Jordan Spieth's pursuit of becoming the youngest golfer to complete the career Grand Slam got off to a sluggish start on Thursday at the 99th PGA Championship with a one-over-par 72. But the good news? The young star is only five shots off the lead held by Thorbjorn Olesen and Kevin Kisner as the second round gets underway Friday morning. Spieth will have to wait until 1:35 p.m. (ET) to get his second crack at the course, so in the meantime, get caught up on all the winners and losers from the first round. And keep it right here all day for the latest news, scores, tweets and highlights from Quail Hollow.
(All times ET)
8:43 PM: This stat really sums up Hideki Matsuyama's torrid pace the past three rounds. I mean, how good is this?
8:32 PM: Jason Day finished up his second round with four straight pars to put himself just two back of Kevin Kisner and Hideki Matsuyama. It has been a disappointing season for Day this year. He's in a position now to erase that notion, and more.
Oh, one more thing, there are now bats circling the clubhouse … totally normal:
[https://twitter.com/WillGrayGC/status/896167811608915968]
8:14 PM: The horn has sounded at Quail Hollow. Everyone has the chance to finish their hole — or they can choose to come back tomorrow morning to continue.
https://twitter.com/PGAChampionship/status/896162780037775360
For Rod Pampling, we're pretty sure he'd agree that hindsight is 20-20. He just hit one of the worst duck pulls with his driver in the shottracker era.
7:58 PM: Very quietly, Justin Thomas is lurking behind the leaders after a stellar second-round 66. The round included six birdies and one bogey — putting the 24-year-old in the mix at a major:
7:37 PM: What looked like a tough-to-catch four-stroke lead for Kevin Kisner was just caught. Hideki Matsuyama just made five birdies over the difficult final seven-hole stretch at Quail Hollow to card a second-round 64.
How good is that? Following his five-shot win at the WGC-Bridgestone last week in Akron, in which he shot a final-round 61, the World No. 3 somehow flew into Charlotte under the radar. Friday afternoon was an incredible stretch for Matsuyama with that 31 on the back, putting himself in contention to get his first major title.
And Day's round has a chance to be equally good, too, following yet another birdie on his inward nine, with the par-5 15th to play.
7:17 PM: Hideki Matsuyama is absolutely tearing apart the back nine in these wet conditions. Five birdies over his past six holes have given the 25-year-old a share for the lead with Kevin Kisner. What a run . . .
7:07 PM: Jason Day dropping longggg birdie putts to avenge that bogey at 11. BOOM!
https://twitter.com/PGAChampionship/status/896147325118169088
6:57 PM: Golf is a cruel, cruel game. Shane Lowry had one of the best rounds going this afternoon, just needing to par in to match Ryan Fox's 66 for the best of the day. In the greenside bunker at the par-3 17th, Lowry's shot rolled through the green and into the water.
That meant Lowry had to walk back to the drop area and hit across the water again. Poor Shane. That bad erases a lot of good.
A really nice fourth shot had too much zip, and he just missed the putt for 5. Make that a 6. That's really going to burn.
While that short-game mess was going on, Spieth had a sporty up-and-down at the par-3 13th hole to remain +2. The 24-year-old has some momentum on his side.
https://twitter.com/PGAChampionship/status/896143378504601600
Brooks Koepka did not get up and down from the same spot as Spieth, so he's back to 1-under for the tourney.
6:41 PM: Hideki Matsuyama is officially on fire. How about this stretch?
The World No. 3 is now one back of Kevin Kisner's lead with the Green Mile still to navigate.
Meanwhile, Day dropped a shot at 11 after that tee shot and a flubbed chip for the third shot. He still has some birdie holes ahead of him, but he moves back to 4-under (-3 on the day).
6:35 PM: Jason Day sniped his first tee shot post-delay to the left at the 11th hole, but he caught a break being in the pine straw. His approach rolled through the green, so he'll need a good up-and-down to save his par.
6:26 PM: The players are in position, and we're back underway at Quail Hollow. Who could the weather delay help? Jordan Spieth, who was leaking oil when play was suspended — making a mess from the trees on the 10th hole with a bogey on the par 5. He's two-over for the round, and +3 overall.
Some of the players who couldn't have been happy about the delay? Jason Day and Hideki Matsuyama, who both have the hottest rounds of the afternoon going. Matsuyama's playing the par-5 15th hole, and Day is playing No. 11.
6:10 PM: How do you help keep practice fun? Sometimes, just keeping things light helps.
5:45 PM: Players are headed to the practice area, and play is set to resume at 6:25 PM.
