Early lead for local player Murray at Quail Hollow
Grayson Murray, a local North Carolinian who hit the first tee shot of the PGA Championship, was the early clubhouse leader after completing a three-underpar 68. Jim Herman and Gary Woodland topped the leaderboard on the course on four-under par, both of them through 15 holes.
The Quail Hollow claimed notable victims as the long, rainsoftened layout with the hard, fast greens proved treacherous for many. Four-time Major winner Ernie Els was nine-over through 16, including three double bogeys. Twice Masters champion Bubba Watson was eightover after 14 with three bogeys in a row to start and four in a row around the turn. Three-time Major winner Padraig Harrington was six-over after 11 holes, posting three doubles in a row from the 15th.
US Open winner Brooks Koepka chipped in for birdie at the parfour third, his 12th hole of the day, to reach one-under par. The long-hitting Koepka gave the stroke right back on the next hole, sliding his short par-putt past the right edge as he bogeyed the fourth.
Masters champion Sergio Garcia was one-under heading into the finishing three-hole stretch of the back nine called the Green Mile and exited fourover at turn.
The Spaniard double-bogeyed the 16th, bogeyed 17 and doubled the 18th, twice finding water, leaving him five-over for that notoriously difficult run of holes.
Jordan Spieth, opening his quest to become the youngest player to complete a career Grand Slam, birdied the parfive15th, his sixth hole of the day, to move to one-under par.
The forecast suggested there would be no stoppages during the first round, with only a 20 per cent chance of a stray late-afternoon thunderstorm. Rory McIlroy, a two-time winner at Quail Hollow, and defending champion Jimmy Walker were among those to start in the afternoon half of the draw.