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RECAP: PGA Championship – Day 1

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2 years ago

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The first day of the 103rd PGA Championship is over, and there are plenty of things to go over. Everything from a course record to incredible shots, to questions about what the future holds for one of the game’s biggest legends to one of the sport’s youngest stars provided storylines through the first round.

Here’s our raw, uncut, and unrated recap of Day 1:

Stellar Schauffele Performance Takes the Foreground

Xander Schauffele was spectacular today — there’s no denying it. A -9 62 was enough to capture not only the lead, but a three-shot advantage over Tony Finau and Sahith Theegala, and a course record.

Schauffele has had a knack of finding the leaderboard at tournaments early, only to fizzle away. There’s no questioning that today he was on his game, but the soft conditions early on definitely benefitted the players with morning tee times. A vast majority of the top ten held AM tee times on Thursday. Greens were soft, and conditions provided green lights for players.

The question remains: Will Schauffele finally find his Major breakthrough? Or will it be another “What if” in a career that has a few of them?

Scottie Scheffler, Like It or Not, Is Never Out of It

In his first hole as a father, Scottie Scheffler holed out from 169 yards for Eagle. It was a surprise, but then again, it wasn’t.

Scheffler entered the week as the favorite to win his first PGA Championship, holding strong odds over Rory McIlroy. Scheffler shot a three-under front nine and only a one-under back nine, and an opening 67 is more than enough to put him in the mix.

Tomorrow, Scheffler will tee off in the morning when rain is expected. Conditions could be more challenging, but they could also soften up the course, providing more adversity to afternoon tee times where the rain is expected to be more persistent and disruptive.

Rory McIlroy’s Best Chance to Win a Major is This Weekend

There’s no avoiding the fact that Rory McIlroy’s biggest headline of the week is not about golf. With that being said, he looks more focused and motivated than ever.

Plenty of people on X have also brought up the fact that the last time a McIlroy relationship ended, he won a few Major Championships shortly after. Without being superstitious, McIlroy put himself in prime position to be right there on Friday.

Rory was nearly perfect on Thursday, with only one bogey. He’s tied for fifth, four back of the lead, and playing great golf, coming into the PGA with back-to-back wins. If the drought is to end, it is this weekend.

Tiger Woods Needs Perfection to Be in the Running for a Major Championship

Tiger Woods is still a good golfer. But to win Major Championships, you need to be great.

Woods is dealing with a lot more than other players, and while he is still capable of competing with the world’s best, it is becoming more and more evident that in order to be in the mix at one of the Majors, he is going to have to play nearly perfect.

How much perfect does he have left? That’s the true question.

Woods has to deal with his past ailments: a bad back, a bionic leg, a bad foot, and what seems to be general wear and tear for someone his age.

If this is the weekend he makes history again, it is going to take three rounds of vintage golf from Woods to be right there on Sunday.

What in the World is Going On with Jon Rahm?

Jon Rahm left the PGA TOUR last year for LIV Golf, and he had quite the season leading up to that point: a Masters Title and four wins total. He was also the only player on Earth even remotely close to Scottie Scheffler for World #1.

It is no secret he has struggled since. At The Masters, he really never was in the mix. Although he made the cut, his T45 with a +9 was not what he wanted, and in his first six holes at the PGA Championship, he had four bogeys.

It took a birdie barrage on the back nine to get back to a respectable 70, good enough for -1. In his final six holes, he fired four birdies.

Rahm is in the middle of the pack in terms of his LIV peers, with Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau leading the way at -4 and -3, respectively.

Cover Image via The Courier-Journal

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Joey Klender is a reporter covering Equipment, Footwear, and Apparel. A huge golf fan, he calls a certain week in April his favorite of the year. Inspired by the likes of Woods, Palmer, McIlroy, and Koepka, Joey plays over 100 times a year in the South Central Pennsylvania area. When he isn't golfing, he is probably thinking about golfing, but he might be watching other sports, writing, or playing poker.

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