Here’s how the top of the leaderboard looks after a sensational Moving Day. Impressive contributions by all of the leading players, but the lion’s share of the glory must go to Shane Lowry, who hauled himself into serious contention after a record-equalling round of 62. An inch away from becoming the first man to shoot 61 in a major. A putting performance for the ages. Hope to see you tomorrow for what promises to be an entertaining race for the tape. Thanks for reading!
-15: Morikawa, Schauffele
-14: Theegala
-13: Lowry, DeChambeau, Hovland
-12: Rose, MacIntyre
-11: Burmester
-10: Detry, Eckroat, English, Finau, Thomas, Hodges
-9: Moore, Bradley, Herbert
-8: Matsuyama, Kim, McIlroy, Henley, Spieth
Morikawa rolls in his ten-foot birdie effort. A slight left-to-right drift, worked out perfectly. He moves to -15 first, so will be going out in the last group. Scheffele will go round with him tomorrow, rattling in his birdie putt. Theegala makes his as well, and he’ll be out in the penultimate group with Shane Lowry, the first man to post -13.
-15: Morikawa (F), Schauffele (F)
-14: Theegala (F)
-13: Lowry (F), DeChambeau (F), Hovland (F)
Theegala has to negotiate a big ridge running across the green. It gives his downhill 40-footer a huge right-to-left swing. He lags it up to a couple of feet. He’ll also surely be tapping in for birdie. But let’s see.
Morikawa up first. He effortlessly knocks his wedge to ten feet, and will have a good look at birdie. Schauffele next. His chip is a much more careful bump-and-run than DeChambeau’s swashbuckling race at the hole. The ball stops a couple of feet short. He’ll surely tidy up for birdie; if he doesn’t he may not sleep well tonight. Theegala then measures up his putt. A fair bit of working out to do.
Sahith Theegala splits 18, then creams a 5-wood over the flag from 250 yards. He almost hits it too well, the ball nearly rolling off the back of the green, but the fringe nudges it back onto the dancefloor. Only just, though, and he’ll have a long downhill putt for his eagle. Xander Schauffele, also from the fairway, sends his ball to DeChambeau Country. That’s almost the exact spot Bryson chipped in from. Collin Morikawa, having found the lush stuff to the right of the track, lays up. Some big chips and putts coming up; they’ll go some way to deciding the pairings tomorrow.
Scottie Scheffler gets up and down from the bunker guarding the front of 18. A birdie to close an extremely disappointing day. The round jiggered after that 4-6-4-5 start, four shots gone in the first four holes. He ends with a 73, his first round over par of the calendar year, and his first in 42. The crowd still chant his name with great verve and warmth – Scottie! Scottie! Scottie! – and he wanders off with a smile, despite the events of yesterday morning catching up with him on delay. He’s -6 overall.
Two-putt pars on 17 for Collin Morikawa and Sahith Theegala. But it’s a birdie for Xander Schauffele, who regains a share of the lead he’s held for most of the week.
-14: Morikawa (17), Schauffele (16)
-13: Lowry (F), DeChambeau (F), Hovland (F), Theegala (17)
-12: Rose (F), MacIntyre (F)
This is seriously impressive stuff from Xander Schauffele, who looked like he was rocking after that double bogey on 15 and errant drive at 16. But he scrambled his par on 16 and now sends his second at 17 from 140 yards to four feet. A huge chance to grab a shot back.
Viktor Hovland will have gone to school on the line of DeChambeau’s chip … but he didn’t learn anything. His eagle putt dies off to the left. Just a birdie, and he finishes the day at -13 after a round of 66. Last year’s runner-up striving to go one better.
Never mind an eminently achievable up and down for Bryson DeChambeau: how about a chip in?! A lovely crisp wedge onto the edge of the green, the ball releasing and rolling out on its little right-to-left path to the hole. He pumps the air with a fist and shouts “let’s go!” with great feeling. An eagle to set the seal on a 67, and he’ll finish the day level with Shane Lowry at -13!
Viktor Hovland eases a 3-wood into the front of 18. His ball comes to rest pin high, and he’ll have a reasonably straight look at eagle from 18 feet. Bryson DeChambeau takes his turn – just a 5-iron! – and also lands pin high, albeit off the green to the right. It should be an eminently achievable up and down, though.
All three members of the final group make their par at 16. Collin Morikawa will be the happiest, getting up and down from thick greenside nonsense thanks to an adroit whip out of the cabbage. Meanwhile up on 18, Dean Burmester three-putts for par, which is not as egregious as it sounds as his first one was from 85 feet and featured a huge left-to-right swing over the shoulder of a bunker. A 68 and he’s -11. Tony Finau lags up from 6o feet and taps in for birdie and a 69. He’s -10 going into Sunday.
Bob MacIntyre speaks to Sky, and doesn’t seem to be putting too much pressure on himself as he strives to become Scotland’s first major champion in a quarter of a century. “I’m in uncharted waters just now … but I’m playing nicely … it’s a difficult golf course … we’re trying our best … last week I was in with a chance and it didn’t happen … I’m trying to learn from that … hopefully tomorrow I can go out there and control myself … who knows … wing it and see how it goes!”
