Nope! Par for Points, and a fine 68 for Darren Andrew. And that’s where we’ll leave it tonight, in order to preserve some precious energy for the next three days. More hot action from Quail Hollow tomorrow! Nighty night!
-4: Olesen, Kisner
-3: Murray, Woodland, Koepka, Stroud, Points
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Finally, after waiting so long, someone matches Thorbjorn Olesen’s mark! Kevin Kisner’s drive at 18 finds the rough down the right. He lashes a mid-iron into the heart of the green, and strokes home the 20-footer for birdie! He’s signing for a 67. Can DA Points, who has just parred 8 to remain at -3, match him with birdie on his last hole of this first round?
Jordan Smith won his first European Tour event a couple of weeks ago, the European Open. That’s earned him a place here this week, and the 24-year-old from Bath is still in hot form by the looks of it. Birdies at 12 and 15 bring him up to -1, just three off the lead. Not half bad, this performance, given he started out today with a double at the opening hole. Meanwhile up on 18, Justin Rose nearly drains a monster for a birdie that would have made him feel a whole lot better about his round today. But he misses the tiddler coming back, and that’s a five-over 76. All those shots shed on the back nine.
Rahm lags up from the best part of 30 feet and cleans up for his par. That’s a very decent opening round of 70, though it could have been quite a bit better without some silly mistakes around the green along the closing stretch. McIlroy leaves his birdie putt high on the right, and he’s signing for a one-over 72. And finally Fowler has a go, but his one slides by low on the left. A third par in the group, and he’s signing for a very serviceable 69. He’s just two off the lead at -2, despite carding a triple on 5!
Back on the tee, Rory, Ricky and Rahm split the fairway. Rory and Ricky then set up a couple more birdie chances, 15 and 12 feet respectively. Rahm is perhaps twice the distance outside them. What McIlroy would give to knock this one in.
Some 18th hole action for y’all. Adam Scott signs for a no-nonsense level-par 71. Phil Mickelson follows, and signs for a slightly more nonsensical 79. He’s unlikely to be around this weekend, and you have to worry: have the sands of time finally run out for Lefty? Hope and pray for a Julius Boros style late-career renaissance at Shinnecock Hills next year. A three-over 74 for the 2013 champ Jason Dufner. And a miserable double bogey at the last for the defending champion Jimmy Walker, who cards an ugly 81.
Rahm duffs his chip up onto 17. He’s left himself with a 20-footer for his par. He hasn’t lost his turn, and a great round is in danger of turning into merely good. He leaves his putt a couple of turns short, and that’s him back down to -1. Fowler’s up next, having got a read off Rahm’s putt. He doesn’t hit his either, but he’d have taken a par standing on the tee I guess. A chance spurned, though. He remains at -2. And finally McIlroy leaves his up on the high side, but at least he gave it a run at the hole. He’s +1, and for all his recent travails, he’s only five strokes off Olesen’s lead.
Kevin Kisner has responded magnificently to dropping that stroke at 13. Birdies at 14 and 15, and he rises serenely to -3 alongside Points et al. A tie for second, but Kisner is about to come into contact with the Green Mile. God speed.
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Darren Andrew ‘DA’ Points is on something of a roll. Birdie at 3, a 30-footer for birdie that stopped an inch short at 4, and now another birdie at 5. He’s only ever registered one top-ten finish in an otherwise undistinguished career in the majors ... but he’s a shot off the lead now and going very nicely indeed! Meanwhile up on 17, Fowler and McIlroy send superb tee shots to 12 feet, while Rahm, spooked by the water on the left, bails out down the swale to the right.
Fowler, shortsided in the sand, with the green sloping away, does very well to get his splash to 15 feet. And he rattles in the saver! He allows himself a small thin-lipped smile as he wanders off the green, still at -2. Rahm has a long putt up the green, and he leaves it six feet short. Then he pushes it to the right, a dreadful contact. He drops to -2. That is appalling. Finally there’s McIlroy, whose 30-foot uphill effort stops a couple of turns short. A no-nonsense par on a very tough hole, which makes you wonder about the drama he made out of 14.
Fowler’s first stride along the Green Mile is a mis-step, sending his tee shot into sand down the right of 16. His second finds another bunker, and might have plugged. Bother ahoy. McIlroy and Rahm both play it safe, into the heart of the green after fine tee shots down the middle.
Time for a quick update of the leader board ... seeing Jon Rahm and Rickie Fowler are sniffing around near the top of it.
-4: Olesen (F)
-3: Murray (F), Woodland (F), Koepka (F), Stroud (F), Rahm (15)
-2: Finau (F), Herman (F), Reed (F), Casey (F), Cauley (F), Fowler (15), Points (12*)
Fowler, in the centre of the 15th fairway, pulls a wild second miles left. With sand in the way, he’s forced to send a high lob into the green, and can’t get particularly close. Par. His playing partner Rahm, having driven into sand, is forced to lay up. He sends his third over the flag, then curls in a left-to-right 15 footer for a brilliant birdie! He’s just one off the lead at -3! And finally McIlroy, who thins his chip ten feet past the hole, and sends his birdie putt a hot four feet past. In goes the par saver, but he grimaces, knowing full well he’s passed up some good opportunities to score - indeed gone backwards - before the Green Mile. Meanwhile bogey for Kevin Kisner at 13; he drops back to -1.
A small break for Rory McIlroy on the par-five 15th: he skelps a wild drive towards the punters along the right, and benefits from a nifty back-flick from some nimble-footed dude who was in fairness just trying to get out of the way. That was heading into serious bother. He’s still got a poor lie, but is able to batter his second down towards the green. A chance to get up and down for a birdie that’d put a better sheen on this fast-unravelling round. Meanwhile eagle for Patrick Cantlay from the middle of the fairway at 7: he’s +1. “So, is this tournament being played on Twitter or what? 140 shots or less to make the weekend?” Put your hands together for Simon McMahon, ladies and gentlemen. #hereallweek #trythechicken
In the meantime, Rahm splashes out of the sand to 12 feet, and rolls in the birdie putt. In truth, his tee shot wasn’t much better than McIlroy’s, but there’s a thin line between success and clanking failure in golf. Like that’s breaking news. He’s -2. Fowler gets up and down from the side of the green, too, despite leaving a poor chip ten feet short. Birdie for him, too, and he’s -2 as well. But poor old McIlroy pushes his short bogey putt to the right, and that’s three shots gone in two holes. He tumbles down the leaderboard to +1. Ooyah, oof. Golf, right there!
