Jordan Spieth off to uneven start in bid for career Grand Slam

E-A-G-L-E-S highlight the opening round for Rahm and Brown

Jon Rahm and Daniel Brown added a bit of Philly flare to the PGA Championship by posting E-A-G-L-E-S in the opening round. While some spectators at the opening round broke out in Eagles chants, Rahm heard a different kind of roar from across Aronimink. It was the kind of outburst that is prompted by a special shot, and he immediately considered the rarity of a televised eagle at a major championship. A short time late, he made some magic of his own. Rahm didn’t know who was responsible for the shot that prompted the loud reaction, but the possibility of an eagle got him thinking. “I kind of thought, man, how often you see hole-outs in majors on TV and how rarely I’ve ever seen one in person,” he said. “Then about an hour later I get to do it myself, right? So that’s just one of the funny moments in golf.” Brown's hole-out from 106 yards at the uphill, 421-yard par-4 11th prompted the cheer that grabbed Rahm's attention. His shot landed short of the pin on the green that slopes steeply from back to front, spun right and rolled into the hole for a dramatic 2. “You try to hit it a little left of the flag because you know it kind of feeds in, and you’re just hoping it goes close,” said Brown, who is playing in his third major. “Obviously a big bonus, the crowd going wild at the back, and you kind of know it’s gone in.” Rahm eagled the second hole — ironically, his 11th of the round — and the shot came after he wasn't satisfied with his 105-yard, downwind approach on the previous hole that he left short of the green. This time it all came together. He said he was more committed at the same distance into the wind and felt lucky to see the ball fall into the hole. “It was a phenomenal shot, really good wedge shot,” the two-time major champion said. Rahm posted a 1-under 69, while Brown closed out a 2-under 68. The two eagles were well off the pace of last year's championship at Quail Hollow, where there were there were six eagles on par-4 holes in the first round.

Rahm's frustration boils over and a divot hit a volunteer

Rahm was unhappy with his second shot at the seventh hole and swung through the rough in frustration, sending a divot that hit an event volunteer on the shoulder and face. Rahm was quick to apologize. He said he felt horrible about the incident and planned to track down the volunteer to make amends. “I got a flier on my second shot that went long” he said. "It’s not a good spot. Just out of frustration, I tried to make an air swing, just over the grass, and I wasn’t looking, took a divot, and unfortunately, I hit a volunteer. "I couldn’t feel any worse. I need to somehow track him down to give him a present because that’s inexcusable and for something that could be completely avoidable. “Whether it was my intention or not, it was just not good.” \\\_ AP golf: