PGA rainstorm could help Valhalla bite back after Schauffele's record start
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — There's rain in the forecast and lots of low numbers on the scoreboard.
Could Friday at the PGA Championship be remembered as the day Valhalla bit back?
Even if it does, is there any stopping Xander Schauffele?
The 30-year-old Californian took advantage of calm, soft conditions on opening day to set the PGA record with a 9-under 62 that gave him a three-shot lead after one of the lowest-scoring rounds in the tournament's history.
A record 64 players broke par, rewriting the record for a first round at the PGA that was last set when 60 players finished in the red at Medinah in 2006, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Elias said entering this week, Schauffele has the lowest all-time career first-round scoring average in major championships (69.81) among those who have appeared in at least 25. But a player still looking for his first major knows there's a big difference between the first 18 holes and the last 18 holes.
“It's a great start to a big tournament, one I’m obviously always going to take,” Schauffele said. “It’s just Thursday. That’s about it.”
There is a 90% chance of rain by the time Schauffele tees off in the afternoon wave Friday. It figures to make the greens receptive, as they were for Round 1, but it could also make the course softer and soggier and longer-feeling than the 7,506 yards at which it played on opening day.
Some other things to watch for on Day 2 of the PGA Championship.
FIRST TIMERS
In a three-way tie for second, at 6 under, are players who, like Schauffele, are looking for their first major championship. One is a familiar name — six-time PGA Tour winner Tony Finau. The others need a bit more introduction.
—Sahith Theegala said he dislocated a rib last Saturday at the Wells Fargo after sitting down in a golf cart “a little bit aggressively.” He said some aggressive rehab on the rib got him ready for the quick turnaround.
—Mark Hubbard made a name for himself — sort of — by setting a PGA Tour record by playing in 39 tournaments over 15 months in the 2022-23 season. This is only his fourth start in a major; his best finish was a tie for 51st in the 2020 PGA.
BIG TIMERS
Scottie Scheffler got off to quite a start in his quest for the second leg of the 2024 Grand Slam. He holed out using a 9-iron from 167 yards on No. 1 for an eagle. He finished at 4 under.
Both Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, who have not played in the same field since last month at Hilton Head, are trying to win their third consecutive start. McIlroy shot 5-under 66 and closed out Thursday in a seven-way tie for fifth.
TIGER WATCH
Tiger Woods three-putted his last two holes to finish at 1-over 72. That left him tied for 85th and marked the 10th straight round he's shot par or worse in a major. The top 70 and ties make the cut.
“I’ve been on the cut number and have won tournaments, or I’ve been ahead and leading tournaments and I’ve won tournaments,” Woods said. “But you have to get to the weekend in order to win a golf tournament.”
CLUB PRO WATCH
Most of the 21 club professionals who made their way to Valhalla struggled while the touring pros were going low during the opening round.
Only two club pros -- Jesse Mueller and Jeremy Wells -- posted red numbers. Mueller, the GM at Grand Canyon University Golf Course, is at 1 under, while Wells, the head pro at Cypress Lake Golf Club in Fort Myers, Florida, shot a 2-under 69.
Tracy Phillips, 61, posted a 4-over 75. Michael Block, who became a cult sensation after tying for 15th and draining an ace at Oak Hill last year, made a quadruple bogey on the second hole before steadying himself and finishing with a 75.
___
AP National Writer Will Graves contributed.
___
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
