PGA TOUR
PGA Championship
Round One wrap
Conners Leads PGA Championship, Aussie Davis in The Hunt.
Corey Conners opened the 103rd PGA Championship with a stunning 5-under 67 at Kiawah island in South Carolina. The 29-year-old Canadian holds a two-shot lead over six players including Australia’s Cam Davis.
The notoriously difficult Ocean Course at Kiawah gave up just seven scores better than 70— the fewest for the opening round of the PGA Championship since Hazeltine National Golf Club (5) in 2002.
Conners, who collected his only PGA Tour title at the 2019 Valero Texas Open, fired six birdies and one bogey during his near-perfect round.
Former PGA Championship winners Brooks Koepka and Keegan Bradley covered the picturesque layout in 3-under 69. They are joined on that mark by rising star Viktor Hovland, Aaron wise, Sam Horsfield and young Sydney golfer Davis. The 26-year-old, who won the 2017 Australian Open, was impressive in his debut outing at the PGA Championship. Davis made a great start with birdies at the 2nd and 4th holes before stumbling at the par 4, 6th hole with a triple bogey seven. He immediately recovered with a birdie at the next hole before firing 3-under 33 on the back nine which included an eagle at the 11th hole and a birdie at the 14th hole.
Fellow Aussie Cameron Smith carded an even par 72 to be the next best placed golfer from down under.
Collin Morikawa made a solid start to his title defense with a 2-under 70. Veteran PGA Tour member Phil Mickelson also signed for a 2-under 70. Lefty, who was 3-over after six holes, poured in five unanswered birdies including a 4-under 32 on the tough back nine.
In his chase to complete the career Grand Slam with a victory this week, Jordan Spieth returned a steady 1-over 73.
Rory McIlroy, who won the PGA Championship in 2012 at this venue, shot a 3-over 75—it is his worst ever start at a PGA Championship.
World No. 1 Dustin Johnson struggled to make an impact on the scorecard producing just one birdie for the day. The reigning FedExCup champion made a double-bogey at the final hole for a disappointing 4-over 76. He's in danger of missing the cut in consecutive majors in the same year for the first time in his career.
First Round Scores
PGA Championship
1. Corey Conners -3
T2. Keegan Bradley -2
T2. Viktor Hovland -2
T2. Brooks Koepka -2
T2. Aaron Wise -2
T2. Sam Horsfield -2
T2. Cam Davis -2
Notables
T8. Collin Morikawa -2
T8. Phil Mickelson -2
T31. Bryson DeChambeau E
T31. Jon Rahm E
T41. Hideki Matsuyama +1
T41. Jordan Spieth +1
T77. Rory McIlroy +3
T77. Justin Thomas +3
T97. Dustin Johnson +4
Other Australians
T31. Cameron Smith E
T41. Matt Jones +1
T41. Jason Scrivener +1
T62. Marc Leishman +2
T62. Jason Day +2
T97. Lucas Herbert +4
T127. Adam Scott +6
Photo credit: Patrick Smith /Getty Images