But off the wheels clank. For the second time today, McIlroy gets under the ball when attempting a delicate chip from long greenside grass, and he’ll do well to make bogey now. He bumps up to six feet, and simply has to make the next putt, for the benefit of his mental equilibrium over the final stretch if nothing else.
The 14th now. A driveable par four. Fowler sends his tee shot through the back. Rahm takes a 3-wood, and nearly hooks into water. He’s very fortunate that his ball slams in the bunker and doesn’t bounce down into the hazard. No such luck for McIlroy, who hits a similarly dreadful tee shot and sees his ball do exactly that. He’ll be hitting three into the green from beside that hazard. Having bogeyed the last, this is no time for the wheels to clank off. Now with the Green Mile coming into the viewfinder.
McIlroy bumps his chip at 13 ten feet past the hole. His mind addled, he nearly hits his par putt with his marker still behind the ball. He sorts himself out, but doesn’t hit the putt when he eventually makes it. He drops back to -1, and the putter’s swising through the air again in anger. Solid up and downs for Fowler and Rahm, though, and they’re -1. Beef is in the crowd watching. You have to love this man, he’s a credit to his sport.
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None of McIlroy, Fowler and Rahm manage to hold the green at the par-three 13th. They’re only just off it, but all have tricky scrambles for their par. Meanwhile good news of the 2013 US Open champ and this year’s Masters nearly man Justin Rose: after a slow start, having bogeyed 1 and 5, he’s picked up strokes at 7 and 8, and has parred his way through 11 since. He’s level par, and remember this is a course on which he usually scores very well indeed.
Rahm finds the 12th green in regulation, though in highly erratic fashion. He clanks his drive into the trees down the left, the ball rebounding all the way to the first cut on the right. He then mishits his wedge in, only for it to bumble into the heart of the green anyway. Problem is, he’s got a massive right-to-left breaker from the back, over a ridge and down a slope. It’s one of those crazy Masters-style curlers. He can only get it to ten feet, and can’t make the putt. A second bogey of the day, and he’s back to -1. Meanwhile taking a strange route to par: Rickie Fowler, whose second comes up well short of the green, but whose third is a delicate wedge to a couple of feet. And finally Rory McIlroy, who drives behind a tree on the left, sends his second into sand on the right, and gets up and down for another fine scramble. Fowler remains at -1, McIlroy -2, two off fellow Manchester United fan Thorbjorn Olesen’s lead.
McIlroy’s third, his chip up onto the green, doesn’t spin at all and trundles well past the hole. That’d be about right. He bears his teeth, frustrated and angry with himself. He’ll be left with an eight-foot par putt coming back. It’s a tricky tickle down the green, with a gentle left-to-right slide. He makes it, and fist-pumps the air, knowing full well a bogey there would have been beyond preposterous after that drive. Par, and he stays at -2. As does Rahm. But Fowler can’t get up and down to save his par, so he slips back to -1.
Rory McIlroy has just hit a 351-yard drive straight down the middle of 11. Imagine if he could putt like Steve Stricker! Anyway, he’s got about 90 yards left to the flag. And he gets a ludicrous amount of spin on his approach, his ball toppling back off the false front of the green, back down the fairway. What a farcical second after such a stunning drive. Fowler and Rahm will also be scrambling for their pars, with nobody reaching this green in regulation. Meanwhile bogey for Bud Cauley on 6; he’s back to -2. Kevin Kisner has reached the turn in 33 after birdies at 6, 7 and 8. Ryan Fox is -2 through his first seven holes, with birdies at 14 and 16.
A hole-in-one for Joost Luiten at 4! He lands his tee shot ten feet in front of the hole, the ball takes one bounce, hits the flagstick and drops straight into the cup! Wham! Luiten was +7 before hitting that shot. A dreadful day has suddenly got a whole lot better. The unique beauty of golf, right there.
Rory flips high from the back of 10. For a second, it looked as though he’d seriously overcooked it, and the ball might roll way past the flag and down the slope. But he’s landed it so softly on the hard green, and it bites six feet from the hole. Another few joules of energy, and that might have toppled off the front. Phew. His third birdie in four holes! Jon Rahm’s third isn’t much cop, a weak chip, and that’s a two-putt par. But it’s another birdie for Fowler, who bumps his third to 12 feet and strokes in the putt. His fifth birdie of the day. And all of these amazing young talents are -2 for the tournament!
The entertainers batter three huge drives down the long par-five 10th. Rahm the shortest for once, at 301 yards. He can’t reach the green in two. Neither can Fowler. But McIlroy sends his 3-wood over the back! Just off the back, in fairness; that was a pearler. Up on the same green, just before, Mickelson’s woes continued as he leaves a weak flap of a sand shot in the bunker. He nearly holes his second attempt to escape, hitting the flagstick, but that’s three bogeys on the bounce. He’s +5. Meanwhile the Green Mile has taken a chunk out of Byeong Hun An; bogey at 16, and now another dropped shot at 18. He’s back to -1. And Matt Kuchar misses yet another tiddler; this one drops him back to level par. He should be a couple of strokes better than that, at least.
McIlroy splits 9 with his drive, but hits a dismal wedge into the green. A long two putts, and that’s a par, but he should at least have given himself chance of birdie from that position. His short irons into the green have been uncharacteristically poor of late. He reaches the turn in 34, as does Rickie Fowler, who birdies for the fourth time today. Four birdies and a triple! You’ve got to admire the way he’s bounced back since that meltdown on 5. As for Jon Rahm: he nearly slam-dunks his approach into the cup for a two-bounce eagle. But it lands an inch to the right of the hole, and that’s just a birdie. He turns in 33, two off the lead at -2. This group is giving the punters bang for their buck. Rory hands his golf ball to a young girl, who turns and positively beams at her mother as she shows off her prize. It’s a lovely, warm, sweet moment. The simple things, the small stuff.
