Despite a closing bogey, Ryan Gerard’s early 5-under 66 propelled him to the top of the leaderboard as the morning wave concluded at the 107th PGA Championship on Thursday. The PGA Tour rookie erased the frustration of his final hole with a stretch of four consecutive birdies starting on the par-5 10th at Quail Hollow Club.
Gerard, a former University of North Carolina golfer, had a different experience on the demanding 18th hole compared to a team visit in 2018. He recalled a lengthy practice session where the team had to play the hole until all six members completed it without a bogey. “We were all out there quite a while,” Gerard chuckled.
While his final hole yesterday resulted in a bogey, Gerard still celebrated a stellar opening round in his first PGA Championship appearance.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler experienced his own difficulties, carding his first-ever opening-round double-bogey in a major on the par-4 16th. The hole proved equally troublesome for his playing partners, Xander Schauffele and Rory McIlroy, who also recorded double-bogeys. Scheffler quipped, “I kept the honor (at the 17th tee) with making a double on a hole and I think that will probably be the first and last time I do that in my career.”
Both Scheffler and Schauffele attributed their wayward shots to mud balls. Despite the setback, Scheffler recovered to play the remaining 11 holes in 2-under, finishing at even par. “I did a good job of battling back today and not letting a bad break, which cost me a couple of shots, get to me,” Scheffler said.
The scoring in this year’s opening round was notably lower than the last PGA Championship held at Quail Hollow in 2017. Then, the first-round lead was 67, with only 24 players under par and just 14 in the 60s. In contrast, Thursday’s morning wave saw 27 players break par, with 18 posting scores in the 60s.
Ryan Fox of New Zealand, who earned his spot with a victory at the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic on Sunday, carded a 4-under 67. He looks to continue his strong record at the PGA Championship, having made the cut in five of his previous appearances.
The starting hole significantly impacted scoring. The 39 players who began on the 505-yard, par-4 first hole played to a combined 17-over par, recording 16 bogeys and one double-bogey against a lone birdie by Alex Noren. The 592-yard, par-5 10th proved much easier, yielding 17 birdies and just four bogeys for a combined 13-under. Noren’s birdie came courtesy of a 21-foot putt after a precise 186-yard approach.
Keegan Bradley matched his best opening round in 13 PGA Championships with a 3-under 68. He admitted to being pleased to see his friend and future Ryder Cup opposing captain, Luke Donald, near the top of the leaderboard at 4-under 67.
Donald’s 67 marked his lowest round in a PGA Championship since a 66 in the final round at Kiawah Island in 2014. While Donald has ruled himself out of playing in the upcoming Ryder Cup, Bradley is still evaluating his chances. “I’ve sort of set a timetable of the U.S. Open to kind of reevaluate . . . but as of right now, I’m not anywhere near making the team. As I’ve said a million times, I’m acting as if I am the captain, not playing at this point.”
Tom Johnson, a PGA Director of Instruction, described his 3-over 74 as a “good, hard fight.” He finished strong with a brilliant drive and 5-iron to the demanding 18th hole, though he missed the birdie putt. “But it was my best hole of the day, a perfect way to finish,” Johnson said. His score was the lowest among members of the Corebridge Financial Team in the morning wave, and the longtime PGA of America Golf Professional hopes his finish provides momentum for the second round.
