Xander Schauffele wasted no time at Valhalla on Thursday morning.
Schauffele went low to kick off the 106th PGA Championship. He posted a course-record 9-under 62 to grab an early three-shot lead over the field when he hit the clubhouse. His bogey-free round tied the lowest round in major championship history, something he’s now done twice.
Schauffele finished in second last week at the Wells Fargo Championship, which marked his eighth top-10 finish so far this season on the PGA Tour. He hasn’t won a major championship yet in his career, but he’s inside the top 20 at ever major since 2019. By all accounts, he’s due.
Though his early lead was impressive, it likely won’t hold. There’s still a lot of golf to be played on Thursday, let alone the rest of the week in Louisville.
There’s plenty of other burning questions to be answered this week, too. Will Brooks Koepka be able to repeat? Will Tiger Woods’ body hold up? And how many heaters will John Daly fire up during his round? (Let’s put the over-under at four.)
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The plight of Xander
Here’s what Xander Schauffele is trying to overcome:
No, he hasn’t won a major yet, but he’s ALWAYS in contention. Outside of two missed cuts (Masters 2022, PGA 2021) and a T41 at the 2019 Open, he’s finished inside the top 20 at every major since 2019 — 17 of the last 20. That includes nine top 10s.
He’s got the game to win, he just needs to finish.
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Rory has cooled off
After a hot start, things have cooled off for Rory McIlroy, but he did manage to salvage par after making a mess of the 18th:
(PGA) He’ll make the turn 1-under, four back of Schauffele.
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Tiger makes turn at +1
Tiger finally hit a fairway and … couldn’t convert. Put his second on the par 5 over the green, hit a poor chip, leaving himself with a lengthy birdie putt that he could not convert.
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Here comes Tony
Tony Finau has entered the mix, with four birdies in his first six holes.
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Another birdie for Xander
Xander Schauffele cards yet another birdie, his fifth on the day, and will make the turn at 31 — 5-under — two shots in front of everyone else.
The key so far: hitting the fairway. He’s made a couple lengthy putts, but for the most part he’s hitting fairways, darting his approaches and draining good looks at birdie.
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Tiger Woods is absolutely …
Scrambling … another lengthy par save a No. 17. He doesn’t have the driver working, but he certainly has the flat stick working. If he can find the green in regulation, the birdies might just come.
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Xander to the top
Xander Schauffele is off to a tremendous start in his quest to win his first major. He’s birdied four of his first seven holes to take the solo lead at 4-under.
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Gotta hit the fairway …
A bogey for Tiger at 15 after missing the fairway with his tee shot. That forced another layup, and he wasn’t able to make the lengthy par save.
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Big names showing up
There are birdies to be had at Valhalla, with a collection of big names already at 3-under. That includes: Xander Schauffele, Jordan Speith and Viktor Hovland.
Already, 20 players are under par.
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Another for Rory … and Xander
Rory McIlroy (so far) is picking up where he left off last week. Another birdie at 13 puts him at -2 and atop the leaderboard with … Xander Schauffele and Doug Ghim.
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