Birdie up the last for Bob MacIntyre, who completes a back nine of 33 for a 66. He’s -12 and he’s got a genuine chance of becoming the first Scottish major win since Paul Lawrie landed the 1999 Open. Meanwhile hats off to Xander Schauffele for his moxie on 16; he powers his second from thick rough into the front of the green, while Collin Morikawa, from a much more promising position in the first cut on the left, slashes his second into thick cabbage to the right of the green. Sahith Theegala is on in two drama-free strokes.
Viktor Hovland and Austin Eckroat take turns to send their second shots at 17 spinning to a couple of feet. Approaches right out of the top drawer! The Hov moves to -12; Eckroat, who has now made four birdies in six, rises to -10. Meanwhile on 16, Xander Schauffele, head swimming after the three-shot swing on 15, sends his tee shot carving off towards the thick stuff down the right. So often consumed by nerves over the closing stretch of the big ones, he’s got to be careful here, and hang on in there.
Collin Morikawa doesn’t hit his six-footer with any confidence. A ginger prod that spins all the way around the edge of the cup. But the ball eventually drops. Morikawa has the good grace to wear the expression of a man who knows he’s gotten away with one. But you earn your luck as well, and he was the only player in the group who did his job properly from the middle of the fairway. Theegala didn’t pay for his mistake; Schauffele certainly did. It’s all change at the top!
-14: Morikawa (15)
-13: Lowry (F), Schauffele (15), Theegala (15)
-12: Rose (F)
-11: MacIntyre (17), Burmester (17), English (17), DeChambeau (16), Hovland (16)
Compare and contrast: Sahith Theegala, from thick stuff at the back of 15, just like Schauffele, whips confidently. A high lob that lands on the fringe, then releases towards the cup on an inexorable journey towards the hole! In it plops, and that’s a birdie that brings him up to -13 … and that’s a share of the lead, because Schauffele can’t make his bogey putt, and that’s his first double of the week. Only the second hole on which he’s dropped a shot. What a huge unforced mistake! Over to Morikawa, who has the opportunity for a birdie that’d give him the lead on his own …
A birdie-birdie finish for Brooks Koepka. But it’s only damage limitation for the defending champion, who cards a disappointing 74 and won’t be retaining his title. He’s -4 overall. Meanwhile Xander Schauffele finds his ball all tangled up in thick rough. He doesn’t commit to the chip – to be fair, there’s water on the other side of the green – and he duffs it. His second effort squirts out, but he’ll need to sink a 15-footer to limit the damage to bogey.
… so having said that, Sahith Theegala flies his second over the flag and into the thick stuff at the back. Third time lucky for Collin Morikawa? Yep! One of the best iron players in the world clips his pin high to six feet. A fair chance we could be tied at the top pretty soon.
A careful two-putt par for Bob MacIntyre from the back of 17. Then a big mistake from the leader Xander Schauffele on 15: from the centre of the fairway, he pulls a 9-iron long into the gallery back left of the green. That’ll give his playing partners Collin Morikawa and Sahith Theegala succour ahead of their wedges in.
Another rake, this time across the par-three 14th, and Xander Schauffele suddenly has a two-shot lead! That’ll be a dagger in the heart of Collin Morikawa, whose similar effort from downtown was always stopping short. He has to make do with par; Sahith Theegala is much happier with his, having flopped out elegantly from a grassy knoll to the right of the green.
-15: Schauffele (14)
-13: Lowry (F), Morikawa (14)
-12: Rose (F), Theegala (14)
-11: MacIntyre (16), English (16), DeChambeau (15), Hovland (15)
Justin Thomas is this close to raking in a 20-footer for eagle on 18. He taps in for birdie, and signs for an excellent 67. He’s -10 overall, and in with a chance to adding to his 2017 and 2022 wins on home soil. A great showing for a player who’s been out of touch for a while. Keegan Bradley can’t make his eagle putt, and settles for birdie and a 68 that sees him end the day at -9.
A couple of Europe’s big names move to -11. Viktor Hovland, reward for a stunning approach into 15; Bob MacIntyre, who rakes one in on 16. Meanwhile one of the shots of the day up on 18, as 2011 champ Keegan Bradley fizzes a fairway wood straight at the flag, leaving himself an uphill ten-footer for eagle. What Shane Lowry would have given for that half an hour ago. If Bradley makes his putt, he’ll finish the day at -10 and will be in very good nick for a second Wanamaker Trophy tomorrow.
Hey, anyone remember Spangles Scottie Scheffler? The star of yesterday’s news cycle stumbled out of the traps today with that godawful 4-6-4-5 start, and has never really recovered. The big man has fought hard, but it’s been one step forward, one step back since then. Birdie at 7, bogey at 8. Birdie at 10, bogey at 11. Birdie at 13, now bogey at 14. He batters his shoe with his putter, and must be wishing for his ill-fated tournament to end. He’s -6.
Yep, as Shane reminds us, 62s are all good and well, but there’s still a major championship to be contested here. To this end, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa and Sahith Theegala surround the pin again, this time at 13. It was a one-in-three success rate on 11. Any better here? Well, Morikawa misses his effort from 15 feet, the ball staying high on the left. Theegala makes his again, though, a downhill effort from similar range. That’s his fourth birdie in five holes! Finally Schauffele steps up and … misses. These putting competitions have been good news for Theegala, who has made both of his birdie chances, his two playing partners failing to make either of theirs. Schauffele is -14, with Morikawa one behind and Theegala now just two off the lead.