It’s just not happening for Phil Mickelson. One of the greatest chippers the world has ever seen sends a wedge from the fringe 20 feet past the hole at 9. That’s his fourth bogey of the day, following dropped shots at 1, 4, 8 and 9. Out in 39, and at +4 already will be worried about missing the cut for the second major championship in a row. Is time catching up with Lefty at last? The duel with Henrik Stenson at Troon is in danger of turning into a valedictory outlier.
Rory isn’t the only Northern Irish player making an early statement here. The 2010 US Open champ Graeme McDowell has just birdied 15 to move to -1. Daniel Berger birdies 6 to join him at that mark. Meanwhile further up the leader board, DA Points registers back-to-back birdies at 14 and 15; he’s -2. And the 27-year-old Floridian Bud Cauley rattles in a long one on 3. That’s his third birdie in the last four holes, and he’s suddenly -3, in a share of second spot!
-4: Olesen (F)
-3: Murray (F), Woodland (F), Koepka (F), Stroud (F), Cauley (12*)
-2: Finau (F), Herman (F), Reed (F), Casey (F), An (8*), Points (7*)
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Rahm is very close to rolling a 30-foot right-to-left slider into the cup. It’s a few dimples away from dropping, a lovely touch. He remains at -1. Fowler never gives his birdie putt enough on the left; it’s always going to die away on the right. He stays at level par. And then Rory rolls in his birdie putt to move to -1. A rickety old start for McIlroy in many respects, but suddenly he’s just three off the lead. Meanwhile birdie for Matt Kuchar at 7; he’s -1, and has only parred two holes so far today.
Fowler and Rahm take the safe play at the risk-reward par-four 8th: irons off the tee. Rory decides to go for the green with driver. He doesn’t quite make it, but his ball splits the fairway and he’ll have a short one coming in. Fowler knocks his second pin high to 12 feet; Rahm finds the green but he’s well short of the flag. And finally Rory, the best part of 90 yards ahead. He’s left with a dainty bump-and-run from 20 yards or so. And he plays it exquisitely, the ball screeching to a halt three feet from the flag. A huge birdie opportunity.
McIlroy claps a long iron straight at the flag at 7. He’ll have a look at eagle from 18 feet, and he’ll get a read of the right-to-left curler from Jon Rahm, who has a go first from twice the distance. A solid two-putt birdie takes Rahm to -1. McIlroy doesn’t hit his eagle effort, though he has it dead on line, and has to settle for birdie. He slashes his putter through the air in frustration, but he’s back to level par at least. As is Rickie Fowler, who now has three birdies and a triple on his card so far. An eventful seven holes, all told. Meanwhile Byeong Hun An pulls a short putt to the left of the cup at 16, and he drops back to -2. Birdie for Ryan Moore at 5; he’s -1.
McIlroy and Rahm batter monster drives down 7. Fowler’s clatters the trees to the left, but bounces down into the first cut. That’s a fortunate break. Not so lucky, in the group ahead, was poor old Lefty, who pulled his drive into the drink down the right. He drops, then lays up ... and after a long think, caresses a trademark wedge to three feet to scramble his par. He remains at +2. Slow starts also for Matthew Fitzpatrick, who is +2 through 7, and the much-fancied Justin Rose, who only bows to Rory McIlroy in his average score around here; he’s +2 through 6. And bogey for Matt Kuchar at 6, another short putt yipped; it’s been an up-and-down nonsense for the ever-smiling Open nearly man. He’s level par again.
Birdie for Matt Kuchar at 5. Having missed a tiddler at 3 to shed the shot he’d picked up at 2, that’s brought him back to -1. Byeong Hun An misses a short birdie putt at 15; he stays at -3 but the Green Mile is coming up.
The defending champion Jimmy Walker has been struggling all year, having been diagnosed in April with Lyme disease, and he’s struggling today. Four bogeys in the first six holes, and already weekend participation is in question for the king of Baltusrol. Meanwhile Rory McIlroy looks a gift horse in the mouth on the long par-three 6th. A slightly pulled tee shot skips over a bunker and nestles in the fringe. Then he completely duffs the chip, the ball only just making it onto the green. He’s left with a 20-footer for his par. He rattles it six feet past the hole, and does very well to knock the bogey putt back in. He’s +1, and the bounce in his step has gone. Some silly mistakes have completely jiggered a decent start.
News of Beef. Everyone loves Beef, but few would have enjoyed watching him struggle today. A miserable seven-over 78, which would have been even worse were it not for a birdie on 7 towards the end of his round. Home-town hero Davis Love III, the 1997 champion, also signed for a 78. As did Andy Sullivan. But some cheering news to end his otherwise miserable dispatch: birdie for Texan journeyman Chris Stroud at 18, and that’s a three-under 68!
Shaun Micheel, who won this tournament in 2003 and came runner up in 2006, is going well yet again! The 48-year-old Floridian chips in from a greenside bunker at the par-five 15th. That’s an eagle, and he’s -1 for his round. But some sand-based trouble for Rickie Fowler at 5. He drives into a fairway bunker, then hits the lip with his attempted escape, the ball coming back towards him. Having tried to steal too many yards with the first sand shot, he takes his medicine this time, splashing out ... but only into the rough, and he sends his fourth through the green. He can’t get up and down from the back, and suddenly that’s a triple-bogey 7 out of nowhere. After back-to-back birdies! He’s +1. Meanwhile a long two-putt par from the front of the green for McIlroy, while Rahm sends his second to eight feet, but lets the birdie putt slip by on the right.
The former Masters and Open champion Zach Johnson has signed for a level-par 71. David Lingmerth of Sweden was going well, until he bogeyed 7 and doubled 8; he ends with a one-over 72. Meanwhile Graham DeLaet was going nicely, having opened with birdies at 10 and 11, then parred his way to 17. His tee shot at the treacherous par-three is one of the shots of the day, to ten feet, but he doesn’t hit the straight birdie putt and a chance to move to -3, and a share of second with Murray, Woodland, Koepka and An, goes begging.
