Walker aims for maiden Major

AMERICAN Jimmy Walker claimed the lead after the opening round of the US PGA Championship as England’s Ross Fisher and Andy Sullivan increased the prospects of a clean sweep for first-time Major winners in 2016.

Walker carded six birdies and a solitary bogey in an impressive 65 in sweltering conditions at Baltusrol, with temperatures in the mid-90s forcing tournament officials to water the greens during the afternoon.

Fisher’s 66 was his lowest round in any Major and left him sharing second place with former champion Martin Kaymer and Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo, with Sullivan a shot further back in a group which included Open champion Henrik Stenson.

The last year in which all four Majors were claimed by firsttime winners was 2011, when Charl Schwartzel won the US Masters, Rory McIlroy the US Open, Darren Clarke the Open and Keegan Bradley the US PGA.

So far this season, Danny Willett, Dustin Johnson and Stenson have claimed the game’s biggest titles.

Walker, who won five times between October 2013 and March 2015 but has struggled to reproduce such form this season, said: “It’s just been really stale and stagnant this year. I haven’t been making the 15, 18-footers you need to make to start running up the leaderboard and to have high finishes.

“Winning a Major would be huge but there are three days to go.”

Kaymer’s 66 was the best score of the afternoon starters as the wind picked up ahead of possible thunderstorms, the former world No 1 carding five birdies and a single bogey.

“I’ve been working hard because I wanted to have a good summer and slowly it’s paying off,” said Kaymer.

“The results have been OK but we all want that win and, hopefully, it can still happen.”

Defending champion Jason Day was three shots off the lead after returning a 68 but playing partner Rory McIlroy struggled to a 74 which included 35 putts and returned to the course at 6.15pm for practice under the watchful eye of coach Michael Bannon.

Open runner-up Phil Mickelson recovered from fourover-par after 11 holes to return a 71 but US Open champion Dustin Johnson struggled to a 77.

Rory McIlroy struggled.