Xander Schauffele sets new US PGA record (!) to storm into lead at Valhalla
Xander Schauffele fires the lowest 18-hole round in US PGA Championship history (62) to take the early lead at Valhalla.
Record-breaker Xander Schauffele looked like a man on a major mission on Thursday at Valhalla as he fired a stunning 9-under 62 to race to the front at the US PGA Championship.
Schauffele, 30, carded a flawless course-record 62 featuring nine birdies and with it set the lowest 18-hole score in US PGA history.
A total of 17 players had carded rounds of 63 in the history of the US PGA Championship, which dates back to 1916.
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But Schauffele, who is looking to win his maiden major title this week, has now set the new outright US PGA record of 62 following Thursday's first round in Louisville.
Schauffele has also matched the lowest major championship round of all time, something both he and Rickie Fowler did in the first round of the 2023 US Open. Branden Grace also shot a 62 in the third round of the 2017 Open.
The World No.3 finds himself out in front at the top of the leaderboard on 9-under par and three shots ahead of his nearest pursuer as it stands in compatriot Tony Finau, who is still out on the course.
Rory McIlroy is bang in the mix having moved serenely to 5-under par in the first round, and so too is defending champion Brooks Koepka who has pushed it to 4-under par.
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Schauffele started with a par on the 10th but then rattled off five birdies on the next eight holes to go out in 31.
He then made the turn with a par at the 1st before draining four more birdies to come home in another 31.
Schauffele had his ball on a piece of string for much of the day, splitting fairways and holing putts for fun.
The American endured a horror performance on the greens when he was overpowered by Rory McIlroy at the Wells Fargo Championship last Sunday, but he put all that behind him on Thursday at Valhalla.
Schauffele led the field in strokes-gained putting in the first round of the US PGA Championship.
These stats reflect exactly why:
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