Scottie Scheffler Takes Early Lead at PGA Championship
Scottie Scheffler claimed a share of the first-round lead at the PGA Championship, while Rory McIlroy struggled on a challenging day at Aronimink Golf Club in south-west Philadelphia. Scheffler, one of the last groups to tee off, ended his round three under par, joining a group of seven players at the top of a tightly packed leaderboard.
Martin Kaymer, a German golfer and two-time major winner, was among those in contention, 12 years after his last major victory. A record 33 players are within two shots of the lead, surpassing the previous high of 28 at the 1993 Open. This includes 12 major champions, highlighting the competitiveness of the event.
Scheffler started his round steadily but dropped a shot at the fifth hole. He made a strong move with back-to-back birdies at holes six and seven. A crucial moment came at the eighth hole, where he chipped out of a greenside bunker to save par. Another birdie on the 10th hole brought him to two under par, and he joined the leading pack with another birdie on the 11th.
As the world No. 1 for his 156th consecutive week, Scheffler showed frustration during the front nine, but his climb up the leaderboard felt inevitable. A birdie on the 16th hole canceled out a bogey on the 14th, ensuring that the four-time major winner held at least a share of the lead after the first round of a major championship for the first time.
The defending champion was grouped with Matt Fitzpatrick and Justin Rose, both ranked in the top seven of the world rankings. Rose bogeyed holes three and six but recovered with a birdie on the 13th and another on the 14th, chipping in from a bunker to the delight of the crowd. Fitzpatrick started with 13 straight pars before a bogey and a birdie left him at even par.
Major winners Xander Schauffele, Patrick Reed, and Shane Lowry, who chipped in for an eagle on the ninth hole, are just one shot off the lead. Despite the difficulty of the course, no player managed to break away with a low score as Aronimink proved to be a stern test for the world’s best golfers.
The large, undulating greens made avoiding bogeys a priority. McIlroy had anticipated a “bash driver down and figure it out” course, but he paid the price for straying into the rough. The penalty for such mistakes was more severe than expected, leaving the Northern Irishman four over par after a difficult round.
McIlroy, aiming to win back-to-back majors and a seventh overall, finished his round with four consecutive bogeys and five of the last six holes over par. After bogeying the first hole and birdieing the second, he went on a streak of 10 straight pars before a turbulent back nine left him with work to do.
As the late starters began their rounds, McIlroy was on the practice range trying to find solutions to his driving issues. His playing partners, Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth, were among the many players at one under par. Rahm, who pitched in from 98 yards for an eagle on the second hole, finished with consecutive birdies after a frustrating start.
The PGA Championship continues to showcase the depth of talent and the challenges posed by the course. With a tightly contested leaderboard and several top players struggling, the competition promises to be fierce in the coming days.