4:47 PM: Just when things were getting excited, the horn blows and play is suspended.
https://twitter.com/PGAChampionship/status/896110012002586628
As of now, 17 players are under par, 12 of them still on the course. Here's where we stand:
4:40 PM: Matsuyama holes the short one and is now in solo second at six under, just two back. He's still yet to record a bogey.
4:35 PM: If Jason Day is on fire, what does that make Hideki Matusyama? He's made two straight birdies and just stuffed one tight on the short par-4 14th. If he rolls that one in, he'll get to six under overall, just two behind Kisner.
Jordan Spieth "saves" bogey at the par-5 10th. Quite a wild ride.
https://twitter.com/TwoInchesShort/status/896107394157076480
4:30 PM: Jordan Spieth is struggling at the par-5 10th, a hole players have eaten up today. Instead of picking up a shot he's in danger of dropping one, if not two. His drive found the woods down the right side, then he punched out through the fairway and into the woods down the left side. His next shot clipped a branch, and then he finally punched up near the green. For Spieth, it should be an easy up and down for bogey.
4:22 PM: Jason Day is officially en fuego. He just made another birdie to turn in three-under 32 and get to four under for the tournament.
4:15 PM: We've yet to mention him yet, but that's because Francesco Molinari is flying under the radar on Friday. He just turned in four-under 32 after making a birdie on the 18th. He's bogey free and sits at two under for the tournament. In eight appearances at the PGA Championship, the Italian has never missed the cut.
Looks like Jason Day could be Jason Day again. The Australian has gone eagle-birdie on the seventh and eighth holes to get to three under overall, five off the lead.
World No. 3 Hideki Matsuyama also just rolled in a birdie. He and Louis Oosthuizen, who have combined for zero bogeys and six birdies in the second round, are tied for second at four under.
4:00 PM: Another birdie at the par-4 16th for Louis Oosthuizen gets him to four under for the championship, good enough for solo second after Thorbjorn Olesen's double bogey at the par-5 15th.
3:57 PM: Well, well, well.. Look who just got to two under with the help of this majestic shot at the par-5 seventh.
That's right, Jason Day is in the mix at the PGA Championship. While he has struggled all year, it's still not too surprising. When Day shows up at the PGA, he shines. His last four appearances alone have resulted in a solo second, a win, a T-15 and a T-8. Decent.
3:40 PM: Unfortunately for Koepka, his Houdini act still led to a bogey, and he followed it up with another at the par-3 sixth. He did get one back at the par-5 seventh, which gets him to two under for the tournament, six back of Kisner.
3:30 PM: For normal golfers, attempting this shot results in hitting the tree almost 100% of the time. Brooks Koepka is not a normal golfer:
3:25 PM: Louis Oosthuizen climbs up the board with a birdie at the short par-4 14th to get to two under on the day, three under on the tournament. He's tied for third with Matsuyama, Woodland, Stroud and Fowler, who is the only one in the clubhouse. Oosty has finished in the top-30 in his last four appearances at the PGA.
Just 19 players are under par for the championship, including Justin Thomas, who just made his third birdie of the day to get to three under on his round. He's one under overall, seven back of Kisner.
3:08 PM: Not much going on with Jordan Spieth, who is one over for the day and two over for the tournament. He just found the green at the 250-yard par-3 sixth and has a look at birdie.
Justin Thomas is two under for the day, even for the tournament. This bomb of a putt at the sixth hole helped.
2:58 PM: Players are feasting on the par-5 10th today, including Chris Stroud, who just began his round with a birdie there. He's tied for third with Gary Woodland at four under.
2:56 PM: Thanks to three birdies in a row, Tony Finau has joined the crowd at three under par for the championship, and this came after he bogeyed two in a row at the 12th and 13th holes.
Also at three under is Hideki Matsuyama, who just made his second birdie of the day at the par-5 seventh. He has yet to drop a shot in his round.
2:38 PM: New Zealand's Ryan Fox posts the round of the week, a five-under 66 that featured six birdies and just one bogey. If you thought he'd flinch at the Green Mile, he did the opposite, playing the three hole stretch in one under par to finish strong. He's at one under for the championship, seven off the lead.
2:25 PM: At 11-over, Phil Mickelson will miss the cut at the PGA Championship for the first time since 1995. Not what anyone expected from Lefty, who had a great record at Quail Hollow prior to this week.
Thorbjorn Olesen birdies his opening hole and is now in solo second at five under.
Among a group at two under, six back of Kisner, is Hideki Matsuyama, who just made birdie at the par-4 fifth. The world No. 3 has picked up right where he left off last week at the WGC-Bridgestone, where he shot a final round, course record 61 to seal the victory. He's looking for his first major championship this week.
