Key events
The marquee group begin their journey along the Green Mile, Quail Hollow’s famous closing three-hole stretch. Rory gets a big break on the monster 535-yard par-four 16th as he sends a big hook towards the water down the left. His ball hits a tree trunk and stays dry. But it’s not that big a break, because it’s snagged in thick oomska on a steep bank. Hacking out hard, his back foot gives way mid-swing and he can only advance the ball into the lighter rough nearer the top of the bank. He sends his third into rough to the right of the green, unwilling to take too many chances with the water again. Trouble here. Then from the centre of the fairway, both Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele yank their approaches into the deep blue! On Sky, Wayne Riley speculates that those jaw-dropping unforced errors may be the result of mud balls, some of Quail Hollow still pretty saturated with the rain from earlier this week. Everyone in trouble here.
A pretty busy leaderboard. Stephan Jaeger and Rasmus Højgaard joining the party.
-3: Donald (11), Fox (10*), Echavarria (8), Jaeger (7), Fitzpatrick (6*), Højgaard (6*), Bradley (4*)
-2: Puig (10), Noren (10), Smalley (9*), Fleetwood (8*), Rahm (6*), Lee (6*), Scheffler (6*), Burns (4*), Lower (2*)
Texas wedges for both Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler, just off the front of the par-five 15th. Rory up first, and he leaves his a little short. That’s given Scottie the read, and he doesn’t need telling twice. Straight into the cup – well, with a little left-to-right slide – and that’s an eagle that catapults him up the standings to -2. McIlroy cleans up for birdie to move back into red numbers. Just a par for Xander Schauffele. Meanwhile a first backward step of the day for Tommy Fleetwood, with bogey at 17. He’s -2.
The 30-year-old Colombian Nico Echavarría is here as a result of winning the Zozo Championship in Japan last season. He’s grabbing the opportunity with both hands: birdies at 4, 7 and 8 whisk him up to the top of the leaderboard at -3. Meanwhile there’s a huge stroke of luck for Rory McIlroy at the par-five 15th; he nearly hooks his drive into the water down the left, but the lush grass grabs the ball before it trickles into the hazard. Not only does he have a stance, he’s also got a decent lie, and is able to swish his second towards the green, where it stops just short. He’d have taken this outcome when he was watching his tee shot sail towards the briny.
The marquee group end up making a bit of a mess of the short par-four 14th. Scottie Scheffler putts up from the bottom of the swale, but leaves himself ten feet short, and can’t make the birdie putt. A disappointing par after a fine tee shot. Rory McIlroy swishes a soft-hands wedge down from the bank to eight feet, but stabs erratically at the birdie putt and has to settle for par. So in a strange way, it’s Xander Schauffele who ends up the least frustrated: having found water from the tee, he does extremely well to pitch to ten feet or so from the dropzone, and though he doesn’t make the par saver, he’s limited the damage to bogey. All three are at level par for their round.
Luke Donald walks in a 30-footer on 10, and the English veteran joins the leaders at -3! Over to you, Keegan Bradley … and the battle of the Ryder Cup captains continues apace, as he sends his tee shot at the 206-yard 13th to four-and-a-half feet! In goes the putt, and anything you can do, etc. They’re joined by the 2023 US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick, who birdies the par-five 15th. Fitzpatrick is going round with Jon Rahm, who also brides to move to -2. Quite the surprise leaderboard here!
-3: Donald (10), Fox (9*), Fleetwood (6*), Fitzpatrick (6*), Bradley (4*)
A third birdie in a row for Tommy Fleetwood! This one at 15, and Southport’s finest, so often the major-championship bridesmaid, grabs a share of the early lead.
