Scheffler shares lead after first day of PGA Championship, McIlroy makes miserable start

[p]South African [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/potgieter-aldrich/YyLIWjwc/"]Aldrich Potgieter[/a], Australian [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lee-min-woo/IwMMLluD/"]Min Woo Lee[/a], American [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/smalley-alex/z1h2TxzH/"]Alex Smalley[/a], Japan's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hisatsune-ryo/bcC14WvA/"]Ryo Hisatsune[/a] and Germans [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jaeger-stephan/hSDmUNMd/"]Stephan Jaeger[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kaymer-martin/zD8IqMQr/"]Martin Kaymer[/a] also shot 67 to share the lead on a wild day at Aronimink.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/scheffler-scottie/bXfIuBYu/"]Scheffler[/a], a four-time major winner, made five birdies against two bogeys and found himself atop the leaderboard after 18 holes for the first time in a major.[/p][p]"[b]But is it really a lead when you're tied with six or seven guys?[/b]" the American wondered.[/p][p]"[b]The golf course was pretty challenging," Scheffler said. "I did a good job staying in it mentally on a course that was difficult at times.[/b]"[/p][p]Scheffler made birdie putts from 38 feet at seven, 28 feet at 10 and just inside nine feet at 11 to share the lead, then answered a three-putt bogey at 14 with a four-foot birdie putt at 16.[/p][embed guid="497dcc9d-32ed-47da-a282-ff55a804eea8" url="https://x.com/PGAChampionship/status/2055038964742975873" social-type="twitter" /][p]Second-ranked Masters winner [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mcilroy-rory/djwanksN/"]Rory McIlroy[/a] was frustrated after a 74, having no problems with his blister-hit right foot but plenty with his golf swing.[/p][p]McIlroy, a back-nine starter, closed with four bogeys in a row and five in his last six holes.[/p][p]"[b]I'm just not driving the ball well enough,[/b]" McIlroy said. "[b]It has been a problem all year for the most part.[/b][/p][p]"[b]That's pretty frustrating, especially when I pride myself on driving the ball well.[/b]"[/p][p]An unlikely group did solve Aronimink's trademark undulating greens, including 23-year-old Hisatsune, who made seven birdies, four of them after each bogey in his round in only his fifth major appearance.[/p][p]"[b]I'm very lucky, especially with a lot of birdies and a lot of bounceback,[/b]" Hisatsune said. "[b]I'm so happy.[/b]"[/p][p]Kaymer, 41, won the 2010 PGA and 2014 US Open but has not had a top-10 major finish in 10 years.[/p][p]"[b]Didn't make many mistakes. Stayed out of trouble,[/b]" Kaymer said. "[b]I avoided big numbers and the rest of it was very consistent.[/b]"[/p][embed guid="41bc0926-7e2d-4999-8b94-ec7fbc67d8a8" url="https://x.com/PGAChampionship/status/2054961844184347111" social-type="twitter" /][p]Jaeger birdied five of the first nine holes but struggled on the back nine.[/p][p]"[b]On the front I hit some fairways and made some nice putts,[/b]" Jaeger said. "[b]Kept it together on the back.[/b]"[/p][p]The only other time two Germans were in the top five of a major round was when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bernard-ryan/prY42b9i/"]Bernard Langer[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cejka-alex/QDPCxJ90/"]Alex Cejka[/a] shared the first-round lead at the 2001 British Open.[/p][p]Potgieter, a 21-year-old South African making his sixth major start, made six birdies, including a 43-foot putt at 11, in his PGA Championship debut.[/p][p]"[b]I definitely left myself in really good positions on the green, made some long putts, so it was nice the putter was warm[/b]," Potgieter said.[/p][p]Lee, a back-nine starter, birdied the fifth and seventh to briefly lead alone before a bogey at the eighth.[/p][p]"[b]Drove the ball really well,[/b]" Lee said. "[b]I played pretty solid all day, didn't get myself in too much trouble.[/b]"[/p][p]One back on 68 were England's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/brown-daniel/hf0QZxGN/"]Daniel Brown[/a], who holed out for eagle from 102 yards in the 11th fairway, plus Canadian [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/conners-corey/SABiQcB3/"]Corey Conners[/a], Ireland's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lowry-shane/pAUj2FN5/"]Shane Lowry[/a] and Americans [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/theegala-sahith/WQd3jNo0/"]Sahith Theegala[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/greyserman-max/OCT1sJvF/"]Max Greyserman[/a], 2018 Masters winner [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/reed-patrick/OtRhqCKL/"]Patrick Reed[/a], who had the only bogey-free round, and two-time major winner [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/schauffele-xander/OnIoiVkm/"]Xander Schauffele[/a].[/p][p]American [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/spieth-jordan/p0739Ny4/"]Jordan Spieth[/a], who would complete a career Grand Slam with a victory, fired a 69.[/p][p]"[b]I feel like I played better than I scored, which is frustrating because you want to get the most out of your round,[/b]" Spieth said.[/p][h2]'Phenomenal shot'[/h2][p]Others on 69 included five-time major winner [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/koepka-brooks/t0xtKfZH/"]Brooks Koepka[/a], two-time major winners [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rahm-jon/h41jCwka/"]Jon Rahm[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/thomas-justin/jV7EtuiD/"]Justin Thomas[/a] plus South African [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/higgo-garrick/bDln6pm9/"]Garrick Higgo[/a], who was issued a two-stroke penalty for being late to the first tee.[/p][p]"[b]I wouldn't have been late if I knew I was running late[/b]," Higgo said.[/p][p]Spain's Rahm holed out from the fairway for eagle with a wedge from 101 yards at the second hole.[/p][p]"[b]What can I say? It was a phenomenal shot,[/b]" Rahm said.[/p][p]Two-time major winner [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dechambeau-bryson/vZG7Cn7s/"]Bryson DeChambeau[/a] fired a 76 with five bogeys and a double bogey.[/p]