PGA Championship Round 1 live updates: Xander Schauffele sets course record, grabs early 3-shot lead

Xander Schauffele wasted no time at Valhalla on Thursday morning May 16th 2024. Xander Schauffele went low to kick off the 106th PGA Championship. Xander Schauffele posted a course-record 9-under 62 to grab an early three-shot lead over the field when he hit the clubhouse. Xander Schauffele’s bogey-free round tied the lowest round in major championship history, something he has now done twice.

Xander 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 Championship Tour. Xander Schauffele has not won a major championship yet in his career, but he is inside the top 20 at ever major but two since 2019. By all accounts, Xander Schauffele is due. Though Xander Schauffele’s early lead was impressive, it likely will not hold.

There is still a lot of golf to be played on Thursday, let alone the rest of the week in Louisville. Tiger Woods stumbled to close out his round. Tiger Woods made back-to-back bogeys in his final two holes and carded a 1-over 72 in the early wave. Rory McIlroy, on the other hand, made three birdies in his final five holes to get to 5-under, which has him right in the mix.

Scoring has definitely gotten harder as the day has gone on.

Only four of the top 19 players on the leaderboard are on the course. Only one player in the top nine, Thomas Detry, is still playing. After a bogey at five stalled Scottie Scheffler’s round for a moment, he took advantage of the par-5 seventh, knocking in a four-footer for birdie to get back to 3-under. It has not been a good day for Jon Rahm. Jon Rahm has bogeyed four of his first six holes, including an absolute shank on No. 6.

Jon Rahm missed the green by 40 yards to the left. Jon Rahm did birdie the seventh to slow the bleeding, but he has got a lot of work to do if he is going to get back in contention. Some days, it is better than others. It is just the way it is. Tiger Woods clawed out a 1-over round to open the PGA Championship on Thursday. Scottie Scheffler just bogeyed the fifth after landing in a greenside bunker.

That dropped Scottie Scheffler back to 2-under for the day. Matching Xander Schauffele’s bogey-free round is now out of the question for Scottie Scheffler. Scottie Scheffler just birdied No. 4 to get to 3-under for the day. The last time the PGA Championship was played at Valhalla, Rory McIlroy won. Scottie Scheffler birdies the fourth, taking him to 3-under after his first-hole eagle.

Scottie Scheffler stood at the first tee nine strokes behind clubhouse leader Xander Schauffele.

Two swings later, Scottie Scheffler had sliced Xander Schauffele’s lead to seven. Since Rory McIlroy’s two major titles in 2014, however, he has come up short every single time. But Rory McIlroy is back near the top of the leaderboard after his opening round 66 on Thursday in Louisville. Scottie Scheffler was not going to let anybody forget about him. Scottie Scheffler just holed his second shot at the PGA Championship from the middle of the fairway to immediately get to 2-under.

Bryson DeChambeau was toiling through his round, sitting at even par through 15 holes. That eagle at No. 7 started on the back nine put him at 2-under and into the hunt. Xander Schauffele is now the first person to ever shoot a 62 in a round at a major championship multiple times. Xander Schauffele has set a course, PGA Championship and major record with a 9-under 62.

Tiger Woods bogeyed his last two holes. The morning tee times look to have the advantage before the course dried out, Xander Schauffele posted a 9-under 62 to open the PGA Championship. 4 years ago, a star-studded moving day at the 2020 PGA Championship saw almost a handful of players connected for the lead at one point. By the end of the day, there were 11 golf players within three strokes of the lead heading into the last round at TPC Harding Park.

The first major champion of 2020 has actually nearly ensured a must-see finish with Dustin Johnson holding the 54-hole lead at 9 under while Brooks Koepka, Jason Day, Bryson DeChambeau, and Tony Finau are amongst those still in striking distance.

Naturally, established names are not the only ones in the mix as Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Champ, and Collin Morikawa are amongst those who would enjoy to kickstart their budding careers with a significant win in San Francisco. Dustin Johnson, Scottie Scheffler, and Collin Morikawa soared to the top of the 2020 PGA Championship leaderboard. Of the last 4 pairings on the course just 2 players, Cameron Champ and Brooks Koepka, scored under par.

A scoring machine, Dustin Johnson has 17 birdies through three rounds. While Dustin Johnson’s 65 tied for round of the day and his 8 birdies were the best in any significant round throughout his career, it might have been even better if not for a bogey on No. 6 and a double bogey on No. 9. The novice Scottie Scheffler and rising star Cameron Champ represent the closest thing we have to a darkhorse in this heavyweight 2020 PGA Championship battle.

Even Collin Morikawa has become an established name with his win after the layoff and the story of his made cuts streak. Cameron Champ had the PGA Tour success to his name that might put him a cycle ahead in the maturation process, however Scottie Scheffler had not let his lack of experience as a professional effect his comfort at TPC Harding Park. The course fit Scottie Scheffler’s design, and after shooting a 66 and a 65, he had thought to be a danger to crash the PGA Championship party.

There was absolutely nothing more enticing than seeing Brooks Koepka bounce back from three straight bogeys on the back 9 to birdie two of his last three holes.

Self-confidence was at no short supply for the two-time defending champ as Brooks Koepka went for a three-peat, though it would take a little bit better play on approach shots to prevent the kind of setbacks that put him two shots back. Bryson DeChambeau was exceptional with seven birdies, the last of which was a 95-footer to close out his round of 66. Haotong Li did not blow his chance to win the 2020 PGA Championship, however the wayward drives and lack of back nine bogeys did make the proposition much harder after he shot a 73.

A 67 or 68 was not out of the world of possibility, however Haotong Li would need the PGA Championship leaders to fall back for a chance to win. Of this group, the player most likely to post a 65 and obstacle for the 2020 PGA Championship title is most likely Xander Schauffele. At one point, Justin Thomas was up inside the top 20 and just four strokes off the 2020 PGA Championship lead following a birdie train on the front 9.

Unfortunately, Justin Thomas ran out of steam and lost his put on the 2020 PGA Championship leaderboard with a couple of contention-costing bogeys down the stretch. It was a success that Tiger Woods had actually worked his way around the course without too much concern for his health. The second round of the 2020 PGA Championship was a rollercoaster that left us with a major shakeup at the top of the leaderboard.

Haotong Li took over the No. 1 spot in the standings with a wonderful 5-under 65, while Tommy Fleetwood jumped 46 spots on the leaderboard to T2 after publishing a week-best 6-under 64.

Tied with Tommy Fleetwood in 2nd were Brooks Koepka, Daniel Berger, Justin Rose, Jason Day, and Mike Lorenzo-Vera, all of whom sat at 6 under and 2 strokes off Haotong Li’s lead. However there were plenty of big-name golf players easily within striking distance of Haotong Li. Haotong Li with a bogey-free round of 65, rose 11 spots in the standings and took over as the leader.

Haotong Li’s hot streak through two rounds was as shocking as it was unforeseeable, after he finished T75 at the St. Jude Invitational and missed the cut at the Memorial Tournament. Possibly that was why Haotong Li spent at least four hours practicing after his round. Brooks Koepka fired a 2-under 68 going into the weekend and birdied his last hole to ensure he would do so with a pep in his step.

Brooks Koepka’s 36 holes away from possibly ending up being the very first to three-peat at the very same significant since 1956 and initially to do so at the PGA Championship in almost a century. Tommy Fleetwood’s 6-under 64 connected for the very best round of the week with Cameron Champ, both in Round 2, as he jumped 46 areas on the leaderboard. Cameron Champ, Paul Casey, and Brendon Todd following a 1-over 71, Cameron Champ connected Tommy Fleetwood with the very best round of the week Friday.

And Cameron Champ did it by squashing the ball off the tees averaging 330 lawns per drive, besting Bryson DeChambeau, while showing great control too.

Cameron Champ carded just one bogey on the day and made the most of every par 5. Cameron Champ was not quite as long off the tees as he was, however he commanded control of his irons and discovered something with the putter, draining several long ones to work his way into weekend 2020 PGA Championship contention. Xander Schauffele was stable with 2 birdies and 2 bogeys for an even-par 70, however after a strong effort in Round 1, he missed out on a chance to push up the leaderboard.

And yet for a second straight day, Xander Schauffele discovers himself easily in the mix with an even-par round of 70 keeping him in the hunt. Bryson DeChambeau undoubtedly had the firepower, however the control was not there as he found himself off the beaten course after errant tee shots, requiring him to rush. On the 503-yard par 4, Bryson DeChambeau got to the green in four and consequently three-putted, unraveling the development on his round and dropping him to even-par on the day.

Bryson DeChambeau birdied 16 and completed the round at 1 under, however swallowing a triple-bogey was a momentum-stopper for him that might keep him from contention if he did not have a substantial moving day. Tiger Woods barely makes the weekend cut after squeaking out an unstable 2-over par Friday round that had him hovering alarmingly close to the cut line. The best shot of his life, the shot that made Collin Morikawa a major champion, was never supposed to happen.

Collin Morikawa knew the tee on the 16th at Harding Park would be moved forward at the 2020 PGA Championship.

Right after Collin Morikawa had chipped in for birdie to break out of a seven-way tie and at this moment was tied again with Paul Casey. Collin Morikawa knew he had to hit a good one. The shot will be remembered as one of the best in a major that hardly anyone witnessed. Collin Morikawa hit driver on the 294-yard hole that was perfect in flight and even better when it landed, hopping onto the green and rolling to 7 feet for an eagle that all but clinched victory at Harding Park.

In the first major without spectators, Collin Morikawa finished with a bang. The chip-in for birdie and the tee shot for eagle added to a 6-under 64 and the best closing round by a PGA champion in 25 years, and a two-shot victory over Paul Casey and Dustin Johnson. The only regret was the lack of a roar this shot deserved. Collin Morikawa had no idea how good it was until he got closer to the green.

This is one time Collin Morikawa really wished there were crowds. Collin Morikawa was just praying for a straight bounce. And then after it bounced, it kind of got behind a tree that Collin Morikawa could not see around the corner. So once it bounced, Collin Morikawa will take it anywhere. Collin Morikawa peeked around right and looked around the tree, and it looked really, really good.

The 2020 PGA Championship, which was moved from May to August because of the covid pandemic, was allowed to be played only if spectators were not allowed.

Collin Morikawa was still in the vicinity of Harding Park 2019, finishing up his degree at California and his All-American career, part of a new cast of young stars in a sport filled with them. Collin Morikawa played Harding Park only about a dozen times while in college, but he never set up with rough like this or with the tees all the way back. Collin Morikawa had three PGA Tour victories and is No. 5 in the world, taking his place among the young stars by beating a cast of world-class players on the public course in San Francisco.

Those are moments Collin Morikawa is always going to remember. For Dustin Johnson, it was another major that got away. Dustin Johnson had a one-shot lead and did not do too much wrong except for not keeping it in the fairway for better chances of birdie. Dustin Johnson drove into the hazard on the 16th and chipped in for birdie when it was too late, and a birdie on the 18th gave him a tie for second.

Brooks Koepka did not make a birdie until the 12th hole. Brooks Koepka went from two shots behind to a 74, tying for 29th. It was Brooks Koepka’s first bad round in a major in a while. Collin Morikawa finished at 13-under 267 and left so many others wondering how close they came. Matthew Wolff, who grew up with Collin Morikawa in Southern California and turned pro last summer with him, shot a 65 and joined Jason Day, Bryson DeChambeau, Tony Finau, and PGA Tour rookie Scottie Scheffler at 10-under 270.

Cameron Champ, among eight players who had a share of the lead at some point, lost momentum with a double bogey at the turn.

Bryson DeChambeau dropped two shots at the turn and never caught up until it was too late. Collin Morikawa, in only his 28th start as a pro and his second major, played bogey-free. Jon Rahm started with a four-shot lead, cruised to a three-shot win at the 2020 PGA Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village. It sufficed to leap Jon Rahm ahead of Rory McIlroy to claim the No. 1 place on the planet Golf Rankings for the very first time in his profession.

Jon Rahm flew ahead of the pack after posting a 4-under 68, the most affordable round on a day when the scoring average was almost two strokes above par. While Jon Rahm’s round was not exceptional by any means, he carded a 3-over 73 in his final round to finish 9-under on the week, it was far and above better than the rest of the pack. Jon Rahm sealed the deal on No. 16, too, after chipping in for birdie to press the lead back to 4.

Jon Rahm most likely pulled out the very best short-game shot he ever had. Jon Rahm hit a couple good ones, it was precisely what Jon Rahm needed. The win significant the fourth in Jon Rahm’s PGA Tour profession, and his very first since the Zurich Classic of New Orleans last season. Jon Rahm is now simply the second Spaniard to claim the top spot in the rankings, the very first since Seve Ballesteros did so for the final time in 1989, and the fifth-youngest ever to do so.

2 days later, Patrick Cantlay and Jon Rahm co-led first two rounds of the PGA Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village.

Patrick Cantlay and Jon Rahm undoubtedly had a lot of staying power, however Scottie Scheffler, Rickie Fowler, Collin Morikawa, Tony Finau, Hideki Matsuyama, and Viktor Hovland were all in the mix, it might be exhilarating as Round 2 concludes and Round 3 got fired up. A medical professional met Jon Rahm at the edge of the green and informed him that he had tested positive for covid, as he was shooting a shimmering eight-under-par 64 on the challenging course at the Muirfield Village Golf Club. Jon Rahm would be forced to withdraw from the PGA Memorial Tournament and miss the last round.

It was a really regrettable circumstance, clearly. Jon Rahm was required to quarantine for 10 days unless he tested negative in two more covid screenings 24 hours apart. Patrick Cantlay, who played with Jon Rahm on Saturday and who became the new competition leader in addition to Collin Morikawa, seemed stunned by the news. Jon Rahm was really disappointed in having to withdraw from the PGA Memorial Tournament.