-3: Fox (9*), Fleetwood (6*)
-2: Donald (9), Noren (8), Echavarria (7), Fitzpatrick (5*), Jaeger (6), R Højgaard (5*), Bradley (3*)
Anything the European Ryder Cup captain can do, the US Ryder Cup captain can match. Keegan Bradley joins his opposite number Luke Donald at -2, after making birdies at 10 and 12. Meanwhile a second birdie of the day for Rasmus Højlund, at 14, and the Dane moves to -2 as well. However the nightmare continues for Shane Lowry: bogeys at 15 and 16 and he’s +3 already, and playing with a face on. Last weekend’s final-green capitulation hanging over him like a cloud.
The defending champion goes fishing. Xander Schauffele pulls his tee shot at the driveable par-four 14th into the drink down the left. Rory goes the other way, his ball sticking in the thick rough on the bank to the right. “Argh! Didn’t get the kick left!” he cries in anguish. Scottie Scheffler, unflappable, nearly finds the greenside sand but settles on the fringe instead.
Scheffler’s short game is digging the world number one out of a hole. He chips to eight feet, a decent result seeing he was wedging blind from the bottom of the bank. He’s still got some work to do, but strokes home the putt with admirable chill, given it had plenty of right-to-left break. He remains at level par. Pars again for McIlroy and Schauffele. Not too many fireworks from the marquee group so far.
Reports of Scottie Scheffler’s recovery may have been premature. At the par-three 13th, he sends his tee shot down a swale 35 yards to the right of the green. On Sky Sports, Wayne Riley suggests that might have been very close to the hosel. Nick Dougherty also dances very carefully around the S-word. This is pretty strange, because that’s three genuinely awful shots now, two from the tee box, one from the middle of the fairway. He looks troubled. Mind, it’s still one up on getting your collar felt.
Tommy Fleetwood looks in the mood. He follows up that birdie at 13 with another at 14, steering in a downhill left-to-right swinger from 20 feet. Just 67 holes from destiny.
-3: Fox (8*)
-2: Donald (8), Noren (7), Fleetwood (5*), Greyserman (2*)
Here’s why Scottie Scheffler is world number one: the man is unflappable. He’s been all over the shop early doors, almost blading a shot from the centre of a fairway into a bunker, hoicking a drive deep into woodland. And now his approach at 12 takes a hot bounce through the back of the green. No matter! He clips a calm wedge back up, a perfectly judged chip that scampers into the hole. Bounce-back birdie and the early damage has been repaired in short order. He’s level par again.
Slow starts dept. Shane Lowry, perhaps still smarting from his 72nd-green meltdown at the Truist Championship last weekend, bogeys 13. He’s +1, as is Bob MacIntyre after dropping a stroke at 2. Rickie Fowler bogeys 12 and 13 to drop to +2. Patrick Cantlay follows bogey at 11 with double at 12, the latter the result of a wild drive into trees down the left; he’s +3. And Phil Mickelson flays his tee shot at the driveable par-four 14th into water on the left, but manages to salvage bogey, his second of the day after 12; he’s +2.
Another birdie for Luke Donald! This one at 8, reward for a wedge sent from 70 yards to five feet. In pops the putt, and the 47-year-old moves to within a shot of the early leader Ryan Fox. There’s a huge group currently at -1, featuring some big names: the 2008 winner Padraig Harrington, his compatriot Seamus Power, Tommy Fleetwood, Jason Day, Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick, Rasmus Højgaard and the defending Xander Schauffele.
-3: Fox (7*)
-2: Donald (8)
Scottie Scheffler seems strangely out of sorts. He’s not faced with the hardest up and down at 11, but clips his chip into the ridge running across the green, taking all the momentum away. He’s left himself a putt from the best part of 15 feet. He can’t make the right-to-left slider and doesn’t look particularly happy. He’s +1. Bogey too for Rory McIlroy, who three-putts carelessly – an overly aggressive first putt doing the real damage – and slips back to level par. But a no-fuss par for Xander Schauffele, the defending champion remaining at -1.
Birdie for Tommy Fleetwood at the par-three 13th. He’s still looking for his first win on the PGA Tour. This would be a decent time to break that duck.