McIlroy sends a high lob onto the green, but the margin for error is minuscule. Too far onto the downward-sloping putting surface, and his ball will trundle miles past the hole. In the event, he doesn’t commit and leaves it 12 feet short, and can’t guide in a tricky left-to-right breaker. Bogey, and he drops back to level par. Rahm can’t get up and down from the sand; he’s back to level, too. But good news for Fowler, who gets the reward his tee shot deserves. In plops the short putt, and he’s -2 already, looking very solid and determined.
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Trouble for McIlroy at 4. One club too many, and his tee shot bounds straight through the green and into deep nonsense down the back. He’ll do incredibly well to get up and down from there for his par. Rickie Fowler clips a beautiful one to six feet; Jon Rahm slam-dunks his in sand to the right. McIlroy and Rahm enjoy a joke as they make their way to the green, despite it all. Par finally for birdie machine An, at 13. Meanwhile there’s another dropped shot for Mickelson, this time at 4, and his 100th major isn’t going to plan.
Another birdie for An! This one at 12, and that’s three out of three. At this rate he’ll beat Branden Grace’s new major-championship record of 62 by a mere nine shots. Just the 15 holes to go, huh. Elsewhere, a couple of chip-ins to report. And they’re big! Matt Kuchar from the front of 2: he’s -1. As is Rory McIlroy, who can’t hold the 3rd green from the rough down the left, but dinks a delicious effort into the cup from just off the back, the right-hand edge of the hole sucking the ball down. Birdies for Rahm and Fowler, too, after fine approaches. All three stars in the afternoon marquee group are -1.
What a finish to the round for Thorbjorn Olesen! He finds the heart of 18 with a crisp iron. Safe and sound on a hole that’s caused so many so much trouble. And then he curls in a 25-foot left-to-right putt for birdie! That’s some response to dropping a stroke on 17, on this very difficult closing hole. He signs for a 67, and the big Dane - who finished high at the 2012 Open and 2013 Masters as a very young man - leads the way! Meanwhile a fast birdie-birdie start by Byeong Hun An sends the 25-year-old South Korean to the fringes of the leaderboard.
-4: Olesen (F)
-3: Murray (F), Woodland (F), Koepka (F)
-2: Finau (F), Herman (F), Reed (F), Casey (F), Stroud (15), DeLaet (6*), An (2)
Fowler lags up from distance to a couple of feet. A quiet par-par start; no fuss, and very little drama. McIlroy pushes a very poor birdie putt to the right; from the moment it left his putter, that was clearly never dropping. His shoulder briefly slip into Birkdale Mode: slump. Though that’s not as bad as Rahm’s egregious prod at the hole; it slips by to the right and the pair have to settle for pars as well. In a strange way, it’ll be Fowler who will be feeling best about himself now. He hasn’t given himself a look at birdie yet, but he hasn’t missed a simple putt for one either.
Another big drive by McIlroy, down 2, and he sends his second from 174 yards to ten feet. He gives his club a satisfying twirl and strides off down the fairway. Then it’s the turn of Rahm, who creams his approach to six feet. Even better. Fowler is safely on the green in a couple of strokes, though in a much less spectacular fashion. Rory and Rickie enjoy a long chat as they make their way towards the green, a couple of pals enjoying a few holes. Not a bad way to earn a living.
Thorbjorn Olesen’s tee shot at 17 is short and wide right of the green, down the swale to the side. He’ll have a job getting that up and down. He bundles a heavy-handed chip past the cup and off the other side of the green. Two putts and that’s a bogey that puts him back into the clubhouse leaders Murray, Woodland and Koepka at -3.
Coming behind: Rory, Rickie and Rahm. The 2012 and 2014 champion finds the heart of the green with his approach, but Rahm overdoes his, sending his ball into the thick stuff at the back, while Fowler can only find more sand. Fowler splashes to four feet, Rahm lobs to six. McIlroy very nearly guides in a gentle right-to-left curler from 20 feet. Pars all round, but it’ll be McIlroy who looks the most chipper, having very nearly birdied a very difficult opening hole. There’s a bounce in his step. It’s a marked contrast to his demeanour at Birkdale, put it that way.
Up on the 1st green, a bit of trouble for Phil Mickelson, who had overclubbed with his approach. Left in thick cabbage on a hillock at the back of the green, he sends a most unMickelsonesque lob miles past the hole. A good two putts, and that’s just a bogey; it could have been a lot worse. He’s out there with the defending champion Jimmy Walker and the 2013 champ Jason Dufner, who both bogey as well. Meanwhile Jason Day and Dustin Johnson sign for one-under 70s. That’s a sensational result for Day, who was adrift at +3 at one point, but found two birdies and an eagle at 7 on the way home.
The leader Thorbjorn Olesen was in trouble all the way down 16, the result of an errant drive. But a staunch 20-footer scrambles his par, and he stays at -3. Gary Woodland signs for a 68. And back on the first tee, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm send rare old blooters down the track. Rickie Fowler’s shorter drive leaks into sand down the left. What a grouping this promises to be.
Spieth’s birdie effort stays out, about ten dimples too wide on the left. That’s a one-over 72, and he’s not played himself out of contention yet. That late rally could prove quite important. Sergio meanwhile has to settle for a 75, his round ruined by the Green Mile, three holes which cost him five shots. A 68 for Brooks Koepka, though, equalling Grayson Murray’s best of day. Some other admin regarding the morning starters: 69s for Tony Finau, Jim Herman, Patrick Reed and Paul Casey; 70s for Hideki Matsuyama, Tommy Fleetwood and Sung Kang, who is beginning to blossom on the PGA Tour. A 73 for the much-fancied Justin Thomas. And Russell Knox, the very early leader of this tournament this morning, ends up with a disappointing 77, alongside the out-of-touch Bubba Watson, whose year goes from bad to worse.
