Xander Schauffele creates history as first player to shoot multiple 62s in majors

Productive day for Genesis Scottish Open champions in 106th PGA Championship at Valhalla

It was a productive day for Genesis Scottish Open champions in the opening round of the 106th PGA Championship at Valhalla. Last year’s runner-up, too. Pride of place went to Xander Schauffele as the 2022 Scottish Open winner secured a place in the record books as he became the first player to sign for multiple 62s in majors.

The first one came at the same stage in last year’s US Open at Los Angeles Country Club, matching Rickie Fowler’s effort on the same day as they emulated South African Branden Grace after he became the first player to sign for that score in the 2017 Open at Royal Birkdale. Schauffele had a chance to go one better on this occasion but was unable to convert a lengthy birdie putt on his final hole at the Louisville venue.

Schauffele, the Olympic champion, is the first player to shoot 62 in this major, run by the PGA of America, and this effort, which earned him a three-shot lead over fellow Americans Tony Finau, Sahith Theegala and Mark Hubbard, was a new course record. “Yeah, it's a great start to a big tournament,” he admitted, having birdied the 11th, 13th, 15th, 16th and 18th on his front nine before adding gains at the second, fourth, fifth and seventh coming home. “(But) it’s just Thursday.”

Justin Thomas congratulates playing partner Xander Schauffele on his flying start in the 106th PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. Picture: Christian Petersen/Getty Images.

It’s a surprise to many that the 30-year-old is still chasing a maiden major win, having recorded no less than 12 top-ten finishes in the game’s marquee events but not yet getting the job done. “Yeah, I think not winning makes you want to win more, as weird as that is,” he said. “It makes me want to work harder and harder and harder.”

It took a brilliant final round from Rory McIlroy to leave Schauffele having to settle for second spot in last week’s Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow. “Yeah, I'd say it's very close to it if not it,” he said in reply to being asked if he felt is playing some of the best golf of his career at the moment.

McIlroy, the reigning Scottish Open champion, also started strongly, signing for six birdies and one bogey in his 66. “I sort of felt like it was pretty scrappy for the most part,” admitted the winner here in 2014 - the last of his four majors. “I don't really feel like I left many out there. I thought I got a lot out of my game today. Some good up-and-downs, the chip-in on six. Not really happy with how I played but at least happy with the score.”

Scrambling to save par at the 18th - his ninth - after finding the water had been huge. “Yeah, made a great up-and-down from about 120 yards to make par, which was important after making bogey on 17,” admitted the world No 2. “That kept any momentum that I had going into the next nine.”

Bob MacIntyrelooks on from the 18th tee at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville. Picture: Andrew Redington/Getty Images.

This is the Northern Irishman’s first appearance since it was announced that he’s filed for a divorce from his wife, Erica. Try as people may, though, he’s keeping quiet about how that might be affecting him. “It’s always nice to be inside the ropes,” he replied to being asked if that had allowed him to concentrate on golf. Then asked about the importance of being able to compartmentalize, he said: “Happy to be here.”

Bob MacIntyre, the man pipped by McIlroy in last year’s Scottish Open after his brilliant birdie-birdie finish at The Renaissance Club, also carded a 66, with his effort being bogey-free. “It was a solid round of golf,” observed MacIntyre of his best score in this event. “I managed to stay disciplined, had better acceptance of the poorer shots and just managed it around a tough golf course really well today. Yeah, it was a decent score.”

What had the sole Scot in the field done best in the round? “I did everything great, or good, to be honest, but I drove it well. The tee shots, I didn't feel uncomfortable. I managed to pick a shot that I trusted, and I got comfortable to hit that shot. Then tried to bring it alive. Other than that, I was smart. Tee shots where I felt like I could give it some extra distance because it made the fairway wider, I let it have it. Other tee shots that felt a little bit tighter, I just knew I had to get the right shape for the hole to make the fairway as big as I could, and I got the right shape off the tee. Overall, it was just a solid, solid round of golf.”

Producing similar efforts, Finau and Theegala signed for matching morning 65s while Brooks Koepka, the defending champion, finished eagle-birdie-par to be sitting ominously already on four under. “I thought it was solid,” said Koepka, a three-time Wanamaker Trophy winner. “Felt like I just kind of stayed patient through the whole thing. It was pretty ho-hum. Hit one bad drive, made bogey there on 17. Drew a pretty brutal lie in the right rough. But I felt like the only time I really made birdies, they were five-footers. Wasn't putting bad, but just wasn't hitting it exceptionally close. Yeah, just felt lucky to finish the way I did.”

Rory McIlroy walks on the ninth green during the first round of the 106th PGA Championship in Kentucky. Picture: Patrick Smith/Getty Images.

As 2010 winner Martin Kaymer started with a 68 along with 2022 Open champion Cameron Smith and last year’s FedEx Cup winner Viktor Hovland, Tiger Woods, the 2000 winner at the Kentucky course, had to settle for a one-over 72 after a bogey-bogey finish. “I am getting stronger for sure,” insisted Woods. “It's just that I just don't play a whole lot of competitive rounds. I haven't played since the Masters. So it's a little bit different than being at home and playing a flat Florida course.”

In the afternoon wave, world No 1 Scottie Scheffler raised the biggest roar of the day by holing out with a “stock 9-iron” for an eagle-2 at his opening hole before mixing four birdies with two bogeys as he opened with a 67. “Overall today was a solid round,” said the Masters champion of his first competitive outing since becoming a dad for the first time last week. “Yeah, I'd like to clean up a few of the mistakes. I missed two putts I felt like I should have holed today, but that's going to happen when the greens get a little chewed up.”

Finishing birdie-birdie late in the day for a 65, PGA Tour journeyman Hubbard produced the best afternoon effort, closely followed by 2021 Open champion Collin Morikawa, Korean Tom Kim and Belgian Thomas Detry and another American, Maverick McNealy, as they all took route 66 on opening day,

A total of 64 players – the second-highest total for any round at a PGA Championship – ended up in red figures, but Phil Mickelson, who became the event’s oldest winner three years, is facing a battle to make the cut after his three-over 74, with fellow LIV Golf player and two-time major winner Dustin Johnson also needing a big second day as he starts out on two over.