2:09 PM: Awesome finish by Steve Stricker to get to three over for the championship and on the right side of the cut line, which should keep this insane stat alive.
1:55 PM: Kisner posts a second straight four-under 67 to get to eight under for the championship. Incredibly impressive stuff from the South Carolina native.
Four back is Gary Woodland, who made birdie on his opening hole, the par-5 10th.
Jordan Spieth hits a great bunker shot on the first hole and saves par. We'll see if that gives him some confidence.
1:41 PM: Byeong Hun An had an interesting final six holes, but it was good enough for a two-under 69. He's at two under for the championship.
D.A. Points is not only struggling on the Green Mile, he's completely imploding. Back-to-back double bogeys on the 16th and 17th have dropped him to one under for the tournament, two over for the day. At this point, a par at 18 would feel like a birdie.
Meanwhile at the first tee, Sergio, Spieth and Koepka have all found the fairway with their opening drives.
1:28 PM: "Club pro" Omar Uresti posts a solid one-under 70 on Friday. Looks like he'll definitely make the cut at two over through 36 holes.
McIlroy's final birdie look of the day literally hangs on the cup for 10 seconds, but doesn't fall. He cleans it up for a one-over 72 and sits at two over for the championship, safely inside the projected cut line.
Rickie Fowler finishes up a boring, but very effective round of one-under 70 and is three-under through two rounds. He's five back of Kevin Kisner, who is at eight under with two holes to play.
Jon Rahm's four-over 75 has him at three over after 36 holes. All he can do is wait and hope that's good enough to play the weekend.
1:15 PM: Kevin Kisner from downtown on the par-5 seventh. He makes an eagle-3 after a stretch of nine consecutive pars to get to eight-under, three clear of D.A. Points.
1:09 PM: D.A. Points takes advantage of the short par-4 14th and par-5 15th with back-to-back birdies. He's at five under, one back of Kisner, heading to the Green Mile. Had this one fallen, they'd be tied at the top.
Rory McIlroy is clawing his way to the finish with another birdie at the eighth. He's back to two over and on the right side of the cut line with one hole to play.
12:55 PM: At the par-5 seventh, Jon Rahm lips out a birdie putt and stays at three over, right on the cut line. McIlroy converts his must-make birdie look to get to three over as well with two to play. Rickie Fowler makes his eighth straight par to remain at three under, three back.
Tied with Fowler is Byeong Hun An, who just made back-to-back birdies at the 14th and 15th holes.
Grayson Murray just completed his first hole and walked away with birdie. Not a bad way to start. He's at four under for the championship, tied with Olesen and D.A. Points.
12:30 PM: Oh dear. Rory McIlroy has now made four bogeys in his last five holes to fall to four over par. The PGA Championship favorite is in danger of missing the cut, which is now projected at three over. He has just three holes to play.
Rickie Fowler makes his seventh par in a row to remain at three under, three back of Kisner.
12:20 PM: After making three birdies and a bogey on his first six holes, Kevin Kisner has followed that stretch up with five straight pars. He's still at six under, leading by two.
Kevin Na won't be shooting 59 today, but he still has one of the best rounds on the course. After a bogey at the par-4 16th, he made two straight pars to turn in four under 32. He's not alone at four under on the day though. New Zealand's Ryan Fox posted a four under 31 on his front nine.
12:03 PM: At the par-3 fourth, Jon Rahm had a long look at birdie from off the green, and it was tracking all the way.
So, so close. It would have been his second of the day, and first since his opening hole. He's made five straight pars and is still two over for the championship.
As for Rory, he gets off the bogey train and makes par to stay at two over. Let's hope he and Rahm don't drop any more shots on their way in, because they are getting dangerously close to the projected cut.
11:53 PM: If you thought D.A. Points was going to fade away on Friday, it's not happening so far. He makes the turn in one-under 34 to get into a tie for second with Thorbjorn Olesen, who is still over two hours away from teeing off.
11:49 PM: Yikes. Rory three-putts at the third hole and makes another bogey. He joins Jon Rahm at two over, eight back of Kisner.
Fowler continues to plug along with another par to remain at three under.
11:31 PM: Rory McIlroy drops his first shot of the day at the par-4 second and goes back to one over for the championship. He's still even par on the day, but with Kisner at six under, he'll need to pick up at least a shot or two on his last seven holes.
Rickie Fowler makes par to stay three back.
11:27 PM: Coming into the second round Kevin Na was eight over, 12 shots off the lead and in danger of missing the cut. Five birdies on his first six holes has changed that.