An extremely content Shane Lowry speaks to Sky Sports. “I just went out there trying to get to double digits … I got off to a great start … rolling putts in … it felt great … I really enjoyed it … me and Justin Rose had a really great day … there’s still a lot to do tomorrow … we both birdied four of the first five … I was laughing because I couldn’t get the honour off him! … whenever I made a birdie, he made a birdie … yeah it was just an enjoyable day … one of those you’ll remember … yeah, it was good! … I just need to go out tomorrow and fight hard … fight to the very end … I’ve been in this position a few times before … once it’s gone my way, a couple of times it hasn’t … I know what to do … I’ll give it everything I have and hopefully at the end of the day it’s pretty good.”
A birdie for Rory McIlroy at the last. It’s a fine 68, but it promised so much more, and at -8 you’d suspect he’s too far back to launch a genuine charge tomorrow, unless he unlocks his inner Schauffele-Lowry and cards something in the very low 60s. Meanwhile on 15 Bob MacIntyre’s birdie putt shaves the lip and he remains at -10. On that subject … “It’s about time we had another Scottish major champion,” begins Simon McMahon, “and if Bob MacIntyre brings it home I’ll be claiming him as an honorary Dundonian, seeing as Oban and Dundee share an almost identical latitude on opposite sides of the country. Perhaps surprisingly, Dundee is actually slightly further north, at 56.46 degrees, with Oban at 56.41. This is all fairly niche, granted, but hey, it’s Saturday night, and in the absence of any alligator and snake fights, sometimes you’ve got to make your own entertainment.”
Hey, let’s not bring the destructive PGA rivalry of Croc v Snake into this again. Instead, how about the breakout star of yesterday’s coverage? Li’l Tort! He loves you.
Just taking in some Major Championship golf on a Friday afternoon. 🐢 pic.twitter.com/mmo0zMJ4GC
— PGA of America (@PGA) May 17, 2024
Justin Rose makes his birdie putt, and the pair embrace warmly. Of course, Shane Lowry wouldn’t be human if he didn’t feel a little pang of disappointment – chances to create history don’t come along every day, and he was only a couple of millimetres away from record-breaking glory – but he waltzes off on air anyway. A round of 62. Another round of 62! On a different day, we’d be eulogising Rose’s 64! Actually, we can still hail that, too. Rose is pretty chuffed as well, and the pair take their leave. They’ll be involved tomorrow. Seriously involved. What a match! (The third member of the group, let the record state, was Jason Day, who carded a respectable 69.)
-14: Schauffele (11)
-13: Lowry (F), Morikawa (11)
-12: Rose (F)
-11: DeChambeau (13), Burmester (13), Theegala (11)
-10: MacIntyre (14), Finau (14), English (13), Hovland (13), Detry (12)
Shane Lowry shoots record-equalling 62!
… ach, it’s always missing by the width of a dimple or two on the right. But that’s still a record-equalling 62. He looks agonised, scrunching his eyes closed, staring a thousand yards away, as history slips through his fingers. Sort of. Thing is, he’s still one of only four men to shoot 62 in a major, and that’s not a bad consolation! A smile eventually plays across his face, and the brief disappointment quickly leaves him. A huge grin now. What a round! What a day! He’s right in this tournament now!
Before Shane Lowry can take a shy at rewriting the record books, Justin Rose has a 60-foot downhill eagle putt with a 20-foot right-to-left break. He does pretty well to nurdle it down to four feet, but that’s not a gimme. Over to Lowry, who prowls around his putt. He eventually steps up, and …
Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa and Sahith Theegala surround the flag at 11. Three birdie chances. The leading pair can’t make theirs, but Theegala tickles his in, and that’s a third birdie in a row for the popular 26-year-old Californian. After the pain of those bogeys at 5 and 6, he’s hauled himself right back into this at -10.
Shane Lowry gives himself a shot at 61! He puts those soft hands to work, and swishes his wedge high into the green. Over the flag. It lands ten feet behind the hole. He’ll have a tricky downhill dribbler. Jordan Spieth made practically the same putt half an hour ago. Can Lowry make history? It’s just a shot away, it’s just a shot away.
Shane Lowry’s drive wasn’t that errant, you know. A 303-yard bash, only just off the fairway to the right. But in the thick stuff. He’ll surely not be going for the green in two. But he’s having a wee think about it. Nope, common sense prevails and out comes the iron. However he doesn’t execute the lay-up well, adrenaline perhaps playing a part in sending the ball a wee bit too far, and into the first cut on the left-hand side of the fairway. Not a disaster, but he’ll not be getting much spin from there, and as Nick Dougherty dryly puts it on Sky: “Hmm, that’s sub-optimal.” Henni Koyack adds: “It’s extra sub-optimal because of where the pin is located, tucked behind that bunker.”
Back on 10, Xander Schauffele sends a tramliner into the cup from distance. A second birdie of the day, and he steps clear at the top again. Birdie for Collin Morikawa too, from much closer range. Meanwhile on 18, Justin Rose splits the fairway with his drive. Position A. What he’d give for an eagle! The chance to become the first English player to win the PGA since Jim Barnes in 1919 would be seriously on then. But again, we’re getting way, way, way ahead of ourselves. Dreaming is permitted, mind.
