The opening day of the US PGA Championship produced a logjam at the top, with seven players tied for the lead on three under par. Scottie Scheffler, who shot a 67, was among them, while a further 42 players were within three shots of the lead. The size of the chasing pack was a record for a major championship.
Rory McIlroy endured a difficult day, finishing on four over after four consecutive bogeys at the end of his round. The Northern Irishman conceded that his pre-tournament strategy of simply bashing the driver had been misguided, admitting that his opening drive found rough so deep he could only advance the ball a hundred yards.
The Aronimink course, which last hosted a major in 1962, played its part in the scoring congestion. Laid out around a natural basin, it features canted fairways and cambered greens that left players struggling for balance. The slow pace of play was also a factor, with rounds taking five and a half hours.
Bryson DeChambeau finished six over after a round that included a shot into the grandstand, another onto the porch steps of a bar, and a 30-foot putt that rolled 60 feet past the hole. Garrick Higgo, meanwhile, recovered from a two-shot penalty for arriving late to post a 69.
Jordan Spieth and Jon Rahm both finished on one under, while Xander Schauffele and Patrick Reed were among those on two under. They all trail the leading group, which also includes Aldrich Potgieter, Stephan Jaeger, Min Woo Lee, Ryo Hisatsune, Martin Kaymer and Alex Smalley.
