Scottie Scheffler secured a share of the first-round lead at the PGA Championship as Rory McIlroy endured a difficult opening day, finishing seven strokes off the pace. Scheffler was among the last groups to complete their rounds at Aronimink Golf Club in southwest Philadelphia, where low scores proved hard to come by.
Scheffler’s Steady Start
The world number one ended the day at three under par, part of a seven-way tie at the top of a congested leaderboard. Among those sharing the lead was Germany’s Martin Kaymer, 12 years removed from his last major victory. A record 33 players sit within two shots of the lead, surpassing the previous high of 28 at the 1993 Open Championship, including 12 major champions.
Scheffler began steadily but dropped a shot at the fifth hole. He responded with back-to-back birdies at six and seven before salvaging par from a greenside bunker at the challenging 245-yard par-three eighth. A third birdie came from 28 feet on the 10th hole, moving him to two under, and he joined the leading pack with another at the 11th.
Despite cutting a frustrated figure across the front nine, Scheffler’s ascent up the leaderboard carried an air of inevitability. A birdie at the 16th cancelled out a bogey at the 14th, ensuring 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.
Strong Contenders in Pursuit
The defending champion was part of a strong trio alongside Matt Fitzpatrick and Justin Rose, both inside the top seven of the world rankings. Rose bogeyed the third and sixth holes but recovered with birdies at the 13th and 14th, chipping in from a bunker to delight the crowd. Fitzpatrick carded 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 at the ninth—are one shot off the lead. No player managed to break clear with a low score as Aronimink bared its teeth, allaying fears that it would not challenge the world’s best golfers.
The enormous, undulating greens proved a stiff examination, making avoiding bogeys the priority. McIlroy had predicted the course would be a “bash driver down and figure it out” layout, but he paid the price for straying into the rough, admitting it was more penal than expected.
McIlroy’s Troubles
The Northern Irishman, bidding to win back-to-back majors and a seventh overall, finished his round with four successive bogeys and five bogeys in the last six holes. Wayward tee shots decimated his card, leaving him at four over par. After bogeying the first and birdieing the second, McIlroy reeled off 10 straight pars before a rollercoaster back nine left him with work to do. As the late starters turned for home, McIlroy headed to the practice range to address his driving issues.
His playing partners Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth are among the large group at one under par. Rahm pitched in from 98 yards for eagle at the second (his 11th) to banish a frustrating start and finished with consecutive birdies.