-14: Schauffele (10)
-13: Lowry (17), Morikawa (10)
-11: Rose (17), Burmester (13), Finau (12)
Shane Lowry pegs up at 18. One pearled drive down the middle is all that’s required … but his drive fades towards the water down the right. It’s not heading into the drink, thankfully, but it’s in the cabbage and he’ll not be able to take a shy for the green with his second. It’ll be a lay-up, and then over to his genius with the wedge. Birdie still not out of the question.
Shane Lowry paces around his six-footer on 17. A long process. He calms himself down and rolls it in. Birdie! Par up the last and he’s tying Xander Schauffele’s championship record of 62. A birdie, and he’ll become the first man to shoot 61 in a major! GOD SPEED. Oh, and he’s now jointly in the lead at -13, but never mind that for now. Justin Rose meanwhile is happy with his par, having got up and down from sand to scramble. He’s -11.
Meanwhile a three-putt bogey for Rory McIlroy at 16, and that flat stick has really betrayed him on the back nine. It was good for a while. He’s -7 and wears the look of a man who knows he’s let a great chance slip in the last hour or two.
Shane Lowry finds the centre of the fairway at 17, and takes full advantage. He screeches his second to a halt, pin high, six feet from the cup. A huge look at birdie coming up! If this goes in … if this goes in … whisper it … if this goes in, he’d just need a very gettable birdie up the par-five 18th for a record-breaking 61! But we’re getting ahead of ourselves here. Go on, Shane, though. God speed.
The crowd erupts at the par-three 14, as the local hero Justin Thomas, stuck up a bank to the side of the green, holes out! He whips his ball high, landing it onto the edge of the dancefloor, using the camber to roll out towards the flag and in. He’s -9. And more bedlam on 12, as Tony Finau rakes one in from downtown and gently celebrates his fourth birdie in a row with one raised finger. He’s -11. This is great fun!
Grayson Murray nearly aces the short par-four 4th! He creams his drive straight at the flag. A couple of bounces and a skip, and the ball deflects off the flag and glances away to the left. A couple of millimetres to the right, and that ball was hitting the stick flush, and dropping for the most sensational of shots: the albatross hole-in-one! But it wasn’t to be. So, so close to glory for the 30-year-old from Raleigh, North Carolina!
A fine end to the day for Jordan Spieth. He sends his wedge at 18 over the flag, landing it 30 feet past and spinning it back spectacularly to ten. He tickles in the birdie putt, and that’s a round of 67 to go with two 69s. Should the leaders not make too many advances, he’ll be within striking distance tomorrow if he shoots super-low. The career slam still on! He’s -8. And speaking of the leaders, it’s yet another par for Xander Schauffele, this time at 9, and he turns in a solidly unspectacular 34. He remains at -13.
A solid par for Shane Lowry at 16, one of the hardest holes on the course, the par-four playing at 4.2 on average this week. He’d have taken it, though he’ll still be slightly miffed at leaving his uphill 40-foot putt a couple of turns short. Had he given it slightly more juice, he’d have most likely drained another monster. He stays put at -12, one off Xander Schauffele’s lead.
Bryson DeChambeau stands over a six-foot birdie putt at 10. A slight bobble but the ball looks like heading straight in. He takes a step to walk it in, only for the ball to kink off to the right and lip out. A three-putt par in the end. Great disappointment for Bryson, who stays at -10; great delight for Tony Finau however, as he joins him at -10 with his third birdie in a row, the latest at 11. After a very average first eight holes, the 34-year-old major nearly-man has suddenly hauled himself right back into contention.
Birdie at 10 for the big-hitting South African Dean Burmester. The 34-year-old, nicknamed Mean Dean, isn’t going away. He moves into a share of fourth at -11 with Justin Rose.
Braden Shattuck is one of just two club pros to make it to the weekend. He’s not quite living the Michael Block dream of last year, but the Director of Instruction at Rolling Green Golf Club in Springfield, Pennsylvania has just birdied three holes in a row, 16, 17 and 18, to complete the back nine in 33 strokes and rise up the rankings to -4. Still plenty of time for that Blockian hole-in-one and 15th-placed finish!
Rory McIlroy’s putter has gone stone cold. Those near misses on 11 and 12 cooled it off badly. Now he horseshoes out from eight feet, failing to complete a sandy par. He slips back to -8, and knocks his head back, Pez-dispenser-style, in despair. Meanwhile Shane Lowry nearly holes out from the back of 15 with the most delicate of chips. He’ll take that par, though, and the 61 dream is still on. Justin Rose meanwhile screeches his approach at the same hole to a few inches, and tickles in the birdie putt to move to -11.
Jordan Spieth isn’t done quite yet. He nearly eagles 17, his approach from 165 yards stopping six inches away from the cup. He’ll move to -7. Meanwhile Shane Lowry leans down into the sand at 15 and whistles a brave second over the flag. His ball bounces off the back and into some thick rough, but Lowry famously has soft hands, so all is not lost yet.
Shane Lowry finds a bunker down the right of 15 with a low, skiddy tee shot. He’d snatch your hand off to escape this hole with par now, surely. He’s currently -8 for his round today, and just needs one more birdie on the way home to equal Xander Schauffele’s PGA Championship record round of 62, shot two days ago. If he can somehow pick up a couple of shots, though, he’d break new ground for the men in the majors. Ireland already has one 61 in the majors, of course: Leona Maguire shot one at the Evian three years ago. A second would be just peachy. Come on, Shane. God speed.
