Walker leads as McIlroy

English pair in hunt, but Rory struggles on the greens in opening 74

American Jimmy Walker set the pace in 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, New Jersey, with temperatures in the mid90s forcing tournament officials to water the greens during play.

Fisher’s 66 was his lowest round in any major and left him sharing second place with Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo and Germany’s Martin Kaymer on four under par, with Sullivan a shot further back alongside Open champion Henrik Stenson, Harris English and James Hahn.

Defending champion Jason Day was three shots off the lead after returning a 68 despite having just one practice round, but two-time winner and playing partner Rory McIlroy struggled to a 74 which included 35 putts.

The final member of the marquee group, Open runner-up Phil Mickelson, recovered from four over par after 11 holes with three late birdies to return a 71.

The last year in which all four majors were claimed by first-time winners was 2011, when Charl Schwartzel won the US Masters, 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.

Willett opened with a 71, but Johnson had a day to forget, shooting 77.

“I feel like I’ve prepared and I’m ready to go this week,” said the 37-year-old Walker, who won five times between October 2013 and March 2015 but has struggled to reproduce such form this season. “It’s nice that that’s what showed today. I felt like I was ready to go.

“Winning a major would be huge but there’s three days to go.

“It’s just been real 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.

“I definitely wanted to play Ryder Cup this year and I don’t know how much time there is left in that, but I know we do have a lot of picks this year (four) and the picks keep going. I’d had it sewn up last time it came around at this point, but playing good at the end of the year would be nice.”

Fisher, whose sole top-10 finish in a major to date came in the 2009 US Open, said: “Everyone is striving to become a major champion and I’m no different. I’m coming here believing my game is good enough to win.

“I’ve got off to a great start, but I’m not going to sit back on that. There’s still a long, long way to go but this is where you want to be. You want to be in the four majors. I’ve missed some of those over the last few years. I missed the Masters and the US Open this year. I got to experience the Open, but only for two days.”

Sullivan has finished 12th, sixth and fifth in his last three events and completed his 67 with three birdies in the last four holes.

“I’m buzzing with that start,” the former supermarket worker from Nuneaton said. “I’ve been playing really well leading up to the tournament, so it’s just nice to keep the form and momentum going.”

McIlroy had to wait until the soaring temperatures dropped before working on a cold putter which left him battling to avoid a first missed cut in the event.

McIlroy lifted the Wanamaker Trophy in 2012 and 2014 and has recorded three other top-eight finishes in seven appearances in the final major of the year, but struggled on the opening day.

The 27-year-old was keen to work on his putting after signing for his fourth birdie-free score in 115 major championship rounds, and second this year, but took the sensible option as the searing heat forced tournament officials to water the greens during play.

“I’ll try to spend as much (time) as I can on it,” the 27-year-old said. “Obviously it’s very hot out here. I’ll probably just go back to the house that we rented, chill out a little bit and maybe come back this evening and hit some putts when it cools off.

“Tee to green is not the problem and I’m driving the ball as well as ever I think, but when I get to the greens it’s a different story.”

Picture: AP. Jimmy Walker watches his chip to the third green.

Pictures: Getty Images. Above: Ross Fisher, who opened with his lowest round in a major, a 66, studies his options on the third tee with caddie Mark Sherwood; left: Andy Sullivan, three birdies in the last four holes in his 67.