… but Scottie catches a break! A decent lie and a route under the branches to the green. He fires out low and sends his ball scampering towards the apron. That’s a decent result all told, and he’ll have a chance to get up and down from the front for his par. Rory meanwhile has found sand down the left of the fairway and Xander the fairway; both find the green in regulation, albeit not particularly close to the flag. Outside chances for birdie.
Scottie Scheffler always entertains with a little soft-shoe shuffle as he lets rip with the driver. But this time his feet are way too busy on the downswing, and he nearly loses his balance completely, yanking his ball down a bank to the left of 11 and towards some trees. That’s his second wild shot already. A slow start for Scottie.
Opening birdie for Rory McIlroy! He swishes out of the thick rough elegantly, from 30 yards to ten feet. He steers in the gentle left-to-right slider, and the pre-tournament favourite is immediately into red figures. Scottie Scheffler power-splashes out from the fairway bunker to a similar distance, but putts through the break and has to make do with par. Xander Schauffele gets up and down from the swale at the front without fuss and he moves to -1 alongside Rory.
The 2015 champion Jason Day is re-emerging as a force in the majors, coming off the back of a top-ten finish at Augusta. The 37-year-old Aussie chips in at 11 to join the group at -1. Jon Rahm, in the group behind, rolls in a 30-footer on 11 and the two-time major champion is -1 as well.
Schauffele has an awkward stance, balancing on the edge of a fairway bunker. But he’s obviously been at the old core-strength exercises, because he stays steady and creams his second just off the front of the long par-five 10th. A good chance to get up and down for an opening birdie there. Not so much Scottie or Rory, the former sending a skittish second into a bunker 40 yards short of the green, the latter dunking his into the lush greenside rough. It’s sunny today, but it’s been raining all week in Charlotte, North Carolina, and that vegetation is juicy. A slight look of concern on both of their faces.
The morning marquee group is out. The new Masters champion Rory McIlroy, the defending champion and reigning Open champion Xander Schauffele, and the world number one Scottie Scheffler. Rory batters his drive furthest, but he’s in the rough down the right of the fairway. Scheffler a few yards behind him but in prime position. Schauffele in decent nick as well.
Ryan Fox often hovers around on the fringes of the action in the majors. Never quite putting four rounds together. No top-ten finishes as a result. Yet. The 38-year-old New Zealander opened with birdies at 10 and 13, and has just driven the green at the short par-four 14th. He’s left with an 84-foot putt from the fringe at the back, but cosies it up to four feet and makes his birdie putt. Meanwhile Alex Noren follows up birdie at 1 with another at 4, and the veteran Swede is on Foxy’s tail.
-3: Fox (5*)
-2: Noren (4)
-1: Donald (5), Poston (2), Fitzpatrick (1*)
The European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald hit the first shot of this PGA Championship this morning. He started out with three pars, then at the 185-yard par-four 4th, sent a gentle draw to four feet, and tidied up for birdie. Donald never won a major during his pomp, despite reaching number one in the world, and the 47-year-old most likely won’t be breaking that duck this week. But just for a moment, he had his nose out in front early doors.
Preamble
Welcome to our coverage of the 107th edition of the PGA Championship from Quail Hollow Rory McIlroy Country Club (© Jordan Spieth, all rights reserved). No need for us to bang on, because look who’s out in 20 minutes or so. All tee-times USA unless stated, all times BST. It’s on!
