STARS SEARCHING
Spieth, Rory looking for swing after scuffling in 1st round
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The players expected to be at the top of the PGA Championship leaderboard were nowhere to be found after Thursday’s first round at Quail Hollow.
Rory McIlroy, winner of two PGA Championships and two Wells Fargo Championships at Quail? He’s 1-over thanks to a 3-over stretch on Nos. 13 and 14.
Jordan Spieth, winner of last month’s British Open, who’s trying to complete the career Grand Slam this week? He, too, is 1-over thanks to a sloppy stretch of holes on his back nine, bogeys on Nos. 5 and 6.
Phil Mickelson, one of the most successful players over the years on Quail Hollow for the Wells Fargo, shot 79, the worst score he has posted in 95 career rounds at the PGA Championship. Yes, there was some carnage. But there was brilliant golf, too. It just came from unlikely players.
Thorbjorn Olesen and Kevin Kisner, who birdied three of his final four holes, take the lead into the second round after shooting 4-under 67s. U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka, Gary Woodland, Grayson Murray, Chris Stroud and D.A. Points are all one shot back.
Rickie Fowler, former Trump National Bedminster assistant pro Jim Herman, Patrick Reed, Paul Casey, Bud Cauley and Brian Harman are all 2-under.
Fowler’s 2-under was most impressive because he took a triple-bogey on his fifth hole.
“It would be nice not to have it,’’ Fowler said. “I’ve been swinging well.’’
Fowler, like McIlroy, has some good Quail Hollow vibes, having captured his first career PGA Tour win at the 2012 Wells Fargo.
“I’ve definitely had a lot of good f inishes here — getting my first win, and then being in contention a couple years ago,’’ he said. “This golf course has a great look to me. It suits my eye. I’ve made a lot of putts here.’’
McIlroy said the changes to Quail Hollow (Nos. 1, 4, 5 and 11 have been lengthened) and the set-up make the course for the PGA two to three shots tougher than it is for the Wells Fargo.
“The greens are as firm as I’ve ever seen, probably any greens at a PGA Championship,’’ McIlroy said. “That makes things difficult, as well. Yeah, it’s definitely playing a few shots harder than it usually is. It’s a major championship; it should be.’’
As for his place, McIlroy, who hasn’t won a major in three years, was sounding no alarms.
“I’m only five behind; 4-under is the best score out there,’’ he said. “It’s a tough golf course. If I shoot something in the 60s [Friday], I move right up there. So yeah, I’m in it.’’
Spieth’s sentiments were similar.
“Given it’s the first round, I know I’m still in it, but I know that [Friday’s] round becomes that much more important to work my way and stay in it,’’ he said. “If I’m five back at the start of the day, I’ve got to be less than five back after Friday to really feel like I can play the way this golf course needs to be played and still be able to win.’’
Among t he names at t he top of the board, the one with
recent major championship pedigree is Koepka, who also happens to be the lowest of low profile.
As is tradition at the PGA Championship, the fourth and final major of the calendar year, the three reigning major champions are grouped together. That meant Spieth, the newly minted British Open champion, was paired with Sergio Garcia, who won the Masters in April to end a string of 69 majors without a victory, and Koepka, who won the U.S. Open in June at Erin Hills. Koepka is in the hunt again, while Garcia is 4-over.
Koepka playing well in a major is not a shocker. He has played 16 of them in his career and missed only two cuts — his first U.S. Open and first British Open. Including his win at Erin Hills last month, Koepka has five top-6 finishes, including two in the PGA Championship.
“We focus in on these majors; that’s when you’re trying to peak, trying to play your best,’’ Koepka said. “Sometimes it’s a lot simpler than people think. I think people kind of psyche themselves out quite a bit in a major, put too much pressure on themselves. It’s the same game I’ve been playing for 23, 24 years. All you’ve got to do is put the ball in the hole and move on.’’