59 watch ?
11:01 AM: Kevin Kisner remains at six under through seven holes, and he holds a two-shot lead over Thorbjorn Olesen, who tees off at 2 p.m. Olesen is followed by a group at three under that includes Rickie Fowler and Brooks Koepka, who tees off with Jordan Spieth and Sergio Garcia at 1:35. Speaking of Spieth, Fowler said what's up to his friend on his way from the 18th green to the first tee:
10:49 AM: Jon Rahm is rumbling off the rails right now. And after his tee shot finds the water on the par-4 18th, he showed his frustration:
Rahm managed to escape with a nifty par, but it was still a disappointing 39 on his first nine to drop him to two over for the tournament. Rickie Fowler, who is employing a conservative game plan off the tee, made the turn at 3 under while McIlroy is even after both shot 35.
10:37 AM: Rickie Fowler rolls in a 15-footer for birdie on the par-3 17th to move to three under.
Fowler leads the tour in strokes gained: putting, and he's rolled it beautifully on Quail Hollow's Bermuda greens thus far. Just one blip, a triple bogey when he clipped the lip of a fairway bunker on the fifth hole on Thursday, has him out of the current lead. But it's nice to see the star make his way onto a leader board that at the moment, is, um, not the most exciting. . .
10:25 AM: McIlroy hits another massive drive on the par-4 16th:
He then stuffs his approach to nine feet and. . . misses the putt. One guy who isn't missing much early on, however, is Jordan Smith. The recent first-time European Tour winner birdies two of his first four holes to get to T-3 at three under, three shots behind Kevin Kisner.
10:07 AM: Odd occurrence on the par-5 15th as Rory McIlroy's third shot from a greenside bunker hits Jon Rahm's ball on the green.
https://twitter.com/PGAChampionship/status/896009818963550208
The weird/bad break leaves McIlroy with a 10-footer for birdie, but he makes it for his first birdie of the day to get to even par. It's also his first make of longer than six feet of the week. With a putter, that is. McIlroy chipped in for birdie on his third hole on Thursday. Meanwhile, Rahm makes bogey and Rickie Fowler pars to remain at two under.
9:48 AM: Rickie Fowler birdies the short par-4 14th to get back to two under. Rory McIlroy misses his birdie attempt from eight feet, meaning he still hasn't made a putt longer than six feet so far this week. He does one better than Jon Rahm, though, who found the water with his tee shot and made bogey.
9:38 AM: Kevin Kisner birdies two of his first three holes to grab the solo lead at six under. Kisner enters this tournament at ninth in the FedEx Cup standings having made nearly $4 million this season, but he's never finished in the top 10 at a major championship.
9:29 AM: McIlroy, Fowler and Rahm all miss the green on the par-3 13th, but all manage up-and-down pars. Still, it's a slow start for the marquee group under ideal scoring conditions with McIlroy and Rahm even through four holes and Fowler one over.
8:41 AM: After hitting a bad second shot and getting a bad break by having his ball roll way down a cart path, Rory McIlroy hits a remarkable recovery shot to get up around the 10th green on his opening hole. A superb pitch gave him a tap-in par to avoid what could have been a rough start. Fowler also makes par, while Rahm makes birdie to join Rickie at two under. Here's Rory's recovery shot:
https://twitter.com/PGAChampionship/status/895988857350389761
8:35 AM: The second of Friday's featured groups on PGA.com — Justin Rose, Matt Kuchar, and Chris Kirk — arrives on the 10th tee to begin its second round. It seems Thursday's featured group of Phil Mickelson, Jason Dufner, and defending champ Jimmy Walker got the boot after shooting a combined 21 over par. Probably for the best.
8:27 AM: The morning's marquee group of Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler and Jon Rahm tees off the 10th hole. McIlroy goes right, Rahm goes left, and Fowler finds the fairway with a 3-wood. Fowler posted the low round of the group (69) on Thursday, despite making a triple bogey on the fifth hole. You can actually watch this group's round live-streamed on PGA.com or the PGA Championship's app. Otherwise, TNT's TV coverage doesn't come on until 1 p.m.
8:13 AM: For a second straight day (knock on wood), it looks like we might get lucky with the weather. Here's the latest look at the forecast:
8:10 AM: Here's a look at the pin positions for the second round, and, well, good luck, guys!
—————-THURSDAY——————-
7:11 PM: Boom! We finally have a tie at the top as Kevin Kisner birdies the 18th to post the second four-under 67 of the day.
A three-way tie is still not out of the question with D.A. Points coming up the ninth hole (his 18th) at three under, just like we all predicted.