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So much for that five-way lead. Thorbjorn Olesen has just followed up birdie at 14 with another at the par-five 15th, getting up and down from behind a bunker with a lovely flop to a couple of feet. He’s out on his own at -4, though he’s about to traverse the Green Mile. Up on 18, Jordan Spieth sends a loose drive out to the left, but gets a friendly bounce back onto the fairway, then takes advantage by lashing a gorgeous 4-iron straight at the flag from 220-odd yards. He’ll have 20 feet coming back for a birdie and a level-par 71.
Some stunning wedges into the short par-four 8th by the Open champions of America and Britain. Jordan Spieth clips his to a couple of feet; Koepka sends his screeching to a halt six inches from the cup. That’s four birdies in the last six holes for Koepka, and back-to-back birdies for Spieth. They’re -3 and +1 respectively. Jim Herman has just bogeyed 17, so that’s Koepka with a five-way share of the lead.
-3: Murray (F), Herman (17), Koepka (17*), Woodland (16), Olesen (14)
Many thanks to Gregg, a gentleman and a scholar. Shall we check the top of the leaderboard? Where Jim Herman has birdied 15, Thorbjorn Olesen has birdied 14, Louis Oosthuizen has eagled 15, and local lad Grayson Murray has grabbed the clubhouse lead with a 68? Yeah, why not.
-4: Herman (16)
-3: Murray (F), Woodland (16), Olesen (14)
-2: Finau (F), Reed (17*), Casey (17*), Koepka (16*), Oosthuizen (15), Stroud (12), DeLaet (2*)
Spieth seems to have been stung by his two bogeys. He’s drained a driver and fairway wood to reach the green on the 546-yard 7th in two! Not content with that, he’s helping Koepka out with a query about the rules around sand on the green. I’m sure he’s a fortysomething masquerading as a 24-year-old. Spieth’s third is putted up the green with feeling, leaving him a very good birdie chance. And hello! Koepka curls home his 15ft birdie putt from the fringe with a wonderfully read right-to-lefter. García saves par and Spieth rattles home confidently from 4ft to get back to +2. And with that, I’ll hand back over to Scott. Bye.
Hideki Matsuyama has found some magic late on in his round. He’s birdied 7, 8 and 9 to change an perfectly fine +1 to an impressive -1 before refreshments in the clubhouse. He’d love to be able to go out and play his second round right now. He’s hot. Somebody douse him with water.
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Spieth has a vexed look on his face on the 259-yard 6th after landing his tee-shot off the green and sending his monster birdie putt 12 feet past the hole. He wasn’t expecting it to be so fast. His par putt moves ever so slightly to the right as it nears the end of its journey and stays an inch outside the cup. Spieth mumbles something to himself that sounds like “holy shit” to my ears. That’s a second bogey in a row. He’s +3. García plays the hole perfectly to make par, while Koepka gives himself a knee-trembler from around 8ft and nails it to stay at -1.
-3: Murray (17), Herman (14), Woodland (14)
-2: Finau (16), Kang (15), Olesen (11)
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Grayson Murray has joined Jim Herman and Gary Woodland at the top having birdied the 17th. That’s no mean feat. It’s a 223-yard par-3.
Sergio and Koepka have just holed identical putts at the 5th, sending 20-footers uphill, watching them peer into the hole before plopping home with a joyful rattle. Spieth, on his par putt, from perhaps a foot closer, tries to follow suit but his ball isn’t quite so obedient, slipping an inch to the left and sticking. He sighs. That’s a dropped shot. He moves to +2. García has brought himself back to +4, while Koepka is back to -1.
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Tony Finau has been mentioned as a possible outsider for the title at Quail Hollow. The world No61 finished 10th in his first PGA Championship back in 2015 and seems to enjoy the latter part of the season. He’s had an interesting start, having bogeyed the 5th, birdied the 7th and 8th, birdied the 11th, bogeyed 13 and 14 before taking an eagle away from the 15th to move to -2, just a shot off the lead. Keep an eye on him. He’s all action.
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Spieth can count himself lucky on the 5th. He’s fired his tee shot off to the right but it’s landed safely between two bunkers – meaning he has a little upslope to help him get under his approach to the green. García, and Koepka’s drives are perfect. Both land in the middle of the fairway, giving them perfect views of the pin, flapping in the distance.
Hello. Gregg here. I’ll keep you updated as best I can while Scott is away refuelling for his evening stint. Unless you’ve had lessons at Goose Creek Golf Club in California where he’s an assistant pro, you’ve probably never heard of Kenny Pigman (what a name!). The world No1967’s name may get a bit of love today, though, if he continues to find birdies. After bogeying his opening hole, the 10th, he’s birdied 11 and 15 to move to -1. Keep it up Kenny. Meanwhile, after having a dire hour or so, Sergio García has displayed a little bit of magic from the greenside bunker on the 4th. With delicate wrists he pops his second out to within a few feet of the hole, watching the ball cross in front of the cup and missing by an inch. He taps in and can be very happy with that. Jordan Spieth follows suit, having made the green but Koepka, who chipped in for birdie on 3, misses a five-footer for par and kills any chance of getting a bit of momentum going. He’s back to evens. Golf eh?
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News of a couple of former champions having a torrid time of it today. The 2008 winner Padraig Harrington has just carded three double bogeys in a row, at 15, 16 and 17; he’s +6, and why did he keep tinkering with his swing. Meanwhile the shock 2002 winner Rich Beem is on an awful run: four bogeys in a row between 8 and 11, then a double at 12; he’s +9 overall right now. The 1991 champ John Daly is level par through 12, though. Meanwhile much better news for the reigning US Open champion Brooks Koepka, who misses his first fairway of the day at 3, comes up short of the green with his approach, then chips in for a birdie that brings him to -1. Jordan Spieth remains at +1, unable to get himself going.
And with that, I’m going to nip off for a North Carolinian feast of vinegar-and-pepper-based BBQ, Krispy Kreme doughnuts, and a large fizzy glass of Cheerwine. Your pal and mine, Gregg Bakowski, will look after you in the meantime. See you again soon!
