly (4), Yang (4), Palmer (3*), MacIntyre (3*), Borchert (2), Block (2*), Horsfield (1), Schauffele (1*)
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Preamble
It’s a shame that Phil Mickelson won’t be at Southern Hills to defend the title he won so memorably last year at Kiawah Island, where he channeled the PGA Championship’s old slogan, Glory’s Last Shot, to become the oldest winner of a major at 51 years and 11 months. It was a story for the ages. Do his ridiculous LIV-related shenanigans wash back and cast a stain on that amazing tale? Nah. It’s not ideal, of course, but in a couple of years/months, when it all comes down, it’ll be nothing more than a footnote, a historical curiosity. We’ll miss Lefty, of course we will, but here we are. Onwards!
Another week of historical wonder awaits. Jordan Spieth will become only the seventh man to win a career grand slam if he adds the Wanamaker Trophy to a CV that already lists wins at the Masters, US Open and Open. Masters champ and world number one Scottie Scheffler could complete the second leg of a calendar grand slam. Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka could join the likes of Byron Nelson and Seve as a five-time major winner; the pair could also join Gene Sarazen and Sam Snead as a three-time PGA champ. As for Tiger ... well, he couldn’t win major number 16, and his second hobbling around on one leg, could he?
This is before we get to Collin Morikawa, Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Hideki Matsuyama, Cam Smith, Viktor Hovland, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, DJ, Shane Lowry, Matt Fitzpatrick, Will Zalatoris ... well, we could be here all day. Actually, we will be here all day, starting our coverage when the marquee match of McIlroy, Spieth and Woods go out just after 2pm BST. It’s going to be a long one. The LIV tour can do one. It’s on!
Tee times (USA Unless stated, All times BST)
Starting at hole 1
13:00 John Daly, Shaun Micheel, Yong-Eun Yang (Kor)
13:11 Matthew Borchert, Takumi Kanaya (Jpn), Troy Merritt
13:22 Dean Burmester (Rsa), Chris Kirk, Kyle Mendoza
13:33 Sam Horsfield (Eng), Nic Ishee, Guillermo Mito Pereira (Chi),
13:44 Shaun Norris (Rsa), Carlos Ortiz (Mex), Kevin Streelman
13:55 Cameron Davis (Aus), Rikuya Hoshino (Jpn), Matt Kuchar
14:06 Stewart Cink, Jason Dufner, Padraig Harrington (Irl)
14:17 Abraham Ancer (Mex), Thomas Pieters (Bel), Kramer Hickok
14:28 Richard Bland (Eng), Garrick Higgo (Rsa), Matt Jones (Aus)
14:39 Tom Hoge, Si Woo Kim (Kor), Beau Hossler
14:50 Ryan Fox (Nzl), Pablo Larrazabal (Spa), Shawn Warren
15:01 Yuki Inamori (Jpn), Sebastian Munoz (Col), Zac Oakley
15:12 Bio Kim (Kor), Casey Pyne, Brendan Steele
18:30 Ryan Brehm, Min-Woo Lee (Aus), Wyatt Worthington II
18:41 Justin Harding (Rsa), Nicolai Hoejgaard (Den), Sean McCarty
18:52 Adam Hadwin (Can), Hudson Swafford, Cameron Tringale
19:03 Brooks Koepka, Shane Lowry (Irl), Adam Scott (Aus)
19:14 Patrick Cantlay, Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas
19:25 Jason Day (Aus), Rickie Fowler, Harold Varner III
19:36 Collin Morikawa, Jon Rahm (Spa), Scottie Scheffler
19:47 Daniel Berger, Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa), Ian Poulter (Eng)
19:58 Tommy Fleetwood (Eng), Billy Horschel, Kevin Kisner
20:09 Matthew Fitzpatrick (Eng), Sergio Garcia (Spa), Charl Schwartzel (Rsa)
20:20 Harry Higgs, Joaquin Niemann (Chi), Erik van Rooyen (Rsa)
20:31 Alex Beach, Jhonattan Vegas (Ven), Bernd Wiesberger (Aut)
20:42 Jared Jones, Aaron Wise, Joel Dahmen
Starting at hole 10
13:05 Robert MacIntyre (Sco), Alexander Noren (Swe), Ryan Palmer
13:16 Adria Arnaus (Spa), Colin Inglis, Jinichiro Kozuma (Jpn)
13:27 Michael Block, Mackenzie Hughes (Can), Sadom Kaewkanjana (Tha)
13:38 Tony Finau, Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), Xander Schauffele
13:49 Bryson DeChambeau , Denny McCarthy, Tyrrell Hatton (Eng), Max Homa
14:00 Viktor Hovland (Nor), Cameron Smith (Aus), Will Zalatoris
14:11 Rory McIlroy (NIrl), Jordan Spieth, Tiger Woods
14:22 Patrick Reed, Justin Rose (Eng), Bubba Watson
14:33 Lucas Glover, Kevin Na, Daniel van Tonder (Rsa)
14:44 Sam Burns, Davis Riley, Cameron Young
14:55 Francesco Molinari (Ita), Lee Westwood (Eng), Gary Woodland
15:06 Oliver Bekker (Rsa), Brian Harman, Ryan Vermeer
15:17 Laurie Canter (Eng), Lanto Griffin, Dylan Newman
18:25 Brandon Bingaman, Talor Gooch, Ryosuke Kinoshita (Jpn)
18:36 Tim Feenstra, Anirban Lahiri (Ind), Kyoung-Hoon Lee (Kor)
18:47 Rich Beem, Alex Cejka (Ger), Jesse Mueller
18:58 Seamus Power (Irl), Russell Knox (Sco), Scott Stallings
19:09 Christiaan Bezuidenhout (Rsa), Corey Conners (Can), Jason Kokrak
19:20 Keegan Bradley, Martin Kaymer (Ger), Marc Leishman (Aus)
19:31 Cameron Champ, Russell Henley, Zach Johnson
19:42 Branden Grace (Rsa), Webb Simpson, Henrik Stenson (Swe)
19:53 J. J. Spaun, Sepp Straka (Aut), Adam Schenk
20:04 Joo-Hyung Kim (Kor), Keith Mitchell, Matthew Wolff
20:15 Lucas Herbert (Aus), Austin Hurt, Chad Ramey
20:26 Tyler Collet, Chan Kim, Maverick McNealy
20:37 Paul Dickinson, Patton Kizzire, Luke List
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