Scheffler Leads Crowded Pack While Rory McIlroy Struggles

Scottie Scheffler stayed incredibly cool under pressure to grab a share of the lead, and he currently sits at the top with six other players at Aronimink. This crowded leaderboard makes the PGA Championship wide open for anyone to win, especially since Scheffler finished his first round with a very solid three-under-par 67 on Thursday. 

Although he hit a rough patch with a bogey on the fourteenth hole, he bounced back immediately with a great birdie on the sixteenth. Meanwhile, young Aldrich Potgieter also shot a 67 to join the lead and mentioned that the quiet morning helped him find a good rhythm early. Former winner Martin Kaymer joined the leaders after a nearly perfect eagle, eventually tapping in for birdie on his final hole to stay tied.

Stephan Jaeger, Min Woo Lee, and Ryo Hisatsune are also leading while Alex Smalley rounds out the top seven after playing some very steady golf. This means the top of the pack is packed with talent today, but the day was much harder for some of the biggest names in the sport. Rory McIlroy really struggled to find his rhythm during his frustrating opening round as he ran into serious trouble with five bogeys over his last few holes.

His drives kept landing in the deep rough, which made it hard to score well and left him looking visibly upset with his putting. On the other hand, Jordan Spieth started his quest for the slam well by holding the lead briefly, though he dropped two shots late in the day.

Similarly, Jon Rahm gave the fans something to cheer about when he holed a shot from 98 yards away for a thrilling eagle. Daniel Brown also wowed the crowd with a long hole-out earlier that day, while players like Brooks Koepka and Jason Day remain close to the lead. 

In contrast, Bryson DeChambeau had a morning he would rather quickly forget after finishing with a six-over 76 due to a series of bad breaks. One of his putts actually rolled fifty-two feet away from the hole, and Garrick Higgo also had a weird day after showing up late to play. He took a two-shot penalty but still managed to finish under par because his caddie was reportedly screaming for him to get to the tee.

Fans are excited to see if Scheffler can keep up his great form, but a huge group of players is breathing right down his neck now. The second round will likely bring even more surprises and big shifts as everyone braces for a very intense weekend of high-stakes major golf.