Streeter Lecka(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)CHARLOTTE — For all the Spieth-vs-McIlroy storylines at this year's PGA Championship, perhaps the player truly in the crosshairs is Rickie Fowler.
Following a second-half slump last season, the 28-year-old has cobbled together a fine bounce-back campaign, winning the Honda Classic and posting eight top-10s in just 16 events. Better yet, Fowler clearly views Quail Hollow as friendly confines, with a victory and two other top-six finishes at the venue.
However, with Sergio Garcia claiming the green jacket, the weight of the “greatest player to never win a major” label now falls on his shoulders. And with less-than-stellar Sunday showings at Augusta National and Erin Hills, whispers are growing, justifiably or not, on Fowler's mettle.
So when Fowler threw away his two-under start with a triple bogey at the par-4 fifth—his second shot failed to get out of a fairway bunker, and proceeded to make a mess from there—a share of conte..

Sam Greenwood/Getty ImagesKevin Kisner lines up a putt on the 12th hole during the first round of the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club.CHARLOTTE — Kevin Kisner knows he’s not one of the longest hitters on the PGA Tour. The 33-year-old from Aiken, S.C., also knows he has one win, six top-10 finishes and only three missed cuts in 22 starts in this his sixth full-time season on tour. Oh, and he’s ninth on the FedEx Cup points list and 25th in the World Ranking.
It’s why if you’re surprised that he’s tied for the lead after 18 holes at the PGA Championship, he certainly isn’t.
The University of Georgia grad long ago came to terms with giving up distance (he ranks 127th on tour with a 288.3 yard average) for accuracy off the tee (15th at 68.2 percent). That was the strategy on Thursday at Quail Hollow Club, where Kisner had one goal in mind: hit the fairway. From there, he could try play the four holes he considered birdie holes (Nos. 7, 8, 14 and 15) and settle for pars on the re..

Sam GreenwoodCHARLOTTE, NC – AUGUST 10: Kevin Kisner of the United States plays his shot from the 13th tee during the first round of the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club on August 10, 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)As far as PGA Championships go, the hype surrounding the 99th edition at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte was as big as it's been in some time. Can Jordan Spieth complete the career Grand Slam? Will Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson or Jason Day find form and win the final major of the season?
Instead, the golf course was the story on Thursday, yielding just 24 rounds under par in the field of 155 players. Two of them belonged to Kevin Kisner and Thorbjorn Olesen, who each posted four-under 67s and lead by one. Spieth opened with a one-over 72.
Olesen, 27, went off in the morning and made six birdies and two bogeys to post his 67, and it seemed like only a matter of time before someone would catch him. About five hours later, ..

Mike EhrmannCHARLOTTE, NC – AUGUST 10: Brooks Koepka of the United States lines up a putt on the 17th green during the first round of the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club on August 10, 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)CHARLOTTE –What did we learn about the PGA Championship-iteration of Quail Hollow after Thursday’s first round?
First and foremost, very difficult. Despite a lot of rain. Despite the PGA generally being considered the easiest setup among the four majors. Despite a history of good scoring at the PGA Tour’s Wells Fargo Championship.
But to begin with, this isn’t the same course. Since a completion last summer of the club’s “Master Plan,” it’s got new playing surfaces. Champion Ultradwarf Bermudagrass has replaced bent grass on the greens, making them both firmer and faster, especially with SubAir systems sucking out any extra moisture. Although no official Stimpmeter reading has been announced, players estimated that the gree..

Sam GreenwoodCHARLOTTE, NC – AUGUST 10: Phil Mickelson of the United States plays his shot from the 14th tee during the first round of the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club on August 10, 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)CHARLOTTE—We're not used to seeing birdieless rounds from Phil The Thrill. His opening-round 79 at Quail Hollow on Thursday made it two consecutive majors in which Phil Mickelson failed to record a birdie in one of his rounds, following up a three-over 74 at The Open last month.
The Thursday round—his worst-ever in a PGA Championship—completes a forgettable major season for the 47-year-old, barring an ultra special second round. This would mark the first year since 2007 that Phil hasn't had a top 10 in a major, which was also the last year Phil missed two straight cuts in a major.
Of course, Phil skipped the U.S. Open at Erin Hills this year to attend his daughter's high-school graduation, so this would be t..

Warren LittleCHARLOTTE, NC – AUGUST 10: Rickie Fowler of the United States and Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland walk along the second hole during the first round of the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club on August 10, 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)Quail Hollow provided a stern test for the world's best golfers in its first crack at hosting a major championship on Thursday. And that's despite the course playing softer than anticipated due to a recent rainy patch in the Charlotte area. So who fared the best — and worst — in the first round of the 99th PGA Championship? Here's our rundown of the day's winners and losers.
Winner: Thorbjorn Olesen
The 27-year-old Dane made a slick 25-footer for birdie on Quail Hollow's tough finishing par 4 to shoot 67 and grab the early lead. Olesen is a four-time European Tour winner who is coming off a T-10 at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, and who finished T-6 at the 2013 Ma..