Shane Lowry rakes in a 40-footer across 14 to grab a share of the lead! But he only gets to keep it for a few seconds, because back on 7, Xander Schauffele makes his first birdie in 15 holes, and is now the sole leader of the PGA. Birdie meanwhile for Bob MacIntyre on 10, the reward for a delicate lob from the thick fringe at the back of the green.
-13: Schauffele (7)
-12: Lowry (14), Morikawa (7)
-10: Rose (14), MacIntyre (10), Burmester (9), English (9), DeChambeau (9), Hovland (9)
-9: McIlroy (13), Thomas (11), Hubbard (8)
Birdie for Harris English at 9, and he’s turning in 32 strokes. The 34-year-old Georgian rises to -10. Meanwhile back on 7, Collin Morikawa’s approach is short of the green, and his chip up isn’t all that. A disappointing par on the second-easiest hole today. And here’s a stat from Sky which we’ll quote while we can. There are 21 players currently within four shots of the lead. We started the day with just 11. But now …
Justin Thomas, having knocked his tee shot at 11 pin high to six feet, leaves his putt out on the high side. Rory McIlroy meanwhile lets a birdie effort leak away on the low side on 13. Two former champions depart their respective scenes in a funk. Chances slide away.
Back-to-back birdies for Viktor Hovland. This one, at 8, brings last year’s runner-up to -10. Some more succour for Scottie Scheffler as well, as he birdies 7, getting up and down from sand, to return to -7. He’s still two over for his round today, something worth keeping an eye on: he’s not yet shot a round over par this calendar year.
Consecutive bogeys for Sahith Theegala. Always out of position after a wild drive at 6. He’s back to -8. But Shane Lowry’s heading in the right direction! His second into 13 isn’t all that – he wants some backspin he’s not getting, and leaves himself a tricky 30-foot downhill oscillator. But he guides it in! He knows it’s dropping before it actually does, and raises a fist in triumph. He’s one off the lead! And Justin Rose, whose chip in was much better, tidies up from close range for a birdie of his own. The pair nod at each other in delight. What a leaderboard!
-12: Schauffele (6), Morikawa (6)
-11: Lowry (13)
-10: Rose (13), DeChambeau (8), Burmester (8)
-9: McIlroy (12), Thomas (10), MacIntyre (8), English (8), Hovland (7), Hubbard (6), Detry (6)
Max Homa is putting in a late application for serious involvement. Birdies at 9, 12 and now 15, and he’s up to -7. Meanwhile it’s the second near miss in a row for Rory McIlroy, whose birdie putt at 12 slithers past from ten feet. Shame after a fine approach. But for a millimetre on 11, and another here, he’d have carded six birdies in a row. The small margins. He remains at -9.
Viktor Hovland has been quiet so far today. A run of six pars to start his round. But he rolls in a 12-footer on the par-five 7th, and rises to -9. Birdie for his playing partner Bryson DeChambeau, too, his of the bounceback variety. A crisp chip up to a couple of feet and the 2020 US Open champ is back to -10. Meanwhile Xander Schauffele leaves a straight birdie putt short on 6. On Sky, Paul McGinley points out that the co-leader has now gone 14 consecutive holes without a birdie. That opening-day 62 suddenly seems a long time ago. But there are worse places to be, sat atop a major-championship leaderboard with a cold putter.
Birdie for Collin Morikawa at 5, and he joins Xander Schauffele at the top of the leaderboard. Meanwhile Justin Thomas makes his birdie putt on 9 and turns in 32. A third PGA title is very much on! But McIlroy’s effort on 11, a left-to-right swinger from ten feet or so, looks like dropping before suddenly failing to keep turning and lipping out. So close. And it’s back-to-back birdies for Bob MacIntyre, who drains a 25-footer on the par-three 8th to get right back into this. An exciting – and, it has to be said, fairly bunched-up – leaderboard!
-12: Schauffele (5), Morikawa (5)
-10: Lowry (11), Burmester (7)
-9: Rose (11), McIlroy (11), Thomas (9), MacIntyre (8), English (7), DeChambeau (6), Hubbard (6), Detry (6), Theegala (5)
A really careless bogey by Sahith Theegala on 5. From the centre of the fairway, 100 yards out, he shoves his wedge into sand, then blades the one coming out. He does pretty well to lag his putt from 50 feet to kick-in distance, limiting the damage to bogey. Meanwhile Thomas Detry can’t get up and down from sand at 6 and slips to -9. An eagle now sandwiched by a couple of bogeys. And birdie for 2011 champion Keegan Bradley at 9. He turns in 33 at -8.
The local hero Justin Thomas nearly slam-dunks in for eagle at 9. Did his ball clatter the flagstick or simply land inches from the cup before spinning back dramatically? Time at last for that long-put-off visit to the opticians, I think, but you get the idea either way. That was close. And he’ll have a short putt to move to -9. Meanwhile McIlroy sends his tee shot at 11 over the flag and a fifth birdie in a row is just a fairly straight ten-foot par away.
It’s four birdies in a row for Rory McIlroy. He clatters his second at the par-five 10th into the fringe at the back of the green. He chips delicately to a couple of feet, and now the 2012 and 2014 champion is right in this. Meanwhile a birdie for Bob MacIntyre on 7. No visit to the hospitality box today, and his reward is a climb to -8.