7:00 PM: Despite making a triple bogey (did you hear about that?), Rickie Fowler posts the low score of his group, a two-under 69 that has him just two shots back of leader Thorbjorn Olesen. Jon Rahm finishes with a one-under 70 and Rory McIlroy a one-over 72.
6:35 PM: Pat Perez posts a one under 70, making him the 18th player of the day to complete an under par round.
Meanwhile, Jon Rahm, who had just gotten to three under, is back to one under after making a second straight bogey on the 17th. Fowler makes another par and would be thrilled to get into the house at two under (with a triple!).
6:26 PM: It was such a promising start to the back nine for the Rahm/Rickie/Rory group, but it's been uneventful for the most part. A bogey at the 16th for Rahm drops him back to two under in a tie with Fowler, who made a long par putt to stay at two under. McIlroy remains at one over.
Kevin Kisner and D.A. Points have joined the crew at three under. They've each made five birdies and two bogeys on the day.
6:00 PM: Jon Rahm capitalizes on the par-5 15th with a birdie to get to three under, just one off the lead with three to play. Fowler pars to stay at two under, as does Rory to stay at one over. The Green Mile is up next.
5:54 PM: After making three bogeys on his previous five holes, Patrick Cantlay holed a much-needed eagle from the fairway at the par-5 seventh to get to one over for the day.
5:43 PM: Bud Cauley wasn't able to grab one more birdie, but he finishes with a solid two under 69.
It wasn't easy, but Rahm and Rickie make big birdies on the 14th to get back to two under. As for McIlroy, he walks away with a costly double-bogey and is now one over.
Canada's Graham DeLaet becomes the 17th player under par in the clubhouse with this birdie putt on his final hole for a one-under 70.
5:30 PM: All three go for the green at the short par-4 14th and it produces mixed results. Fowler's rolls off the back of the green, leaving him a decent look for eagle with a wedge. Rahm and Rory go left, but only the Spaniard's stays dry. McIlroy's finds the drink and he'll have work left to save his par.
5:25 PM: The marquee grouping of Rickie, Rory and Rahm has cooled off a bit, but some prime scoring opportunities await. They are all tied at one under through 13 holes after a bogey from McIlroy on the 208-yard par-3.
5:21 PM: The one and only Pat Perez leaps up the board with an eagle at the par-5 15th to get to one under on the day. Just the kind of momentum you need headed to the tough closing stretch.
5:10 PM: Cauley fails to get one back at the par-5 seventh and makes par to stay at two under. He'll have another solid chance to get within one of Olesen at the short, 346-yard par-4 eighth.
Rickie and Rory each hit solid chips to within five feet and save par, while Rahm three putts from the back of the green and drops his second shot of the day to fall back to one under.
4:58 PM: Rory McIlroy makes a testy, left-to-right downhill putt at the 11th hole to save par and stay at two under. Rahm also saves par, while Fowler drops a shot and is back at one under.
Bud Cauley also flinches, making bogey at the par-3 sixth, but is still two under with three to play.
4:50 PM: We've got our first ACE of the week courtesy of Joost Luiten.
4:43 PM: You are going to hear a lot of "if Fowler didn't make that triple bogey" comments today, but seriously! The guy just made his fifth birdie of the day at the par-5 10th to get to two under. He may still catch the leader anyway.
McIlroy pours one in right after Fowler for birdie. Rahm pars, and now all three are tied at two under. Now we're rolling.
4:37 PM: A couple of intriguing names lurk at two under, including Graham DeLaet and Kevin Kisner, who are each making only their third appearances at the PGA Championship.
4:34 PM: Rickie, Rahm and Rory all take a shot at the par-5 10th green in two, but no one hits it. Rahm's goes left, leaving him a challenging up and down to walk away with birdie, while Rickie's comes up just short of the front of the green. Rory's? Yeah, his went over from 283 yards, naturally.
4:23 PM: Tough, tough break for all the Beef fans out there. Also known as everyone. Let's hope he gets back to full health soon.
https://twitter.com/PGAChampionship/status/895738976300085249
4:20 PM: Make that four birdies on the day for Rickie Fowler, who makes the turn in one-under 34 despite making a triple bogey at the fifth.
Jon Rahm also birdies the ninth hole to turn in two-under 33. Perhaps the Spaniard is saving his best major performance for last this season.
McIlroy turns in one-under 34 and sits three off the lead.
