Rory McIlroy shoots 62 at PGA Xander Schauffele | PGA of America

If Rory McIlroy freely admits it’s been a “scrappy” start to his PGA Championship, the rest of Valhalla has reason to worry. McIlroy shot a 5-under 66 at Kentucky, the latest sign that he is ending his occasionally agonizing wait for a fifth major title since 2014.

McIlroy’s caution is understandable. The 35-year-old kept his putt above the water until McIlroy birdied the 14th hole, the fifth hole. The Northern Irishman stepped in in the sixth. The result was a 31-point inside half that left McIlroy four points behind first-round leader Xander Schauffele.

“I think I learned a lot from today’s game,” McIlroy said. “I’m not very satisfied with my performance, but at least I’m satisfied with the score.” In fact, McIlroy saved the par with a beautiful 120-yard wedge shot after finding water from the tee on the 18th hole. Rod. His performance is full of fighting spirit.

McIlroy and the rest of Friday’s late starters will be lucky enough to complete the second round as scheduled. Thunderstorms are expected in Valhalla, which will cause disruption to the event and be reminiscent of the 2014 event held here. Scotty Scheffler was too young to compete; the Masters champion showed his determination to continue his dominance by making an eagle from 167 yards on the first hole of the tournament.

There have been four rounds of 62 in major championship history; Schauffele posted two of them. He stood on the ninth green, his 18th green, and made a 30-foot birdie putt that would have made him the first man to shoot a 61 on the field. Schauffele had to make do at 9 under and stole the course record from José María Olazábal, who shot 63 here in 2000 . He is eager to end his wait for his first victory in one of golf’s four major tournaments.

“I’ll take a 62 any day in any major,” said Schauffele, who believes he’s playing the best golf of his career. “It’s weird how not winning makes you want to win more. At least for me, I reacted to it by wanting it more and more, and it made me want to work harder. The top of the mountain felt so far away, I feel like I still have a lot of work to do.

Robert McIntyre’s score matched McIlroy’s. The Scot recently spent three weeks at home, which appears to have kicked off his season. “It’s tough,” McIntyre said of life in the United States. “It’s not like Auburn. When I come home, you get to spend time with a lot of friends and family; my nieces, all the people who are close to me and really care about me. When I’m in America, it’s just me and my girlfriend. We’re trying to live the best life possible, but it’s hard when we’re all so close to family and friends. I go home and barely touch a golf club and do some stupid stuff. The thing is, just enjoy yourself.

Sahith Theegala and Tony Finau were 6 under. Defending champion Brooks Koepka, four points behind, is one to watch. The highlight of Koepka’s round was his eagle three-pointer in the seventh inning. Koepka hit 14 greens in the regular season, highlighting his strong iron play.

Tiger Woods was under par and looked promising until three shots down the final two holes. Woods once again bemoaned the lack of playing opportunities after shooting a 72. “I’m definitely going to get stronger,” Woods said. “It’s just that I haven’t played a lot. I haven’t played since the Masters. So it’s a little different than playing a flat Florida course at home.

Viktor Hovland shot a 68 and suggested a return to form was overdue. Justin Thomas, who grew up in Louisville, is tied with Jordan Spieth at minus-2. In Muhammad Ali’s hometown, among those lying on the canvas was Michael Bullock. The fan-favorite 2023 PGA player fell to 76 after a quadruple bogey eight on the 2nd. There will be no block party this time.