Trouble for Bryson DeChambeau at 6. He sends his tee shot into trouble down the right, and can only advance his second into further nonsense. He ends up doing very well to get up and down from the apron, limiting the damage to bogey. He slips back to -9.
Scottie Scheffler bounces back in style! His approach into 5 isn’t the best – landing pin high then spinning back 15 feet – but the putt is a doozy. Straight into the middle of the cup, and he’s back up to -6. An inviting par-five coming up for the Masters champion, too. Plenty of stories still to be told here on Moving Day, especially with the leading pair of Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa both level par for their rounds through 4.
-12: Schauffele (4)
-11: Morikawa (4)
-10: Lowry (10), Burmester (6), DeChambeau (5), Detry (5), Theegala (4)
-9: Rose (10), Hubbard (5)
-8: McIlroy (9), Thomas (8), Herbert (8), English (6), Finau (6), Hovland (5)
Rory McIlroy is also made of the right stuff, of course. We just haven’t seen it too much in the majors during the last ten years. Or certainly not as much as we should have. But here he is, righting some wrongs. Today’s slow start long forgotten as he sends his approach at 10 from 157 yards to three feet, before tidying up for his third birdie in a row. After that sluggish opening, he’s sparked into life and is turning in 32. He’s -8 and back in this! If he can post something, with Scheffler struggling back at -5, the leading pack may begin to feel a strange cooling sensation travelling up and down the spine.
Scottie Scheffler is made of the right stuff. Like that’s breaking news. He gathers himself amid the tumult and rolls in the bogey putt, and that means statisticians worldwide can stand down: we don’t have to ask when he last made two double-bogeys in three holes. But that’s four shots gone in four holes, which is odd enough. A start of 4-6-4-5 for the best player in the world, and therefore we must conclude that golf, dear friends, is difficult.
This is getting truly ugly for Scottie Scheffler. He works out where to take his penalty drop, just inside the cart path but in thick rough. He attempts to flip his ball up onto the green, but wafts under it. As the ball flops apologetically into more rough a few feet ahead, Scheffler’s head hangs. How he could do with his regular caddie to prop him up here, but Ted Scott isn’t about today. If ever a player needed his trusted wingman, it’s Scottie Scheffler, right here, right now, after all of yesterday’s mentally draining excursions. Poor Scottie. He chips his second effort up to 12 feet, but there’s work to do to limit the damage to bogey.
Thomas Detry finished up with eagle yesterday. He makes another here, chipping in from the fairway at 4, and all of a sudden the Belgian is right in the mix at -10! He’s joined there by Burmester, who birdies 5. Everyone starting to make some scores again!
Scottie Scheffler’s woes continue. He opens his shoulders at the short par-four 4th and gives the tee shot his all … only to pull his ball over the punters down the left, over a cart path and picket fence, and into a hazard just short of a creek. He’ll take a penalty drop, but with so many variables to consider, he’ll need a ruling and this will take some working out. Perhaps this is yesterday morning’s chickens sadly coming home to roost, after that adrenaline-fuelled post-arrest 66.
Shane Lowry out in 29!
It’s back-to-back birdies for Rory McIlroy! His tee shot at the par-three 8th is decent but not brilliant; straight but a little short. No matter! He rolls in a 20-footer and maybe his bid to quench that major thirst isn’t over yet! Actually, no maybes about it, he’s -7. And more good news for Irish golf, as Shane Lowry plays 9 in the most acceptably boring style: a couple of straight shots, a straight putt from 12 feet, and he’s turning in 29 strokes! Sensational from the 2019 Open champ!
-12: Schauffele (3)
-11: Morikawa (3)
-10: Lowry (9), DeChambeau (4) Theegala (3)
Birdie at 7 for Rory McIlroy, reward for launching his second into the heart of the par-five. Bounceback birdie for Collin Morikawa at 3, a delicate chip from the fringe, over the shoulder of a bunker. But just a par for Bryson DeChambeau at the 297-yard par-four 4th. It’ll feel like a bogey, if the look of disappointment written across his face is anything to go by.
They’ve just shown footage of Koepka’s missed bogey putt on 5. A weird one. A simple tap-in from a couple of feet that somehow does the full 360 around the rim and stubbornly refuses to drop. Wow. The earlier burst of low scoring has eased off a little bit. Meanwhile Adam Hirst argues that Scheffler’s apparent demise today matters not a jot, as all the serious work had been successfully completed yesterday: “Can we all agree that having walked out of the slammer straight to the course and shot a 66 in a major is undoubtedly the greatest round of golf in human history? It’s what stag-do golfing dreams are made of.”
Scottie Scheffler’s tee shot into 3 isn’t all that. On the green, but only just, and a long, long way from the pin. His first putt stops eight feet short, and the attempt to save par is always missing to the left. Another shot gone, and the world number one is three over for his round through three holes. He’s -6. Meanwhile a careless three-putt bogey for Collin Morikawa at 2. But a fine birdie for the local hero Justin Thomas, at 6, and the two-time champion rises to -7.