4:18 PM: Bud Cauley is on fire! The former Alabama standout has made four birdies in his last seven holes to get to three under, one back of Olesen with just six holes to play. He also started on the back nine, meaning he's already through the Green Mile and has some prime scoring opportunities left to catch Olesen. But first, he'll have to get past the treacherous par-3 fourth hole, which has been borderline unfair on Thursday.
4:00 PM: After smashing his drive up near the green at the short par-4 eighth, Rory McIlroy chipped his second to a couple of feet and rolled in his third birdie of the day to get to one under. Rahm pars to stay at one under, and Rickie pars to remain at even. They head to the 505-yard par-4 ninth with some momentum.
3:50 PM: Just like they did at the third hole, the marquee afternoon group of Rickie, Rory and Rahm all make birdie at the par-5 seventh. Rahm's gets him back into red numbers, while Fowler and McIlroy are back to level par. For Fowler, that gives him three birdies, three pars and a triple bogey. Eventful.
Some surprising names have gotten to two under, just two shots back of Olesen. Bud Cauley, making only his second start at the PGA, is one of those names. He just made his third birdie of the day at the par-4 second to get to two under through 11 holes. The other two still on the course at two under are Byeong Hun An and D.A. Points.
3:30 PM: McIlroy drops another at the long par-3 sixth and falls to one over. Not how he envisioned his start, but plenty of scoring opportunities left, starting on the par-5 seventh. His playing partners, Fowler and Rahm, both make par.
It's still early, but Matt Kuchar looks to be responding well to his runner-up finish at the Open Championship. Kooooch just got into red figures with a birdie at the fifth, his second of the day.
Does the name Shaun Micheel ring a bell? The 2003 PGA Champion is also at one under through seven holes and just three back. How'd he get there? How about an eagle from the bunker on par-5 15th:
3:12 PM: Chris Stroud, coming off a victory at the Barracuda, posts a three-under 68 with a birdie on the 494-yard par-4 18th. He's making just his fourth appearance at the PGA Championship this week.
Rickie Fowler, who seemed to rush through the fifth hole, walks away with triple-bogey and now sits at one over on the day. Rory and Rahm make their pars to remain at even.
3:05 PM: Just as Rickie began to feel it, he's found some big trouble at the par-4 fifth. After his drive found a fairway bunker, Fowler's second hit the lip of the bunker, rolling back towards his feet. He hacked the next one out and is staring double bogey in the face.
2:52 PM: The par-3 fourth has given the field fits all day, but not Rickie Fowler. He rolls in his second straight birdie to get to two under, just two off the lead. Rory and Rahm both make bogey and fall back to even par.
2:37 PM: Rickie, Rory and Rahm all birdie the 483-yard par-4 third to get to one under, and Rory didn't even need his putter to do so.
You can't start a round much better than Byeong Hun An has:
Twenty players are at even par, but two-time major champion Zach Johnson is the only one in the clubhouse, four back of Olesen.
2:25 PM: After a bogey at the 17th, Olesen bounces back and buries a left to right birdie putt on the 18th. He's your solo leader in the clubhouse at four under.
2:20 PM: McIlroy and Rahm stick their approach shots at the par-4 second but neither can convert the birdie putts. Fowler makes par as well and the whole group is tied at even par after two holes.
2:10 PM: The Green Mile strikes again as Olesen makes bogey at the par-3 17th. He's now at three under with one to play.
1:55 PM: Two big names, Dustin Johnson and Jason Day, post low key one-under 70s and are very much in the mix. Day, who was three over through 12 holes, played his final six holes in four under.
As for fan favorite John Daly, he made it all the way to the 18th tee at even par, but finished with a triple-bogey 7 for a three-over 74.
1:52 PM: Rory gets off to a STRONG start with a 330-yard bomb off the first tee.
1:50 PM: Thorbjorn Olesen gets off to a great start on the Green Mile, making a par at the 16th. He's your solo leader at four under.
Gary Woodland joins Koepka and Murrary as the clubhouse leaders with a score of three-under 68. Tony Finau, Paul Casey, Jim Herman and Patrick Reed are all one back and finished with their rounds after firing two-under 69s.
1:29 PM: Brooks Koepka finishes with a par to tie for the clubhouse lead after his first-round 68. Koepka needed just 24 putts in his round, though he missed a couple makable birdie putts early in his round. It's still a great start for the 2017 U.S. Open champ.
His playing competitor, Jordan Spieth, fought back with two birdies at 7 and 8 to get to 1-over, which is just four back of the lead.
1:17 PM: Nobody since Tiger Woods in 2000 has won the U.S. Open and the PGA in the same year. But we have to start talking about that as it relates to Brooks Koepka, who has his second consecutive birdie to grab a share of the lead.
