‘A COOL GROUP TO BE A PART OF’
THREESOME OF WOODS, MCILROY, SPIETH KICKS OFF PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
Maybe the folks running the PGA Championship are fans of Bon Jovi, because on Thursday the season’s second major followed the rockers’ “don’t bore us, get to the chorus” philosophy.
Shortly after 8 a.m., the PGA of America’s flagship event unleashed the supergroup of Tiger Woods, Rory Mcilroy and Jordan Spieth onto Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla. There were plenty of pre-tournament questions about how playing in the group would affect each player, but in the end, the superstars seemed to prove that the expansive Southern Hills golf course is big enough to handle anything.
“There’s a lot of room, so it doesn’t feel as oppressive as some other venues,” Mcilroy said after shooting a stellar five-under 65. “I was looking forward to the draw, anyway. It’s always a cool group to be a part of, but I think this golf course just with how it’s been opened up, it doesn’t feel quite as boisterous as it usually does.”
The four-time major winner from Northern Ireland finished one shot in front of Will Zalatoris and Tom Hoge, who shot 4-under 66.
Matt Kuchar, Justin Thomas and Mexico’s Abraham Ancer were tied for fourth at 3-under 67.
Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., was the top Canadian on the day, opening with a 3-over 73, while Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., was at 6-over and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., checked in at 7-over.
The course has been lengthened considerably since Woods won this tournament here in 2007, playing 7,498 yards in Thursday’s opening round.
To get that length there are a few awkward tee boxes throughout the course, such as the 628-yard par-5 13th hole that plays directly over the 12th green. But those idiosyncrasies haven’t proved difficult to navigate so far and, as Mcilroy points out, Southern Hills is no longer the tree-lined course fans might remember from past tournaments. The sprawling property is generous off the tee, and although many trees remain, the contoured fairways, sweeping vistas, and undulated green complexes with seemingly endless run-off areas are now the defining characteristics.
“I feel like this course, it lets you be pretty aggressive off the tee if you want to be, so I hit quite a lot of drivers out there and took advantage of my length,” Mcilroy said.
The Northern Irishman certainly did that. On a day when Spieth (+2) looked to be searching, and Woods (+4) looked to be hurting, Mcilroy was launching drivers into orbit and making his run of major championship mishaps seem all the more curious. Trading his former trademark high draw for a fade, Mcilroy put on a longdrive exhibition, hitting two 378-yard drives, a 369-yarder and a 353-yard bomb.
“I’m a little more comfortable hitting the driver left-to-right at the minute,” he said.
Perhaps even more promising was Mcilroy’s wedge game and putting that saw him get his round going early with four consecutive birdies beginning on the 12th, his third hole of the day. His first two birdies were near tap-ins set up by great wedge shots, before making 26- and 10-foot putts for his third and fourth birdies of the day.
Mcilroy finished with seven birdies and two bogeys, and more importantly, exorcised some Thursday major championship demons.
For most of the first round, the 46-year-old Woods looked like a golfer battling both his game and his ailing leg. Playing in oppressive heat, Woods appeared to struggle physically on his back nine, stretching his right leg on the seventh tee, and wincing and limping after hitting his tee shot at the eighth.
“Yeah, my leg is not feeling as good as I would like it to be,” he said. “We’ll start the recovery process and get after it (Friday) . ... Loading hurts, pressing off it hurts, and walking hurts, and twisting hurts. It’s just golf. I don’t play that, if I don’t do that, then I’m all right.”
Woods made seven bogeys and three birdies, struggled to get up and down from Southern Hills difficult greenside bunkers, and needed two pitch shots from off the 18th green, bogeying his final hole.
Spieth had hopes of completing the career grand slam this week and joining Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Gene Sarazen in golf’s most exclusive club.
Despite a win and a runner-up in his past two starts, Spieth looked like a player still searching, something he warned of before the tournament, saying, despite recent success, he’s not where he wants to be with his swing.
It wasn’t a great start for two of the three superstars, but the PGA Championship gave golf fans a jolt on Thursday and the tournament continues to narrow the gap in its chase for recognition among the four majors. While it certainly will never match its three big brothers in prestige, since the schedule change in 2019, the tournament has delivered great winners and great venues.
If Thursday is a sign of what’s to come, clear your weekend schedule.