Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau are struggling at the 2026 PGA Championship, both in danger of missing the cut after poor first-round performances. McIlroy shot a 4-over 74, while DeChambeau finished with a score of +6.
Key points
Rory McIlroy shot a 4-over 74 in the first round
Bryson DeChambeau finished with a score of +6
Both players are at risk of missing the cut
McIlroy struggled due to a blister affecting his preparation
DeChambeau's performance included four bogeys and a double bogey
Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau lead PGA Championship live cut tracker
Rory McIlroy began the 2026 PGA Championship as the talk of the tournament after his back-to-back Masters win and a bad blister affected his preparation for golf's second major of the year. Bryson DeChambeau arrived at Aronimink Golf Course as the talk of the golf world, with LIV Golf's uncertain future and DeChambeau's status as its biggest star combining to the sort of speculation usually reserved for pending free agency in team sports.
And the two rivals might not even get to play the weekend.
McIlroy and DeChambeau each got off to terrible starts during the first round of the 2026 PGA Championship on Thursday, May 14 and they're in danger of missing the cut line when second-round action begins. DeChambeau finished with a score of +6 after four bogeys on his first nine holes of the event and a double bogey on his second-to-last hole of the day. McIlroy had a bogey on his first hole and never rebounded, carding a 4-over 74.
Feb. 8: Chris Gotterup raises the trophy after winning the WM Phoenix Open golf tournament at TPC Scottsdale.
Q&A
What were Rory McIlroy's scores in the first round of the 2026 PGA Championship?
Rory McIlroy shot a 4-over 74 in the first round of the 2026 PGA Championship.
How did Bryson DeChambeau perform in the first round of the 2026 PGA Championship?
Bryson DeChambeau finished the first round with a score of +6, including four bogeys and a double bogey.
What challenges did Rory McIlroy face leading up to the 2026 PGA Championship?
Rory McIlroy faced challenges due to a bad blister that affected his preparation for the tournament.
Are Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau likely to make the cut at the 2026 PGA Championship?
Both Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau are in danger of missing the cut after their poor performances in the first round.
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Jan. 18: Chris Gotterup holds the championship trophy after winning the Sony Open at the Waialae Country Club in Hawaii.
The two rivals will have some serious work to do when they return to the course in order to make the cut. Only the top 70 golfers (and ties) qualify for Saturday's third round at the PGA Championship.
Here's a live cut line tracker for the 2026 PGA Championship, as well as the current leaderboard and an updated projection of where the cut line is most likely to fall by the end of play on Friday:
As of 3:40 p.m. ET on Thursday at the 2026 PGA Championship, the projected cut line is +1 based on the scores of the top 70 golfers (and ties) on the current leaderboard. All golfers with a score of +1 or lower would make it to the weekend at Augusta National Golf Club.
Projected PGA Championship cut line
The predictive model used by Datagolf.com currently projects +3 to be the most likely cut line for the 2026 PGA Championship (37.5% chance). There is currently a 33.3% chance it drops to +2 and a 15.6% chance it goes to +4 by the end of Friday's second round, according to the website.
