Louisville (United States) (AFP) – Rory McIlroy battled through an epic test of emotional resilience to stay in contention early in Thursday’s first round of the PGA Championship but Xander Schauffele showed his own perseverence to seize the lead.
Less than 48 hours after his Monday shock divorce filing from wife Erica became public, second-ranked McIlroy shared 15th on 1-under after nine holes at Valhalla, where his most recent major win came 10 years ago.
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The 35-year-old from Northern Ireland sank a six-foot birdie putt at the par-5 10th and birdied the par-4 13th from just outside 10 feet before finding two bunkers at 17 and making bogey. The four-time major winner made clutch seven-foot par putts at 16 and 18, the first after blasting out of a greenside bunker and the last after finding water off the tee.
McIlroy handled the personal turmoil after wins in his past two starts, a PGA Tour pairs event last month with Irishman Shane Lowry and last Sunday’s fightback at the PGA Wells Fargo Championship, overtaking Schauffele on the back nine to win.
Third-ranked Schauffele, an American seeking his first major title, has 19 top-10 PGA Tour finishes since last winning at the 2022 Scottish Open.
Schauffele, the reigning Olympic champion, set aside his heartbreaking defeat to McIlroy last weekend and birdied six of his first 11 holes after a 10th-tee start to take command at the rain-softened 7,609-yard, par-71 layout.
Schauffele birdied the par-3 11th from inside three feet, sank a 13-foot birdie putt at the par-4 13th, another from just outside 16 feet at 15, one from just past seven feet at 16, a five-footer to birdie the par-5 18th and a four-footer to birdie the second.
That left Schauffele atop the leaderboard on 6-under through 11 holes with compatriot Tony Finau two back through seven and Scotsman Robert MacIntyre three adrift.
McIlroy, top-ranked Masters winner Scottie Scheffler and defending champion Brooks Koepka had topped the list of favorites to lift the Wanamaker Trophy.
American Jordan Spieth, a three-time major winner who would complete a career Grand Slam with a victory at Valhalla, birdied three of his first four holes before a bogey at 17 dropped him back.
Five-time major winner Koepka, among 16 LIV Golf players in the field of 156, began on the back nine and birdied the 12th hole to stand 1-under after seven holes.
Tiger Woods, a 15-time major champion and 2000 PGA Championship winner at Valhalla, was 1-over after the back nine, making bogey at the par-3 11, sinking an 18-foot birdie putt at 13 before a bogey at 15.
Scheffler, a winner in four of his past five starts, was set for an afternoon start off the first tee alongside two other 2023 major champions from the United States — US Open winner Wyndham Clark and British Open winner Brian Harman.
Other afternoon starters include two-time major winner Jon Rahm of Spain, who jumped from the PGA to LIV last December, and six-time major winner Phil Mickelson.
© 2024 AFP