Brooks Koepka has already defended the PGA Championship once in his career. It’s looking increasingly unlikely that he’ll repeat that trick this week. The reigning champion went into the day nicely placed at -7, but having dropped a stroke at the 1st, he’s compounded the error with a three-putt triple-bogey at 5. He slips back into the pack at -4. Ah well, he’ll always have Oak Hill. And Bellerive. And Bethpage Black.
Bob MacIntyre stemmed the bleeding with that staunch par save at 3. Now he’s started turning the ship around, finding a greenside bunker with his tee shot at the shortened par-four 4th and nearly holing out for eagle. He tidies up to move back to -7, and this entry has been a mixed-metaphor masterclass.
Patrick Reed slam-dunks a 77-yard chip straight into the cup at 18. A most elegant way to turn an over-par back nine into a one-under 35. The erstwhile Masters champion is -4.
Scottie Scheffler is both the world’s best golfer and one big strong dude. But even he can’t gouge his ball out of the thick oomska down the left of the 2nd green. He gets it halfway up the hill. His second attempt comes out hot, the ball flying 30 feet past the flag and only just staying on the green. Two putts later and that’s a double bogey. Not a single shot played well, and you have to wonder if the travails of yesterday are about to take their toll in a delayed whammy. Scottie’s -7.
Shane Lowry’s not too far away from draining a long eagle putt on 7. Birdie will do. He taps in for his fifth of the day, then his playing partner Justin Rose continues their shot-for-shot routine by rolling in a 12-footer for his fifth birdie today. This is superb stuff from two of Europe’s finest. England’s first win at the PGA since 1919 – or perhaps Ireland’s since 2008 – is a live possibility!
-12: Schauffele (1)
-11: Morikawa (1)
-10: Rose (7), DeChambeau (2), Theegala (1)
-9: Lowry (7), Hubbard (1), Scheffler (1), Detry (1)
In the meantime, Rory McIlroy makes an outrageous escape on 6. Having flown his second down a swale to the back of the green, he does all he can to whip up from thick rough to 15 feet. Shortsided, it was about the best he could do. But in goes the putt! He stays at -5. And back on the 1st, the leader Xander Schauffele chunks a chip from the back of the green. It’s a most uncharacteristic error, but he rolls in the 12-foot par putt he's left himself, a steely reset. He stays one clear of Collin Morikawa at -12.
“Free Scottieeeeeeee!!!” It’s already a thing, isn’t it, and it won’t be going away any time soon. Mashed potato cranked all the way up to 11. The words ring around the course as Scheffler belts his drive at 2 into a fairway bunker down the right. Then he nearly pulls his second into a creek along the left. A big up and down attempt coming along here.
Opening par for Scottie. Slightly disappointing, seeing he’d landed his second pin high to ten feet, and the putt that remained was pretty straight. Meanwhile up on 2, Tony Finau batters a drive 333 yards, then wedges from 131 yards to six feet. In pops the putt, and there’s somebody else moving in the right direction.
-12: Schauffele
-11: Morikawa
-10: DeChambeau (1), Theegala
-9: Rose (6), Finau (2), Hubbard (1), Scheffler (1), Detry (1)
-8: Lowry (5), Herbert (4), English (2), Burmester (2), Eckroat (1), Hovland (1)
-7: Bradley (4), Thomas (4), Wallace (1)
“This could be the lowest scoring day in major-championship history,” opines Sky commentator Paul McGinley. No wind, soft greens, warm sunshine, all that. This being the case, you don’t want to be going backwards too much at any given point. So it’s a big putt for Bob MacIntyre on 3. Having dropped a shot at 2, he’s facing another bogey at 3. Unless he makes a 15-footer, he’ll effectively be making his fourth in his last five holes of play. But in it goes, and Scotland’s only representative here remains at -6.
Updated
Shane Lowry is this close to holding out from a greenside bunker at 6. That’s an end to his run of birdies, though. Tom Hoge drains a monster from downtown on 17, his fourth birdie of the day, and he’s -6. And there are opening birdies for Bryson DeChambeau and Austin Eckroat. A lot of players throwing darts, with the course there for the taking.
Another huge ovation for Scottie Scheffler. He bashes his opening tee shot down the middle of the track. If becoming a new father and jailbird isn’t enough in the way of lifestyle change for the world number one this week, he’s now got to deal with a new caddie as well. Brad Payne, the PGA Tour chaplain, carries his bag, while his full-time looper Ted Scott is absent for the day as he’s attending his daughter’s high-school graduation. Scott is expected back for the final 18.
A fourth birdie in a row for Justin Rose! This one comes after rattling in a 15-footer at 5. He’s going round today with the 2019 Open winner Shane Lowry, and the big Irishman is matching him shot for shot! Four birdies on the bounce as well, between 2 and 5, and holy moly, let’s update the leaderboard for the first time today.
-12: Schauffele
-11: Morikawa
-10: Theegala
-9: Rose (5), Detry, Scheffler, Hubbard, DeChambeau
-8: Lowry (5), Herbert (3), English (1), Burmester (1), Eckroat, Hovland
-7: Wallace (1), MacIntyre (1), Finau (1)
Updated
Jordan Spieth’s dream of completing his major-championship set this week is not yet kaput. The 2015 Masters winner, 2015 US Open winner, and 2017 Open winner crashes his second from 240 yards to eight feet at the par-five 7th, and makes the eagle putt to move to -5. With not much wind and the greens receptive after so much rain, expect a day of low scoring. Someone will surely make a burst from the pack.
