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US PGA Championship, day one – live
TL;DR
Day one of the US PGA Championship is underway at Aronimink Golf Club, with players facing challenging conditions due to rain and cloudy skies. Early leader Alex Fitzpatrick has reached -2, while big hitters like Bryson DeChambeau are expected to thrive on the course.
Key points
- Day one of the US PGA Championship is at Aronimink Golf Club.
- Alex Fitzpatrick is leading at -2 after two birdies.
- The course has many bunkers and large greens.
- Weather is drizzly with a chance of showers.
- Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are among the notable players.
Mentioned in this story
Aronimink Golf Club
US PGA ChampionshipAlex FitzpatrickScottie SchefflerRory McIlroy
The course’s main defences are the many bunkers potted around the property, and the huge greens, which will take some working out. But some overnight rain has lengthened the track a wee bit. It’s a bit drizzly this morning, too, and it’s expected to stay cloudy for most of the day, with a chance of more showers and a little wind. The forecast for the rest of the week looks better, though: sunny with light winds for the most part. Should be a fun week.
Aronimink could prove a playground for the big hitters, with accuracy off the tee not a deal-breaker. There’s plenty of scope to whistle drives hither and yon: Rory McIlroy has described “strategy off the tee” as “pretty non-existent”, while Scottie Scheffler says “you can hit it pretty far offline” and still “kind of get away with it”. Good news for the likes of Bryson DeChambeau, then, though to be fair he blasts his opening tee shot, at 10, down the middle of the fairway. Gary Woodland won his US Open in similar circumstances; the popular veteran, whose win at the Houston Open a couple of months back was one of the feelgood stories of the year so far, is level par through his first two holes, 10 and 11.
Here we go, then, and let’s begin with the aforementioned “on-song Matt Alex Fitzpatrick”. He only got his PGA Tour card last month, courtesy of winning the Zurich Classic with his older brother Matt. That gave him a two-year exemption Stateside, plus secured his invite to this tournament. Since then he’s made the top ten at the Cadillac Championship and threatened to win last week at the Truist. Now he’s become the first player this week to reach the -2 mark, opening with birdies at 1 and 2. Admittedly he went out in the very first group, and he’s since dropped a stroke at 5. But he did do that, and he’s currently one of several players under par. Early days and quite a bit of golf yet to play, of course.
-1: A Fitzpatrick (5), McCarthy (5*), Hall (5), Hoge (3*), Brennan (3), Glover (2), McKibbin (1), Jaeger (1), Smith (1*), Brown (1)
Welcome to our coverage of the 108th PGA Championship. It’s only the second time the tournament has been held at Aronimink Golf Club, about 30 minutes west of Philly; the first time was in 1962, when Gary Player won the first of his two PGA Championships. The world number one Scottie Scheffler defends, the Masters champion Rory McIlroy goes for stage two of the calendar grand slam, the in-form Cameron Young looks to make it 11 wins in a row for the USA, and the equally on-song Matt Fitzpatrick attempts to become the first English winner since 1919 (!). Many other narratives are available, and will pan out over the next four days. So let’s waste no more time, because the early starters are already out there. It’s on!
Q&A
What are the current weather conditions at the US PGA Championship?
The weather is drizzly with cloudy skies and a chance of more showers, but the forecast for the week looks sunnier with light winds.
Who is leading the US PGA Championship after day one?
Alex Fitzpatrick is currently leading at -2 after making birdies on the first two holes.
What challenges does the Aronimink Golf Club present to players?
The course features many bunkers and large greens, making it challenging, especially with the added length from overnight rain.
Which notable players are competing in the US PGA Championship?
Notable competitors include defending champion Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and Matt Fitzpatrick.
