LIVE: PGA CHAMPIONSHIP SECOND ROUND LEADERBOARD UPDATES
Rory McIlroy endured an opening round to forget at the 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte.
Despite teeing it up at one of his favourite venues in the world, reigning Masters champion McIlroy endured a miserable start to his week.
McIlroy, who is looking to become the first player since Jordan Spieth in 2015 to win the first two majors of the season, had a rare bad day with the driver and it all led to a dismal first round of 3-over 74.
The Northern Irishman now has an awful lot of work to do on Friday to not just get back in the mix for a third career PGA Championship, but to just make the weekend.
World No.1 and tournament favourite Scottie Scheffler also did not have his best stuff out there in the opening round, but the two-time Masters champion recovered well coming home with two birdies on the final three holes to post a solid 2-under 69.
The third member of the marquee group Xander Schauffele also experienced a tough day in Charlotte, and the defending champion went round in a 1-over 72.
After the round, Scheffler fumed at the PGA of America's decision to not play preferred lies despite three days of heavy rain in the lead up to the PGA Championship.
Scheffler - and the rest of the field for that matter - noticed a number of 'mud balls' during the first round.
The man they all have to catch after the first 18 holes is Jhonattan Vegas, who birdied five of his last six holes to fire a 7-under 64.
Vegas, who is seeking a first major title, finds himself two shots clear of Ryan Gerard and Cameron Davis.
Luke Donald is also in the mix for a first major title at 4-under par alongside Stephan Jaeger, Aaron Rai, last week's winner Ryan Fox and Alex Smalley, who made it into the field at the last moment when Sahith Theegala withdrew through injury.
European Ryder Cup captain Donald, 47, was incredibly the only player in the field to go round without a bogey in the first round.
Jhonattan Vegas | -7 |
Cam Davis | -5 |
Ryan Gerard | -5 |
Luke Donald | -4 |
Ryan Fox | -4 |
Alex Smalley | -4 |
Stephan Jaeger | -4 |
Aaron Rai | -4 |
Tyrrell Hatton | -3 |
Viktor Hovland | -2 |
Scottie Scheffler | -2 |
Tommy Fleetwood | -1 |
Jon Rahm | -1 |
Collin Morikawa | -1 |
Ludvig Aberg | -1 |
Bryson DeChambeau | Par |
Xander Schauffele | +1 |
Justin Thomas | +2 |
Rory McIlroy | +3 |
Scroll below to see how the first round played out at the 2025 PGA Championship...
Smalley -3 (16*)
Alex Smalley was told at late notice that he was playing the PGA Championship.
Sahith Theegala was forced to withdraw because of a neck injury and therefore first alternate Smalley was given the nod.
Smalley is having a brilliant day so far and has just rolled in an eagle putt at the par-5 7th.
Cantlay +4, Fitzpatrick -3, Rahm E (13*)
It's probably best to avoid Jon Rahm at the minute.
He finds the sand once again at the 4th green and, despite knocking his golf ball to six feet, cannot salvage a par.
Rahm marches off the green looking agitated.
His playing partners settle for pars.
Cantlay +4, Fitzpatrick -3, Rahm -1 (12*)
Ugly stuff from the Spaniard at the third hole after he finds the greenside trap. He splashes out to 30 feet but cannot save his par.
McIlroy +2, Schauffele +2, Scheffler -1 (11*)
McIlroy is struggling to find the fairways today. Another loose drive finds the rough.
He's hit two out of 10 fairways so far...
There are several notables who will get underway shortly.
Tyrrell Hatton, Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Ludvig Aberg, Patrick Reed, Jordan Spieth, Bryson DeChambeau, Wyndham Clark, Viktor Hovland, Cameron Smith and Hideki Matsuyama are among the players that have been handed afternoon tee times.
R. Fox -5 (17)
One more hole to play for the New Zealander.
Fox finds his sixth birdie of the day at the par-4 8th to join Noren at the top of the leaderboard.
1 | Alex Noren | -5 |
2 | Ryan Fox | -4 |
2 | Luke Donald | -4 |
5 | Stephan Jaeger | -3 |
5 | David Puig | -3 |
5 | J. T. Poston | -3 |
5 | Rasmus Hoejgaard | -3 |
5 | Matthew Fitzpatrick | -3 |
5 | Max Greyserman | -3 |
5 | Keegan Bradley | -3 |
5 | Justin Lower | -3 |
12 | Nicolas Echavarria | -2 |
A. Noren -5 (15)
Lovely stuff from the Swede who picks up his second birdie in a row at the par-5 15th.
The birdie lifts the former European Ryder Cupper to a one-shot lead over Luke Donald and Ryan Fox.
Fleetwood E (12*)
The Englishman got off to the best possible start with three birdies in his opening five holes. But since then it's all gone a bit wrong.
Fleetwood bogeys back-to-back holes to slip back to level par.
McIlroy +2, Schauffele +2, Scheffler E (10)
McIlroy's group is now playing the front nine.
The Masters champ finds the greenside bunker with his approach but despite a decent third his putter cannot save him from eight feet.
He moves to 2-over par.
Scheffler and Schauffele settle for pars.
Lowry +1 (13*)
Is that a smile from the 2019 Open champ?
