CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The opening round of the PGA Championship didn’t quite meet expectations on Thursday.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler finished at 2-under, while Rory McIlroy struggled with a 3-over and defending champion Xander Schauffele came in at 1-over, resulting in a collective score of 2-over for the day.
Despite the scores, Scheffler enjoyed playing alongside his fellow stars. “It’s a tremendous amount of fun playing the top three people in the world together, especially when we’re up against the best competition,” he mentioned. McIlroy claimed two majors last year and Schauffele also had a remarkable run.
He noted that the group had great energy from the crowd, adding, “Hopefully, tomorrow will be better. We all had a tough moment on the same hole, the 16th, where each of us recorded a double bogey. Those moments can really stall your momentum.”
This made Scheffler the “honor” holder at the 17th tee, even after that double bogey. He humorously remarked, “I guess I’ll have the honor of making doubles on that hole, though I hope it doesn’t become a regular thing unless we face crazy weather.”
After their round, Scheffler and Schauffele talked with reporters, but McIlroy declined to do so, as is often the case following a less-than-ideal performance.
Eric Cole managed to score a hole-in-one on the par-3 force hole, carding a 1-under 70. He described it as his second ace on the PGA Tour, saying, “It was kind of a gamble on the club choice, but I hit a stronger draw than usual to account for the wind.”
Two club pros from Long Island had a tougher time on the course.
Andre Chi, the assistant pro at Deepdale, played his first major and shot an 82, finishing at 11-over. Meanwhile, Dylan Newman from Meadowbrook, in his second PGA outing, carded a 4-over 75.
Max Glazerman from Short Hills, New Jersey, shot an even 71, while Cam Young from Westchester ended up at 2-over after some early birdies.
California club pro Michael Brock shot a 4-over 75, a performance reminiscent of his tie for 15th in the 2023 PGA.
Phil Mickelson struggled significantly, finishing at 8-over 79 during the first round.
Meanwhile, Adam Scott, 44, impressed with a 2-under, marking his 95th consecutive major championship appearance since the 2001 British Open. Only Jack Nicklaus has more consecutive appearances, totaling 146 from 1962 to 1998.
Tom Watson ranks third on that list with 87 appearances.
Co-leader Aussie Cam Davis played in his 33rd major championship on Thursday, and before that round, he had only recorded a score under 70 three times.
At the close of the major championship round, he found himself in the top five. Historically, ten Australians have led or co-led at the end of the PGA Championship rounds, including names like Stuart Appleby, Jason Day, and Scott himself, with the most recent being during the final round of the 2015 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, where Scott emerged victorious.