Birdie for Rory McIlroy at 4. They’ve moved the tee box up at this already short par-four, and now most of the players can reach the green with a 3-wood. So they’re all going for it, reward with not too much risk involved. It’s playing at an average of 3.4 today, so birdie is closer to par than, er, par. You get the gist. Anyway, that’s the ninth birdie at this hole so far; the other six scores recorded have been pars. Rory’s back to where he started at -5.
Bob MacIntyre was running hot last night. Having found a hospitality area to the left of the 7th, it took the officials 25 minutes to give him a ruling regarding his drop, and though he went on to make his par, his rhythm was lost. Bogeys at 8 and 9 to finish, and he left the course “really annoyed”. His mood wouldn’t have been improved when sending his approach at 1 into the bunker back left of the green, and finding himself with a downhill lie. But he splashed out elegantly to a couple of feet, and tidied up for his par. He remains -7 and perhaps that’s put an end to his sequence of woe.
Robert MacIntyre made par from HERE?! pic.twitter.com/8FfpFSmL9J
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 18, 2024
Hopes are rising for Justin Rose, though. The 2013 US Open champ finished strongly yesterday, back in 32, a brilliant eagle on the last in the gloaming. Hartley Wintney’s finest is taking full advantage of that momentum, and has opened his round today in searing fashion, with birdies at 2, 3 and now 4. All of a sudden, from worrying about the cut yesterday, the 43-year-old Englishman is -8 and very much part of the discussion!
Here we go, then, the start of Moving Day. Or, to put it another way, the point at which Rory McIlroy’s latest bid to end his long major drought starts going south. Hopes had been raised with that fine street-fighting 66 on Thursday, but yesterday’s level-par 71 ceded ground to the leaders. As a result, a low score is required today, with a slow start being of no use whatsoever. And sadly a slow start is exactly what he’s serving up. Bogey at 1 after a visit to a greenside bunker. He’s one-over for his round through 3, and -4 overall.
Preamble
Welcome to Moving Day at the 106th PGA Championship. Here’s how the top of the leaderboard looks after 36 holes (the last few of which were completed after a fog delay this morning) …
-12: Schauffele
-11: Morikawa
-10: Theegala
-9: Detry, Scheffler, Hubbard, DeChambeau
-8: Eckroat, Hovland, Finau, Burmester
-7: English, Wallace, Matsuyama, MacIntyre, Koepka
… here is a list of big name who haven’t made the weekend …
Ludvig Åberg, Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick, Adam Scott, Sam Burns, Sungjae Im, Wyndham Clark, Francesco Molinari and Si Woo Kim; former champions Jason Dufner, Phil Mickelson, YE Yang, Jimmy Walker, Shaun Micheel, Padraig Harrington, Rich Beem, John Daly and Tiger Woods; and the subject of last year’s fairytale, Michael Block.
… and here are today’s tee times. USA unless stated, all times BST. It’s on!
Starting at hole 1
16:28 Max Homa, Cameron Smith (Aus), Jordan Spieth
16:39 Byeong-Hun An (Kor), Alexander Bjoerk (Swe), Maverick McNealy
16:50 Patrick Cantlay, Billy Horschel, Min-Woo Lee (Aus)
17:01 Jason Day (Aus), Shane Lowry (Irl), Justin Rose (Eng)
17:12 Doug Ghim, Rory McIlroy (NIrl), Alejandro Tosti (Arg)
17:23 Lee Hodges, Joo-Hyung Kim (Kor), Alexander Noren (Swe)
17:34 Keegan Bradley, Lucas Herbert (Aus), Justin Thomas
17:45 Brooks Koepka, Taylor Moore, Aaron Rai (Eng)
17:56 Robert MacIntyre (Sco), Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), Matt Wallace (Eng)
18:07 Dean Burmester (Rsa), Harris English, Tony Finau
18:18 Bryson DeChambeau, Austin Eckroat, Viktor Hovland (Nor)
18:29 Thomas Detry (Bel), Mark Hubbard, Scottie Scheffler
18:40 Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, Sahith Theegala
Starting at 10
16:33 Tom Hoge, Kurt Kitayama, Will Zalatoris
16:44 Brice Garnett, Patrick Reed, Jesper Svensson (Swe)
16:55 Luke Donald (Eng), Lucas Glover, Russell Henley
17:06 Zachary Blair, Ryo Hisatsune (Jpn), Adam Svensson (Can)
17:17 Andrew Putnam, Sebastian Soederberg (Swe), Gary Woodland
17:28 Brian Harman, Rasmus Hoejgaard (Den), Cameron Young
17:39 Ben Kohles, Thorbjoern Olesen (Den), Brendon Todd
17:50 Ryan Fox (Nzl), Adam Hadwin (Can), Grayson Murray
18:01 Tyrrell Hatton (Eng), Martin Kaymer (Ger), Jeremy Wells
18:12 Talor Gooch, Jordan Smith (Eng), Erik van Rooyen (Rsa)
18:23 Rickie Fowler, Nicolai Hoejgaard (Den), Joaquin Niemann (Chi)
18:34 Stephan Jaeger (Ger), Seong-Hyeon Kim (Kor), Braden Shattuck
18:45 Corey Conners (Can), Tommy Fleetwood (Eng), Dustin Johnson
