In a demanding first round at Aronimink, world number one Scottie Scheffler fired a three-under 67 to share the lead in a seven-way tie at the US PGA Championship. The defending champion's steady play contrasted sharply with the struggles of Rory McIlroy, who stumbled to a four-over 74 after four closing bogeys.
The Pennsylvania course proved far tougher than many anticipated, with thick rough and firm, sloping greens frustrating the field. Only 32 of 156 players finished under par, defying predictions of low scoring.
Scheffler, often a slow starter, showed resilience as he leads a major after 18 holes for the first time. He is joined atop the leaderboard by Martin Kaymer, Stephan Jaeger, Aldrich Potgieter, Min-Woo Lee, Ryo Hisatsune, and Alex Smalley—none of whom were expected to contend.
Masters champion McIlroy cited poor driving as his undoing, hitting just five fairways. "There certainly is a penalty for missing the fairway. Probably more than what I anticipated," he said.
Kaymer, inspired by a question at the champions dinner about whether he still played professionally, surged into contention. The German, who has battled injuries since joining LIV Golf, birdied three of his first four holes.
Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas faced scrutiny for on-course incidents, with Rahm accidentally striking a volunteer with a clump of turf. Rahm apologized, saying, "I need to somehow track him down to give him a present."
Dan Brown, on his overseas major debut, sits one shot back at two under, while Patrick Reed carded the only bogey-free round of the day.