Xander Schauffele sent records tumbling after firing a superb nine-under-par 62 during the first round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla.
Schauffele, still chasing his first Major triumph, finished runner-up to Rory McIlroy at last week's Wells Fargo Championship but buried those demons with a remarkable display in benign Lousiville conditions.
The bogey-free round featured nine birdies and saw the World No.3 become the first person to shoot a 62 in the PGA Championship.
In addition, Schauffele's exploits saw him break Valhalla's course record - previously set by Jose Maria Olazabal in 2000 - and become the first player to shoot multiples scores of 62 in men's Major championship history.
"It's a great start to a big tournament. One I'm obviously always going to take. [But] it's just Thursday," he reflected after the round.
"I feel there's spurts, moments in time where you feel like you can control the ball really well; you're seeing the greens really well; you're chipping really well. I'd say it's very close to it if not it [the best golf of my career].
"I think not winning makes you want to win more, as weird as that is. For me, at least, I react to it, and I want it more and more and more, and it makes me want to work harder and harder and harder. The top feels far away, and I feel like I have a lot of work to do. But just slowly chipping away at it."
Beginning his round on the back nine, Schauffele got up and running with a tap-in birdie at the par-3 11th before finding another on the 13th. The American, though, kept his foot on the pedal and made three further birdies in his next five holes to cover his first nine in just 31 strokes and take the lead on -5.
pic.twitter.com/yb9gWjkcwDMay 16, 2024
With rain falling heavily on the course prior to the tournament, fairways were soft and greens receptive. And Schauffele, who also carded a 62 at last year's US Open, continued to take Valhalla apart as he made the turn, notching up birdies on 2, 4 and 5 to tie Olzabal's course record.
But the 30-year-old went one better than the Spaniard, taking care of the par-5 7th to register his ninth birdie of the day before finishing par-par on his final two holes to secure a record-breaking 61 and put himself in pole position heading into the final three rounds.
Closest behind Schauffele from Thursday's early wave are fellow countrymen Tony Finau and Sahith Theegala, while Rory McIlroy and Scotland's Bob MacIntyre are also in hot pursuit.