While Jordan Spieth was romping around Birkdale last month, Grayson Murray was busy winning the Barbasol Championship in Alabama. That earned the 23-year-old from Raleigh, North Carolina a short trip to this here major championship. It’s his PGA debut, and the young man is making the most of it. After going out in one over par, he’s birdied 10, 13 and now 15 to rise to -2, a shot behind Herman and Woodland. Olesen aside, it’s a distinctly American feel to the top of the leaderboard. Possibly worth noting that none of the early leaders have had a taste of the Green Mile yet. Stay tuned!
-3: Herman (13), Woodland (12)
-2: Murray (15), Olesen (10)
Tommy Fleetwood has been one of the players of 2017. Unquestionably so. Wins in Abu Dhabi and France, and that fourth-place finish at Erin Hills, of course. But his performance at the Open was pretty special too: he threatened to buckle under the absurd pressure applied as Birkdale’s home hero, shooting 76 on day one, but survived the cut with a face-saving 69, shot 66 on Saturday, and ended up in a very respectable tie for 27th. That showed real guts. He’s started well today: having played the back nine in level-par 36, he’s birdied 2 and is sitting nicely at -1 alongside his compatriots Chris Wood (13*), Paul Casey (11*) and Lee Westwood (8*)
Sergio’s round continues to fall apart, with bogey at 1. He’s played the last four holes in six over par. He’s +5. Spieth drops a shot too; he’s +1. And a par for Brooks Koepka, who remains level par. Koepka has yet to miss a fairway, demonstrating the importance of keeping it straight and out of trouble. Meanwhile at the top of the leaderboard, the President’s man Jim Herman has birdied 11 to join Gary Woodland in the lead at -3, while 2012 and 2013’s Thorbjorn Olesen continues his renaissance with birdies at 7 and 8 to sit on the leaders’ shoulders.
-3: Herman (12), Woodland (11)
-2: Olesen (9)
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“Can you give we technophobe punters a bit of a clue as to how to follow the golf on Twitter?” asks Peter Hall. “It’s not totally obvious :( ” Absolutely, Peter: I hope this link will do the trick. And no, it wasn’t obvious at all. See, this is the problem with taking things off television and forcing people onto new platforms. It’s easy to mock, but if you’re not up to speed with the latest technologies, or simply not interested, it can be a pain in the trousers to find. Television has been going for over 80 years for a reason: it’s a pretty great medium, it doesn’t need replacing wholesale. By all means add new platforms and methods of delivery, but why some insist on whipping the old ones away is beyond this simple-minded hack. This morning’s coverage - or lack of it - was a risible farce.
Sergio is struggling. The perfect drive, and he pulls his short iron into the babbling creek to the left of the green. His ball pings off several rocks, but never threatens to squirt out of soggy trouble. Back up the fairway, the ball’s owner is also babbling, muttering away to himself and shaking his head sadly. The wheels have come off here. Oh Sergio! Another double bogey. A return to norms. Ah well, he’ll always have Augusta. But he’s just played the Green Mile in +5. Spieth meanwhile leaves his second from sand short and right of the green, but clips a wonderful third to kick-in distance; what a par save! And it’s par for Koepka too, after a fine approach pin high, and a 15-foot birdie chance that slips just wide right. Both of the US stars have played the back nine in level par; poor old Sergio has taken 40 strokes and is +4.
“C’mon! Just a little turn! Damn!” One of the great things about following Jordan Spieth is his running commentary. He really lives this game. You already know what’s happened: another errant tee shot. He finds the bunker on the right of the fairway with his drive at 18. His playing partners Koepka and Garcia smoke theirs down the middle. Meanwhile early birdies for major-championship bridesmaid Lee Westwood, at 14, and 2011 winner Keegan Bradley at 12. They’re both -1.
Another birdie for Tony Finau, this time at 11, and at -2 he’s a shot off Gary Woodland’s lead. Paul Casey no longer has a share, dropping back after bogey at the intimidating water-bound par-three 17th. Coming behind, though, Jordan Spieth swishes a gorgeous long iron to 20 feet, one of the shots of the day at a hole that’s given up very little so far. There’s a big right-to-left swing on the putt he’s facing, though, and the Open champion doesn’t give it enough welly, the ball dying off to the left well before it reaches the target. Par. A three-putt bogey for Sergio, meanwhile, and he slips to +2.
Thomas Pieters came into this tournament as one of the form horses, having finished fourth at Firestone last weekend after rounds of 65 and 66. One of the biggest hitters on tour, Quail Hollow was surely the place for the Belgian to thrive, right? Well, he’s just bogeyed 4, and doubled both 5 and 6. In the blink of an eye, he’s +5. Meanwhile spare a thought for poor Fabrizio Zanotti, who found the water down the right of 7 a couple of times, and ran up a triple-bogey 8. The Paraguayan is currently +9 through 11, and propping up the entire field right now.
Sergio drops, then wedges weakly, 35 feet short of the cup. That’s a double bogey, and he drops to +1. Koepka can only flop from the back of the green to 15 feet, and that’s bogey; he’s playing par golf for his round again. And Spieth can only splash out from the sand to 15 feet. The best putter in the world right now watches his par putt slide by on the right, and he’s back to even par too. The moral of this story: you just can’t afford to get out of position with your drives on the Green Mile.
The 2017 major winners are now making a nine-course tasting menu of the long par-four 16th. Brooks Koepka claps his drive off a steward’s head, his ball taking a lucky break back onto the fairway. He sends his second into the deep stuff around the green. Sergio drives into the trees lining the left of the hole, then wangs his second into the lake guarding the front-left of the green. And Spieth drives into a fairway bunker, then sends his second into more sand by the green. The closing three-hole stretch at Quail Hollow is known as the Green Mile, and plays on average a shot above par, pretty much. These are the winners of the Masters, US Open and Open!
To be fair to the PGA, their preposterous Twitter stream is finally up and running. So well done, everyone. It shouldn’t be this hard to watch some golf, though, should it. Progress, ladies and gentlemen. Meanwhile in the world of genuine advances with actual tangible benefits, Jordan Spieth makes his first birdie of the day at 15 to move to -1, while back on 7 Gary Woodland birdies again to join Paul Casey in the lead at -3.