Shane Lowry started poorly but back-to-back birdies have moved the Irishman closer to level par.
Echavarria -2 (13)
Ugly double bogey for Nico Echavarria at the par-3 13th. He does well to save a double bogey.
Ryan Fox, Luke Donald and Alex Noren are tied at the top on 4-under.
Noren -4 (14)
The Swede rolls in a birdie putt at the 14th to tie the lead with Luke Donald and Stephan Jaeger.
McIlroy +1, Schauffele +2, Scheffler E (9*)
Fox, Donald (14), Jaeger (10) -4
New Zealand's Ryan Fox and England's Luke Donald have both made birdies on their 14th holes of the round to move to 4-under par.
Germany's Stephan Jaeger has just popped in a fourth birdie of the day on his 10th hole to join them.
Luke Donald | -3 | 13 |
Ryan Fox | -3 | 13 |
David Puig | -3 | 12 |
Alex Noren | -3 | 11 |
Alex Smalley | -3 | 11 |
Nico Echavarria | -3 | 10 |
Stephan Jaeger | -3 | 9 |
Matt Fitzpatrick | -3 | 8 |
Rasmus Hojgaard | -3 | 8 |
Keegan Bradley | -3 | 6 |
Scheffler Par, McIlroy +1, Schauffele +2 (7)
Shocking stuff once again from the marquee group on the first hole of the dreaded Green Mile.
McIlroy hooked his drive down the 16th into the trees and then hacked his way to a double-bogey six.
Scheffler and Schauffele then sprayed their second shots from the fairway into the water en route to making McIlroy's six.
It seemed like both of Scheffler and Schauffele's shot were affected by mud balls.
Scheffler is now level, McIlroy +1 and Schauffele +2.
There are currently 10 (TEN!) leaders on 3-under par at the moment.
Those players include Luke Donald, Ryan Fox, David Puig, Alex Noren, Nico Echavarria, Matt Fitzpatrick, Stephan Jaeger, Rasmus Hojgaard, Max Greyserman and Keegan Bradley.
Scheffler -2, McIlroy -1, Schauffele (6)
HERE COMES SCOTTIE!
After an incredibly lacklustre start from the tournament favourite and World No.1, Scheffler sinks a 35-footer for eagle from off the green to move to 2-under par.
Much more like it from Scottie.
McIlroy got extremely lucky with his tee shot that landed about a foot from going into the water.
He took full advantage by going on to make a birdie.
Schauffele made a disappointing par to remain at level par.
Bradley -3 (4), Donald -3 (11)
US Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley has now moved into a tie for the lead.
Bradley has just rolled in a third birdie in the first four holes to move to 3-under par.
European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald is also moving along nicely too at 3-under par thru 11.
Nobody expected this start!
Scheffler, McIlroy, Schauffele Par (5)
Absolutely shocking from all three players on the short par-4 14th - the easiest hole on the course.
Schauffele found the water with his tee shot and made bogey.
McIlroy chipped up to four feet and then missed his birdie putt before tapping in for par.
Scheffler drove just short of the green and then took three putts from there for a par.
Woeful stuff from the three best players in the world.
Fleetwood -3 (6)
It's a third birdie of the day for England's Tommy Fleetwood, who now moves into a tie for the lead with New Zealand's Ryan Fox.
Fleetwood came up shy of the green with his second shot into the par-5 15th but chipped up nicely to three feet and converted the putt.
Schauffele -1, Scheffler, McIlroy Par (3)
Schauffele will be the most disappointed with his par on the par-3 13th after missing a birdie attempt from nine feet.
Scheffler will be the most pleased with his par after converting an eight-footer having missed the green way right with his tee shot.
McIlroy two-putted from 40 feet.
A steady but unspectacular start from the marquee group of the day so far.
Big birdie chance for them now upcoming on the short par-4 14th.
Scheffler Par (3)
After two lacklustre opening holes for the World No.1, Scheffler chips in for birdie from the back of the green on the par-4 12th.
It moves Scheffler back to level par.
Playing partners McIlroy and Schauffele made pars to remain at level par and 1-under par respectively.
Ryan Fox | -3 | 7 |
Luke Donald | -2 | 8 |
Patrick Fishburn | -2 | 6 |
Max Greyserman | -2 | 2 |
Thanks Ben.
GolfMagic Editor Andy Roberts here to take you through the next two hours of play.
You join me as Scheffler, Schauffele and McIlroy all rip drives down the middle of the fairway at the par-4 12th, their third hole of the round.
European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald has just made a birdie on 8 to move into solo second on 2-under par.
Ryan Fox currently leads the way on 3-under par thru 7, having started on the 10th.
McIlroy E, Schauffele -1, Scheffler +1 (2)
Poor from McIlroy at the 11th. His tee shot finds the fairway bunker and his 9-iron from the sand sets up what you would expect to be a routine two-putt for a par.
But the Ulsterman races his effort well past the cup and he slightly pushes his par attempt. He'll drop back to level.
Scheffler found a stroke of fortune after a poor tee shot and his approach lands short of the green. Ordinarily, you would expect the World No.1 to save his par but it's a scruffy start from the 28-year-old.
His greenside chip settles some five feet from the hole and his putter can't save him.
Par for Schauffele.