Starting at hole 1
12.00 Luke Donald (Eng), Padraig Harrington (Irl), Martin Kaymer (Ger)
12.11 Taylor Moore, David Puig (Spa), John Somers
12.22 Nic Ishee, Kurt Kitayama, Alexander Noren (Swe)
12.33 Ryo Hisatsune (Jpn), Tom Johnson, JT Poston
12.44 Bud Cauley, Nicolas Echavarria (Col), Davis Thompson
12.55 Thomas Detry (Bel), Harris English, Michael Kim
13.06 Stephan Jaeger (Ger), Chris Kirk, Robert MacIntyre (Sco)
13.17 Laurie Canter (Eng), Thorbjoern Olesen (Den), Karl Vilips (Aus)
13.28 Rico Hoey (Phi), Si-Woo Kim (Kor), Sam Stevens
13.39 Robert Gates, Ben Griffin, Lee Hodges
13.50 Nick Dunlap, Harry Hall (Eng), Thriston Lawrence (Rsa)
14.01 Ryan Gerard, Greg Koch, Marco Penge (Eng)
14.12 Dylan Newman, Victor Perez (Fra), Daniel van Tonder (Rsa)
17.30 Michael Kartrude, Jake Knapp, Sami Valimaki (Fin)
17.41 Michael Block, Mackenzie Hughes (Can), Erik van Rooyen (Rsa)
17.52 Lucas Glover, Max Homa, Joaquin Niemann (Chi)
18.03 Tyrrell Hatton (Eng), Adam Scott (Aus), Will Zalatoris
18.14 Dustin Johnson, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas
18.25 Ludvig Aaberg (Swe), Patrick Reed, Jordan Spieth
18.36 Wyndham Clark, Joo-Hyung Kim (Kor), Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn)
18.47 Bryson DeChambeau, Viktor Hovland (Nor), Gary Woodland
18.58 Daniel Berger, Sergio Garcia (Spa), Russell Henley
19.09 Brian Harman, Justin Rose (Eng), Cameron Smith (Aus)
19.20 Brandon Bingaman, Sung-Jae Im (Kor), Davis Riley
19.31 Christiaan Bezuidenhout (Rsa), Takumi Kanaya (Jpn), Tom McKibbin (NIrl)
19.42 Beau Hossler, Keita Nakajima (Jpn), Timothy Wiseman
Starting at hole 10
12.05 Ryan Fox (Nzl), Justin B. Hicks, John Parry (Eng)
12.16 Andre Chi, Patrick Fishburn, Seamus Power (Irl)
12.27 Max McGreevy, Sepp Straka (Aut), Sahith Theegala
12.38 Rickie Fowler, Brooks Koepka, Shane Lowry (Irl)
12.49 Jason Day (Aus), Tommy Fleetwood (Eng), Phil Mickelson
13.00 Patrick Cantlay, Matthew Fitzpatrick (Eng), Jon Rahm (Spa)
13.11 Corey Conners (Can), Rasmus Hoejgaard (Den), Min-Woo Lee (Aus)
13.22 Rory McIlroy (NIrl), Xander Schauffele, Scottie Scheffler
13.33 Tony Finau, Max Greyserman, Nicolai Hoejgaard (Den)
13.44 Keegan Bradley, Maverick McNealy, Andrew Novak
13.55 Akshay Bhatia, Sam Burns, Denny McCarthy
14.06 John Catlin, Jesse Droemer, Garrick Higgo (Rsa)
14.17 Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra (Spa), Justin Lower, Rupe Taylor
17.25 Adam Hadwin (Can), Keith Mitchell, Bob Sowards
17.36 Eric Cole, Cameron Davis (Aus), Eric Steger
17.47 Brian Bergstol, Jacob Bridgeman, Austin Eckroat
17.58 Byeong-Hun An (Kor), Niklas Noergaard (Den), JJ Spaun
18.09 Dean Burmester (Rsa), Patrick Rodgers, Nick Taylor (Can)
18.20 Joe Highsmith, Aaron Rai (Eng), Cameron Young
18.31 Tom Hoge, Matthieu Pavon (Fra), Taylor Pendrith (Can)
18.42 Patton Kizzire, Matt McCarty, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (Den)
18.53 Richard Bland (Eng), Tyler Collet, Jimmy Walker
19.04 Jason Dufner, Shaun Micheel, Michael Thorbjornsen
19.15 Rafael Campos (Pur), Ryan Lenahan, Matt Wallace (Eng)
19.26 Brian Campbell, Elvis Smylie (Aus), Jhonattan Vegas (Ven)
19.37 Larkin Gross, Johnny Keefer, Chun-An Yu (Tai)