A steady start for the new Open champion Jordan Spieth. Five pars in a row, 10 through 14, all of which would have been transmitted to your television receiver in the old days before the PGA decided to roll out their spectacular new live black-screen streaming service onto fashionable devices that don’t work reliably. He’s out and about with this year’s other major winners, Sergio Garcia and Brooks Koepka. They’re both nicely placed at -1 after birdies at 13.
Gary Woodland is another big hitter who could be a dark horse this week. He briefly threatened to get involved at the Open, then came close at the Canadian Open a week later, and his distance off the tee will work in his favour at Quail Hollow. Birdies at 2 and 6, and he joins that little group at -2 tucked in behind Casey.
-3: Casey (6*)
-2: Matsuyama (8*), Wood (7*), Herman (7), Woodland (6)
Another birdie for Paul Casey, this time at 14, and he’s the outright leader at -3. His recent record in the majors really does suggest something big could be coming round the corner soon: three top-six finishes in a row at the Masters, a tie for 10th in this one at Baltusrol last year, and a tie for 11th at Birkdale last month that really should have been a hell of a lot better, were it not for that absurd 77 on his 40th birthday. It’d be no surprise at all if the Arizona-based Englishman waltzed off with the Wanamaker Trophy at the end of the week.
Tony Finau has been mentioned in some quarters as a possible outside bet for this championship. And whyever not? He’s one of the biggest hitters on tour, and is coming off the back of a decent showing at Birkdale. The 27-year-old from Salt Lake City has just taken advantage of the par-five 7th and driveable par-four 8th; back-to-back birdies which take him up to -1 after a slow start that saw him drop a stroke at 5.
Hideki Matsuyama birdied the final three holes at Firestone last Sunday, on his way to the 61 that sealed his success at the WGC-Bridgestone. He’s continued pretty much where he left off: birdies at 10 and 11, and now another at 15, with just the one dropped shot at 12 nixing his momentum a little. It’s surely only a matter of time for the brilliant young Japanese star in the majors: he finished in a tie for second at Erin Hills, and in the top five in this championship last year at Baltusrol. Could this be it? Way too early to say, of course, but along with Jordan Spieth, he’s the form horse. And here’s how the early leaderboard looks:
-2: Matsuyama (6*), Wood (5*), Herman (5), Casey (4*)
-1: Noren (6*), Knox (6*), Reed (5*), Woodland (5), Garcia (4*), Oosthuizen (3), Olesen (2), Z Johnson (2*), Wiesberger (2), Colsaerts (1*), Hahn (1)
Chris Wood joins his compatriot Paul Casey in the early lead at -2. He began with a couple of birdies at 10 and 11, dropped one at 13, but has picked it straight back up again at 14. Also one of the very early movers and shakers: Jim Herman, who used to work for a certain Mr DJ Trump as assistant professional at the big man’s club in Bedminster, New Jersey. “He’s what America is all about!” the then presidential hopeful said of Herman’s win at the Shell Houston Open last April. Herman’s best performance in a major is a tie for 43rd at Troon in last year’s Open. Birdies at 1 and 5 for Herman, and he’s off like a rocket. It’s too early for satire, don’t even go there.
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The PGA’s streaming service isn’t the only thing chugging along like an old dog this morning. Bubba Watson has stumbled out of the traps, with bogeys at 10, 11 and 12. The 2010 runner-up, who lost a play-off to Martin Kaymer at Whistling Straits, already has it all to do. Ian Poulter’s late-career renaissance has stalled slightly, as well. This year’s Players runner-up started out with double-bogey at 10; a bounce-back birdie at 11 was quickly erased by further dropped shots at 12 and 13. The pair are +3.
Let’s feel around for where we are, anyway. Russell Knox was fastest out of the blocks this morning with the first birdie of the week, at 10. He followed that up with another at 11, though has since dropped a stroke at 14. He’s -1, and a shot behind the new early tournament leader Paul Casey, who has been sniffing around the top of the leaderboards at the majors for a while now, and may be in the mood to finally convert his good form into that elusive reward. Birdies at 11 and 12 have him at -2, ahead of Knox and a group including Chris Wood, Tommy Fleetwood, Patrick Reed, Louis Oosthuizen and Dustin Johnson.
“The PGA of America is excited to bring the 2017 PGA Championship to millions of golf fans in the UK,” says PGA of America suit Pete Bevacqua. Uh-huh. Some big talk there. So where is it? The BBC aren’t getting their feet off the desk until 6pm; say what you like about Sky Sports, at least they used to put the early marquee groups on their red button. By all accounts they’re supposed to be on Twitter, because everyone’s on that, aren’t they. But no. Here’s an idea: if you’re going to make a big song and dance about new technology, at the expense of making half of your loyal audience feel silly because they’re not necessarily up to speed with streaming and the like, make sure it works first before rolling it out. People still watch television, you know, perhaps you should put the action on that. Oh, Jordan Spieth has parred his opening hole, the 10th. No biggie, he’s just going for the career slam at the age of 24 and all.
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Good morning, North Carolina!
It’s been a hell of a year in the majors already: 63s for Justin Thomas and Haotong Li; a 62 for Branden Grace; Brooks Koepka delivering on his promise at Erin Hills; Lexi Thompson’s marker woes; Choi Hye-jin nearly winning the US Open as a 17-year-old amateur; IK Kim consigning that missed putt to history by sealing the British; the way Jordan Spieth diced with disaster at Birkdale before turning in a performance for the ages. Oh, and Sergio won the Masters. Sergio won the Masters!
And 2017 is not over yet. Here comes Glory’s Last Shot, the 99th PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, Charlotte, North Carolina! Spieth is looking to seal a career grand slam at the golden age of 24 years and 17 days. If he manages it, he’d be seven months younger than Tiger when he completed his set in 2000, and two years younger than Jack Nicklaus back in 1966. History is within his grasp.
But only just: at 7,600 yards, Quail Hollow isn’t the ideal track for Spieth. Especially as the expected rain and thunderstorms will make the course play even longer. In theory, that should tilt the balance in favour of folk like Dustin Johnson, Sergio, Adam Scott, Jason Day, Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, Jon Rahm ... and a certain Rory McIlroy, who has won twice here and holds the course record with a 61. Spieth’s driving can be a tad erratic: witness his victories at the Travelers and the Open, which required plenty of spectacular salvage work. Go into the longer stuff here, and par can quickly become a pipe dream, especially if the heavens have opened.