Koepka has two holes to play, along with Spieth, who also has two straight birdies. Spieth is back to 1-over now for the tournament.
1:01 PM: Brooks Koepka and Jordan Spieth both birdied one of the better holes at Quail Hollow, the par-5 seventh — Koepka moving to 2-under with the birdie and Spieth getting to 2-over. With the lead only at 3-under right now, Spieth wouldn't be thrilled with a 2-over start to his tournament, but it wouldn't keep him out of contention. Koepka is now just one back.
Meanwhile, we had to share this video that the PGA just shared from Phil Mickelson's debut at the PGA in 1993. A) That was an awesome shot. Phil showing off his bunker shots at an early age.
But how about that purple hat. That thing is so vintage Phil it's not even funny.
12:50 PM: We think it's safe to say you didn't bet Grayson Murray would hold the clubhouse lead at some point on Thursday. But the PGA Tour rookie — who just earned his first win a couple weeks ago at the Barbasol Championship — fired a first-round 3-under 68 to get off to a great start.
Murray is a Raleigh, N.C. native, so he's playing his first major as a pro in his home state. He missed the cut in the 2013 U.S. Open as an amateur.
So far so good for the outspoken 23-year-old.
https://twitter.com/PinehurstResort/status/895693127620546560
12:43 PM: Jordan Spieth looks like he's steaming a bit after bogeying three of his last six holes (Nos. 1, 6 and 7) to fall back to 3-over for the tournament. The putter is cold to start, with a couple of three-putts — at one and six — being the main culprit thus far. Not a great start for the 24-year-old.
12:10 PM: Fifty-eight players have come through the new par-3 fourth hole, and there have been zero bogeys thus far. Players were grumbling about the hole, with its green so new and non-receptive that it's a struggle to walk away with a par.
Koepka can sympathize. His bogey at the fourth drops him back to even-par. Spieth parred it to stay at 1-over.
Thus far, there have been 21 bogeys out of 58 players through, one double-bogey and an 8 on the one-shotter, made by Young-Han Song.
11:55 AM: Brooks Koepka hasn't had a great day with the putter — hitting most of his greens on his outward nine but turning in even-par.
Koepka wouldn't need the putter at the 12th hole, as he got a birdie with a sporty chip-in from in front of the green.
That puts the U.S. Open champ at 1-under in his opening round. Spieth remains at 1-over after 12 holes, currently tied for 24th.
11:46 AM: Looks like we spoke to soon. Grayson Murray just joined Olesen in a tie for third at two under after making his fourth birdie of the day at the par-5 15th. Not a bad start for a PGA Tour rookie making just his second career appearance in a major championship, the last coming at the 2013 U.S. Open. He's heading into one tough stretch though….
11:45 AM: Herman and Woodland are now through 12 holes and continue to plug along at three under, one ahead of Olesen who is in solo third. Nine players are at one under, including four Englishmen – Chris Wood, Tommy Fleetwood, Paul Casey and Lee Westwood.
Then it's a host of players at even par, but one in particular stands out.
How about long John getting in the mix through 11 holes! The way the morning is playing out, even par could be a very good score. Let's hope JD can hang in there on the home stretch.
11:27 AM: Koepka nearly makes birdie at the 527 par-4 first but it just rolls by to stay at even par. He's been a few inches away from being at least two under on the day.
Spieth, who found the greenside bunker, failed to roll in a 10 foot par putt and is now one over through 10.
Sixteen players are under par at the moment, including club pro Kenny Pigman out of Goose Creek Golf Club in California. Herman and Woodland, both through 11, still lead at three under.
11:11 AM: Just like we all predicted, Jim Herman and Gary Woodland are tied for the lead at three under. Paul Casey and Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen are one shot back at two under.
11:07 AM: Spieth nearly holes out his chip and saves a par. Classy.
Koepka rolls his just past for birdie and also saves par. He and Jordan make the turn in even par, while Sergio makes his second double bogey in three holes and falls to four over. Let's hope no reporter asks him about the wedding day after the round.
11:01 AM: My goodness, Sergio finds the creek on the 18th. Body language isn't great at the moment for the Masters champ.
Koepka finds the green and has a decent look for birdie, while Spieth will need to get up and down to save par.
Meanwhile, look who is getting some early practice in.
https://twitter.com/GWcampusinsider/status/895659880174039043
Because even Phil needs extra wedge work.
10:50 AM: Sergio's struggles continue on the stretch known as "the Green Mile." He follows up his double at 16 with a bogey at 17 to fall to two over.
Koepka and Spieth save pars and remain at even.
