LAST UPDATE | 15 May

MASTERS CHAMPION RORY McIlroy faces an uphill battle to claim back-to-back major titles after an error-strewn opening round in the 107th US PGA Championship.

McIlroy struggled to a three-over-par 74 to trail clubhouse leaders Luke Donald, Ryan Fox, Alex Smalley and Stephan Jaeger by seven shots, with England’s Matt Fitzpatrick and Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre on three under.

McIlroy’s play-off victory over Justin Rose at Augusta National in April had made him just the sixth male golfer to complete a career grand slam and gave him a fifth major title.

Australian Cam Davis and American Ryan Gerard each fired a five-under-par 66 to share the lead late in Thursday’s first round, but late bogeys dimmed both their efforts.

• Follow the latest first round leaderboard here

Davis, a 30-year-old from Sydney, and Gerard, a 25-year-old from nearby Raleigh making only his third major start, grinded out top rounds at rain-soaked Quail Hollow.

In his PGA Championship debut, Gerard reeled off four birdies to start the back nine and chipped in for eagle from nearly 60 feet on the par-five 15th to seize command before closing with back-to-back bogeys.

World number 68 Davis, winner of the 2021 and 2024 PGA Rocket Mortgage Classics, started off the 10th tee and made seven birdies against two bogeys, highlighted by a 29-foot birdie putt at the par-five 10th, a 15-foot birdie putt at the par-three fourth and a 21-footer to birdie the par-three sixth.

Davis, however, missed the green with his approach at the ninth, his closing hole, and made bogey to fall level with Gerard.

Padraig Harrington and Shane Lowry are both two-over after the opening round, while Seamus Power is one-over.

Shane Lowry hits his tee shot on the 11th hole. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Lowry made a slow start to his round, bogeying three of his first seven holes, before handing back the shot he made on 18 – the ninth of Lowry’s round – with a bogey on the very next hole. He found a spark with back-to-back birdies on holes three and four, the latter secured with a monster putt from 68 feet. That momentum stalled, however, with Lowry closing with a string of pars and a bogey on his final hole. 

“I always struggle around here and today was another one of those days”, said a dispirited Lowry after his round. “I’m disappointed, but I’m more disappointed with my finish than my start. Two great chances on 7 and 8 and then bogey 9 is really annoying. It is what it is.

“I’ll just have to go shoot a low one tomorrow. I don’t see the ball going close out there and I don’t see birdies. It’s tough when it’s like that. I’ll give it my best tomorrow and see what happens.”

Harrington meanwhile had his steady start marred by a run of four consecutive bogeys from holes nine to 12. 

“I did some good work with [sports psychologist] Bob Rotella but it was hard to do today”, said Harrington. “It was great yesterday but it’s harder to bring to the golf course. Anyway, a few bad holes around the turn, a couple of three putts.

“It was disappointing to drive it on 14 and three putt it. I needed a break at that stage. A putt down the hill I left it eight or ten feet short. You’re tiddling the next one and it probably broke a foot when you’re hoping it would break six inches. It’s just tough, tough. It’s not like you can hit anything firm to hold the line. Luke [Donald] hit good putts, that’s the key.” 

McIlroy was strongly fancied at Quail Hollow, a venue where he won his first PGA Tour title in 2010 and has since claimed three more victories, including last year.

However, McIlroy hit just three fairways in regulation and was fortunate not to find the water with a number of pulled tee shots in an unexpectedly poor display.

McIlroy was among the early starters from the 10th tee in Thursday’s first round and despite missing the fairway and green on the downhill par five, he holed from 10 feet for birdie after a well-judged pitch.

That shot was immediately given back on the next with a disappointing three-putt and McIlroy had to save par on the 12th with a deft chip after his approach span back off the side of the green.

McIlroy was unable to find the green on the reachable par-four 14th and although he hit a good pitch to four feet, he could not convert the birdie attempt.

Another wayward drive on the par-five 15th stopped just a few feet from the water and McIlroy was able to hit a seven iron just short of the green, from where he two-putted for birdie.

But after pulling another tee shot on the 16th, McIlroy’s back foot slipped as he tried to pitch the ball back into play and he missed the green with his approach on his way to a double bogey.

Playing partners Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler, the defending champion and world number one, also made six after pulling their approaches into the water as the first hole of the so-called “Green Mile” closing stretch claimed three high-profile victims.

McIlroy almost chipped in for birdie on the 17th before yet another pulled tee shot on the 18th stopped just short of the creek which runs the length of the hole, from where he was able to find the putting surface and make par.

Even when McIlroy found a fairway, as he did on the first, he hit his second shot into a greenside bunker and failed to get up and down, a disappointing round fizzling out with seven straight pars and another bogey on the ninth.

In contrast, Donald had compiled a bogey-free 67 to join Fox and Smalley in the clubhouse lead, Fox only securing his place in the field on Sunday by winning his first PGA Tour title in Myrtle Beach.

Smalley was an even later entrant, getting in as first alternate on Wednesday afternoon when Sahith Theegala withdrew due to injury.

Scheffler finished with a birdie to record a battling 69, with Schauffele carding a 72.

With reporting by Gavin Cooney

Written by Press Association and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.