Then again, Spieth doesn’t half like a challenge. And he’s pretty darn good at facing them down. You’d bet on him to get up and down from pretty much anywhere, wouldn’t you.
Elsewhere, Hideki Matsuyama is coming off a 61 that landed him the WGC-Bridgestone. The big-hitting Thomas Pieters is in similar form, having ran him close at Firestone. Justin Rose and Phil Mickelson both love this course. Brooks Koepka finished in the top five at the last two PGAs, and now has the major monkey off his back. Charley Hoffman has been sniffing around the top of many a leaderboard this season, and deserves a break. And who wouldn’t be pleased to see Matt Kuchar prevail after his near miss at Birkdale?
We could go on all day – Daniel Berger? Paul Casey? Xander Schauffele? Bubba? Beef? Beef!!! – but we won’t. Let’s just get on with it. Here are the tee times, and we’ll get going around 2pm in the British money. Maybe a bit earlier. We’ll see. It’s the PGA! It’s Glory’s Last Shot! It’s on! The major-championship fever is rising ... won’t somebody please call Dr Golf?!
From the first tee (local, then UK time) ...
7.20 am (12.20pm): Grayson Murray, Rich Berberian Jr., Peter Uihlein
7.30 am (12.30pm): Adam Rainaud, Tony Finau, Fabrizio Zanotti
7.40 am (12.40pm): Younghan Song, Dave McNabb, Charles Howell III
7.50 am (12.50pm): Sung Kang, Wesley Bryan, Dylan Frittelli
8 am (1pm): William McGirt, Francesco Molinari, Jim Herman
8.10 am (1.10pm): Gary Woodland, Andy Sullivan, Kyle Stanley
8.20 am (1.20pm): Rich Beem, Vijay Singh, John Daly
8.30 am (1.30pm): Louis Oosthuizen, Danny Willett, J.B. Holmes
8.40 am (1.40pm): Thomas Pieters, Xander Schauffele, Rod Pampling
8.50 am (1.50pm): Thorbjorn Olesen, Brendan Steele, Hudson Swafford
9 am (2pm): Cameron Smith, Bernd Wiesberger, Brandon Stone
9.10 am (2.10pm): KT Kim, Greg Gregory, James Hahn
9.20 am (2.20pm): Richard Sterne, Ryan Vermeer, Chris Stroud
12.35 pm (5.35pm): Lucas Glover, Matt Dobyns, Hideto Tanihara
12.45 pm (5.45pm): Mike Small, Jason Kokrak, Satoshi Kodaira
12.55 pm (5.55pm): Thomas Bjorn, Branden Grace, Pat Perez
1.05 pm (6.05pm): Adam Scott, Luke Donald, Webb Simpson
1.15 pm (6.15pm): Billy Horschel, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Si Woo Kim
1.25 pm (6.25pm): Jimmy Walker, Phil Mickelson, Jason Dufner
1.35 pm (6.35pm): Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Rickie Fowler
1.45 pm (6.45pm): Matt Kuchar, Justin Rose, Brandt Snedeker
1.55 pm (6.55pm): Daniel Berger, Jim Furyk, Kevin Kisner
2.05 pm (7.05pm): Ross Fisher, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Ryan Moore
2.15 pm (7.15pm): Jhonattan Vegas, Bryson DeChambeau, Jordan Smith
2.25 pm (7.25pm): Alex Beach, Sean O’Hair, Kevin Na
2.35 pm (7.35pm): Chris Moody, Luke List, Jamie Lovemark
... and from the 10th:
7.25 am (12.25pm): Shane Lowry, Stuart Deane, Pablo Larrazabal
7.35 am (12.35pm): Alex Noren, Scott Herbert, Russell Knox
7.45 am (12.45pm): Hideki Matsuyama, Ernie Els, Ian Poulter
7.55 am (12.55pm): Daniel Summerhays, Robert Streb, Chris Wood
8.05 am (1.05pm): Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Thomas, Patrick Reed
8.15 am (1.15pm): Bubba Watson, Charl Schwartzel, Paul Casey
8.25 am (1.25pm): Sergio Garcia, Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth
8.35 am (1.35pm): Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Henrik Stenson
8.45 am (1.45pm): Padraig Harrington, Keegan Bradley, Davis Love III
8.55 am (1.55pm): Zach Johnson, Lee Westwood, Charley Hoffman
9.05 am (2.05pm): David Lingmerth, Scott Brown, Nicolas Colsaerts
9.15 am (2.15pm): Scott Hend, Kenny Pigman, Andrew Johnston
9.25 am (2.25pm): Kelly Kraft, Brian Smock, Patrick Rodgers
12.30 pm (5.30pm): David Muttitt, Bud Cauley, Graham DeLaet
12.40 pm (5.40pm): Rod Perry, Yuta Ikeda, Emiliano Grillo
12.50 pm (5.50pm): Joost Luiten, Paul Claxton, Russell Henley
1 pm (6pm): Patrick Cantlay, Thongchai Jaidee, Soren Kjeldsen
1.10 pm (6.10pm): Omar Uresti, YE Yang, Shaun Micheel
1.20 pm (6.20pm): Danny Lee, Marc Leishman, Anirban Lahiri
1.30 pm (6.30pm): Byeong Hun An, Kevin Chappell, Mackenzie Hughes
1.40 pm (6.40pm): Jonas Blixt, Steve Stricker, Brian Harman
1.50 pm (6.50pm): DA Points, Tyrrell Hatton, Adam Hadwin
2 pm (7pm): Martin Laird, Bill Haas, Graeme McDowell
2.10 pm (7.10pm): Jeunghun Wang, Alexander Levy, Jamie Broce
2.20 pm (7.20pm): JJ Wood, Ryan Fox, Haotong Li
2.30 pm (7.30pm): Jaysen Hansen, Cody Gribble, Chez Reavie
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