10:40 AM: Koepka, Spieth and Sergio make a mess of the 515-yard par-4 16th. Koepka and Spieth were able to grind out two bogeys to stay at even, while Sergio's second shot found the water and he made double to fall back to one over. Now they get the 226-yard par-3 17th, which is surrounded by water.
https://twitter.com/WatchStadium/status/895662928132702208/video/1
Dustin Johnson – remember him? – makes his second birdie of the day at the par-5 15th to get back to one under, two back of Woodland who leads alone. Tony Finau and David Lingmerth join Herman and Casey at two under.
10:25 AM: Gary Woodland joins Casey at three under with a birdie at the par-5 seventh. He has just eight putts in seven holes. Looks like those tips from the Presidents Cup captain are helping.
Right after Spieth makes his first birdie of the day at the par-5 15th, he finds a fairway bunker on the long par-4 16th. His playing partners, Sergio and Koepka, made par at the 15th and also both found trouble off the tee at the 16th. All three guys are at one under, but have some work to do to stay there.
10:03 AM: Paul Casey takes the solo lead at the PGA Championship thanks to three birdies on his first five holes, all on par-4s. He's at three under and leads by one over Matsuyama, Wood, Herman and Gary Woodland, who just made his second birdie of the day at the 249-yard (!!) par-3 sixth.
At the short par-4 14th, Spieth and Koepka each drove the green and were left with putts of over 110-feet for eagle. They both walked away with par, as did Sergio.
9:40 AM: Just like that we have some fireworks. It's a four-way tie atop the leader board at two under between Paul Casey, Chris Wood, Hideki Matsuyama and Jim Herman. What a group!
The marquee group is through four holes now, and Koepka and Sergio leading the way at one under after making birdie at the par-3 13th. Spieth's made all pars and is even.
9:21 AM: At the 12th, Spieth takes a ridiculous line on his long birdie putt, aiming about 15 or 20 feet right of the cup. Of course, it was right on line but came up just short. He'll clean up his par to stay even through three holes. Koepka and Sergio also tap in their par putts and sit at even as well.
9:04 AM: Koepka's birdie just slides by and he taps in for par. Sergio gives a shot right back with a bogey, while Spieth makes an eight footer to save par.
Chris Wood is now alone at the top. He's at two under through three holes.
9:00 AM: Koepka hits the longest drive of the day so far at the 11th, then pures his approach to within 10 feet for birdie. Spieth and Garcia both miss the green with their second shots.
Meanwhile, Scotland's Russel Knox and England's Chris Wood each get off to hot starts, both making birdie on their first two holes. They are now in a two-way tie for the lead after Matsuyama bogeyed the par-4 12th (his third).
8:45 AM: Spieth's 20-foot birdie attempt just slides by on his opening hole, the par-5 10th, and he settles for par. Playing partner Brooks Koepka also makes par, but Sergio Garcia makes birdie to get his 19th PGA Championship off to a great start. It seems this marquee group has a pretty famous athlete following them inside the ropes as well:
https://twitter.com/PGATOURSMartin/status/895626615375450112
8:31 AM: Jordan Spieth begins his pursuit of history with a perfect tee shot on the par-5 10th hole. Spieth is playing alongside Masters champ Sergio Garcia, who yanked his drive left, and U.S. Open winner Brooks Koepka, who bombed it past Spieth by about 20 yards.
8:23 AM: Hideki Matsuyama, fresh off a five-shot win at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, birdies his first two holes. Shocking news, we know. The World No. 3 is a popular pick to win major No. 1 this week. If he keeps making putts from 52 feet like he did on his first hole, the field at Quail Hollow is in trouble.
8:19 AM: If you're wondering about the weather, the sun is actually out in Charlotte on Thursday morning. And despite all the doom and gloom forecasts, it looks like we're in for a great day of golf:
(* Knock on wood *)
8:14 AM: We're not sure this is a sign of things to come for Jordan Spieth. But it's pretty cool — as Spieth walked off the short-game area, he holed his last chip shot. Of course he did.
He hasn't teed off yet, and Spieth's doing Spieth things.
8:05 AM: We are 20 minutes from the group of 2017 major winners (Jordan Spieth, Sergio Garcia and Brooks Koepka) teeing off Quail Hollow's 10th hole. They will be followed by the 8:35 tee time of World No. 1 Dustin Johnson, Jason Day and Henrik Stenson. Unfortunately, TV coverage on TNT doesn't start until 1 p.m., but these two marquee groups will be live-streamed on the PGA Championship app. Hope you've been conserving your data on your phone this month. . .
7:40 AM: Here's a look at the pin positions for round 1: