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The Advertiser
19-05-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
PGA winner Scheffler admits he failed his driver's test
Scottie Scheffler knew the issue would come up eventually, and the newly minted winner of the PGA Championship found himself answering questions about non-conforming clubs. Scheffler confirmed on Sunday evening (Monday AEST) that his driver had been tested in the past week and he had to make a change, which didn't prevent him from capturing his third major and first Wanamaker Trophy by five strokes at Quail Hollow Club. The world No.1 could even joke after the victory that the new driver didn't affect his accuracy on Sunday, when he was hitting to the left. "No, I think that was my fault," Scheffler said. PGA Tour players having their drivers tested came to the forefront on Friday, when SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio reported that Rory McIlroy had been forced to switch to a different driver after his favourite TaylorMade weapon was deemed non-conforming in a test conducted on Tuesday. "So the driver testing is something that regularly happens on tour," Scheffler said. "My driver did fail me this week. We had a feeling that it was going to be coming because I've used that driver for over a year. I was kind of fortunate for it to last that long, I felt like." The US Golf Association routinely tests driver heads randomly at PGA Tour events and major championships to determine if their spring-like effect is conforming. "Spring-like effect" refers to the elasticity of the club face, which allows it to spring back upon impact with the ball, much like a trampoline. A driver that is conforming one week could be non-conforming the next, due to minute changes in the club face as a result of the wear and tear of hitting balls. Scheffler noted that "with the amount of practice that I do, I felt like I was fortunate for it to last that long". He credited TaylorMade for having a new driver ready if needed for The CJ Cup Byron Nelson, which he also won on May 4 by tying the PGA Tour's all-time scoring record, and the PGA Championship. He hit 35 of 56 fairways in regulation at Quail Hollow and was fifth for four rounds in strokes gained off the tee. "We were really prepared, so it wasn't that big of a deal,"Scheffler said. He does take the testing seriously and would like to see changes in the process. "I would argue that if we're going to test the drivers, we need to be even more robust in the way we test them," Scheffler said. Scottie Scheffler knew the issue would come up eventually, and the newly minted winner of the PGA Championship found himself answering questions about non-conforming clubs. Scheffler confirmed on Sunday evening (Monday AEST) that his driver had been tested in the past week and he had to make a change, which didn't prevent him from capturing his third major and first Wanamaker Trophy by five strokes at Quail Hollow Club. The world No.1 could even joke after the victory that the new driver didn't affect his accuracy on Sunday, when he was hitting to the left. "No, I think that was my fault," Scheffler said. PGA Tour players having their drivers tested came to the forefront on Friday, when SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio reported that Rory McIlroy had been forced to switch to a different driver after his favourite TaylorMade weapon was deemed non-conforming in a test conducted on Tuesday. "So the driver testing is something that regularly happens on tour," Scheffler said. "My driver did fail me this week. We had a feeling that it was going to be coming because I've used that driver for over a year. I was kind of fortunate for it to last that long, I felt like." The US Golf Association routinely tests driver heads randomly at PGA Tour events and major championships to determine if their spring-like effect is conforming. "Spring-like effect" refers to the elasticity of the club face, which allows it to spring back upon impact with the ball, much like a trampoline. A driver that is conforming one week could be non-conforming the next, due to minute changes in the club face as a result of the wear and tear of hitting balls. Scheffler noted that "with the amount of practice that I do, I felt like I was fortunate for it to last that long". He credited TaylorMade for having a new driver ready if needed for The CJ Cup Byron Nelson, which he also won on May 4 by tying the PGA Tour's all-time scoring record, and the PGA Championship. He hit 35 of 56 fairways in regulation at Quail Hollow and was fifth for four rounds in strokes gained off the tee. "We were really prepared, so it wasn't that big of a deal,"Scheffler said. He does take the testing seriously and would like to see changes in the process. "I would argue that if we're going to test the drivers, we need to be even more robust in the way we test them," Scheffler said. Scottie Scheffler knew the issue would come up eventually, and the newly minted winner of the PGA Championship found himself answering questions about non-conforming clubs. Scheffler confirmed on Sunday evening (Monday AEST) that his driver had been tested in the past week and he had to make a change, which didn't prevent him from capturing his third major and first Wanamaker Trophy by five strokes at Quail Hollow Club. The world No.1 could even joke after the victory that the new driver didn't affect his accuracy on Sunday, when he was hitting to the left. "No, I think that was my fault," Scheffler said. PGA Tour players having their drivers tested came to the forefront on Friday, when SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio reported that Rory McIlroy had been forced to switch to a different driver after his favourite TaylorMade weapon was deemed non-conforming in a test conducted on Tuesday. "So the driver testing is something that regularly happens on tour," Scheffler said. "My driver did fail me this week. We had a feeling that it was going to be coming because I've used that driver for over a year. I was kind of fortunate for it to last that long, I felt like." The US Golf Association routinely tests driver heads randomly at PGA Tour events and major championships to determine if their spring-like effect is conforming. "Spring-like effect" refers to the elasticity of the club face, which allows it to spring back upon impact with the ball, much like a trampoline. A driver that is conforming one week could be non-conforming the next, due to minute changes in the club face as a result of the wear and tear of hitting balls. Scheffler noted that "with the amount of practice that I do, I felt like I was fortunate for it to last that long". He credited TaylorMade for having a new driver ready if needed for The CJ Cup Byron Nelson, which he also won on May 4 by tying the PGA Tour's all-time scoring record, and the PGA Championship. He hit 35 of 56 fairways in regulation at Quail Hollow and was fifth for four rounds in strokes gained off the tee. "We were really prepared, so it wasn't that big of a deal,"Scheffler said. He does take the testing seriously and would like to see changes in the process. "I would argue that if we're going to test the drivers, we need to be even more robust in the way we test them," Scheffler said. Scottie Scheffler knew the issue would come up eventually, and the newly minted winner of the PGA Championship found himself answering questions about non-conforming clubs. Scheffler confirmed on Sunday evening (Monday AEST) that his driver had been tested in the past week and he had to make a change, which didn't prevent him from capturing his third major and first Wanamaker Trophy by five strokes at Quail Hollow Club. The world No.1 could even joke after the victory that the new driver didn't affect his accuracy on Sunday, when he was hitting to the left. "No, I think that was my fault," Scheffler said. PGA Tour players having their drivers tested came to the forefront on Friday, when SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio reported that Rory McIlroy had been forced to switch to a different driver after his favourite TaylorMade weapon was deemed non-conforming in a test conducted on Tuesday. "So the driver testing is something that regularly happens on tour," Scheffler said. "My driver did fail me this week. We had a feeling that it was going to be coming because I've used that driver for over a year. I was kind of fortunate for it to last that long, I felt like." The US Golf Association routinely tests driver heads randomly at PGA Tour events and major championships to determine if their spring-like effect is conforming. "Spring-like effect" refers to the elasticity of the club face, which allows it to spring back upon impact with the ball, much like a trampoline. A driver that is conforming one week could be non-conforming the next, due to minute changes in the club face as a result of the wear and tear of hitting balls. Scheffler noted that "with the amount of practice that I do, I felt like I was fortunate for it to last that long". He credited TaylorMade for having a new driver ready if needed for The CJ Cup Byron Nelson, which he also won on May 4 by tying the PGA Tour's all-time scoring record, and the PGA Championship. He hit 35 of 56 fairways in regulation at Quail Hollow and was fifth for four rounds in strokes gained off the tee. "We were really prepared, so it wasn't that big of a deal,"Scheffler said. He does take the testing seriously and would like to see changes in the process. "I would argue that if we're going to test the drivers, we need to be even more robust in the way we test them," Scheffler said.
TimesLIVE
19-05-2025
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Winner Scheffler confirms failed driver test before PGA Championship
Scottie Scheffler knew the issue would come up eventually, but the newly minted winner of the PGA Championship found himself answering questions on Sunday evening about non-conforming clubs. Scheffler confirmed that his driver had been tested in the past week and he had to make a change, which didn't prevent him from capturing his third major and first Wanamaker Trophy by five strokes at Quail Hollow Club. The World No. 1 player could even joke after the victory that the new driver didn't affect his accuracy on Sunday, when he was hitting to the left. "No. I think that was my fault," he said. PGA Tour players having their drivers tested came to the forefront on Friday, when SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio first reported that Rory McIlroy had been forced to switch to a different driver after his favorite TaylorMade weapon was deemed non-conforming in a test conducted on Tuesday. "So the driver testing is something that regularly happens on Tour," Scheffler said. "My driver did fail me this week. We had a feeling that it was going to be coming because I've used that driver for over a year. I was kind of fortunate for it to last that long, I felt like." The U.S. Golf Association routinely tests driver heads randomly at PGA Tour events and major championships to determine whether their spring-like effect is conforming. Spring-like effect refers to the elasticity of the clubface, which allows it to spring back upon impact with the ball, much like a trampoline. A driver that is conforming one week could be non-conforming the next, due to minute changes in the clubface as a result of the wear and tear of hitting balls. Scheffler noted that "with the amount of practice that I do, I felt like I was fortunate for it to last that long." He credited TaylorMade for having a new driver ready if needed for The CJ Cup Byron Nelson, which he also won on May 4 by tying the PGA Tour's all-time scoring record, and the PGA Championship. He hit 35 of 56 fairways in regulation at Quail Hollow and was fifth for four rounds in strokes gained off the tee. "... we were really prepared," Scheffler said. "So it wasn't that big of a deal." He does take the testing seriously and would like to see changes in the process. "I would argue that if we're going to test the drivers, we need to be even more robust in the way we test them," Scheffler said. "That was a conversation I had with one of the rules officials; if it's something we're going to take seriously, I feel like we're almost going halfway with it right now. "If we're going to test only a third of the field. If we're going to do it right, leave it up to us as players, like the rest of the rules in the game of golf are." He put it in the context of a new rule that "we haven't quite gotten right yet" and could be more strict. "You can test guys every week, if you want," Scheffler said. "I mean, there's no reason why we shouldn't." The PGA of America released a statement Saturday about the on-site testing process, which did not mention any player by name. "We can confirm that the USGA was invited to do club testing at the PGA Championship, at the PGA of America's request," wrote Chief Championships Officer Kerry Haigh. "That testing program is consistent with the same level of support that the USGA provides to the PGA TOUR and other championships, as part of their regular programs for driver testing. The standard process is for about a third of the field to be randomly tested under the program. That was the case at Quail Hollow this week. "Finding driver heads that have crept over the line of conformance is not an unusual occurrence, especially for clubs that are hit thousands of times over a long period of time. The results are kept confidential to protect players, who are unaware the club has fallen out of conformance and (are) not responsible for it falling out of conformance other than hitting the club thousands of times. "Players are simply asked to change heads if necessary, and all do without issue. To publicly identify players whose clubs did not conform can lead to that player being questioned unnecessarily. Neither the USGA nor the PGA of America have any concerns about player intent."
West Australian
19-05-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
PGA winner Scheffler admits he failed his driver's test
Scottie Scheffler knew the issue would come up eventually, and the newly minted winner of the PGA Championship found himself answering questions about non-conforming clubs. Scheffler confirmed on Sunday evening (Monday AEST) that his driver had been tested in the past week and he had to make a change, which didn't prevent him from capturing his third major and first Wanamaker Trophy by five strokes at Quail Hollow Club. The world No.1 could even joke after the victory that the new driver didn't affect his accuracy on Sunday, when he was hitting to the left. "No, I think that was my fault," Scheffler said. PGA Tour players having their drivers tested came to the forefront on Friday, when SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio reported that Rory McIlroy had been forced to switch to a different driver after his favourite TaylorMade weapon was deemed non-conforming in a test conducted on Tuesday. "So the driver testing is something that regularly happens on tour," Scheffler said. "My driver did fail me this week. We had a feeling that it was going to be coming because I've used that driver for over a year. I was kind of fortunate for it to last that long, I felt like." The US Golf Association routinely tests driver heads randomly at PGA Tour events and major championships to determine if their spring-like effect is conforming. "Spring-like effect" refers to the elasticity of the club face, which allows it to spring back upon impact with the ball, much like a trampoline. A driver that is conforming one week could be non-conforming the next, due to minute changes in the club face as a result of the wear and tear of hitting balls. Scheffler noted that "with the amount of practice that I do, I felt like I was fortunate for it to last that long". He credited TaylorMade for having a new driver ready if needed for The CJ Cup Byron Nelson, which he also won on May 4 by tying the PGA Tour's all-time scoring record, and the PGA Championship. He hit 35 of 56 fairways in regulation at Quail Hollow and was fifth for four rounds in strokes gained off the tee. "We were really prepared, so it wasn't that big of a deal,"Scheffler said. He does take the testing seriously and would like to see changes in the process. "I would argue that if we're going to test the drivers, we need to be even more robust in the way we test them," Scheffler said.
Perth Now
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
PGA winner Scheffler admits he failed his driver's test
Scottie Scheffler knew the issue would come up eventually, and the newly minted winner of the PGA Championship found himself answering questions about non-conforming clubs. Scheffler confirmed on Sunday evening (Monday AEST) that his driver had been tested in the past week and he had to make a change, which didn't prevent him from capturing his third major and first Wanamaker Trophy by five strokes at Quail Hollow Club. The world No.1 could even joke after the victory that the new driver didn't affect his accuracy on Sunday, when he was hitting to the left. "No, I think that was my fault," Scheffler said. PGA Tour players having their drivers tested came to the forefront on Friday, when SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio reported that Rory McIlroy had been forced to switch to a different driver after his favourite TaylorMade weapon was deemed non-conforming in a test conducted on Tuesday. "So the driver testing is something that regularly happens on tour," Scheffler said. "My driver did fail me this week. We had a feeling that it was going to be coming because I've used that driver for over a year. I was kind of fortunate for it to last that long, I felt like." The US Golf Association routinely tests driver heads randomly at PGA Tour events and major championships to determine if their spring-like effect is conforming. "Spring-like effect" refers to the elasticity of the club face, which allows it to spring back upon impact with the ball, much like a trampoline. A driver that is conforming one week could be non-conforming the next, due to minute changes in the club face as a result of the wear and tear of hitting balls. Scheffler noted that "with the amount of practice that I do, I felt like I was fortunate for it to last that long". He credited TaylorMade for having a new driver ready if needed for The CJ Cup Byron Nelson, which he also won on May 4 by tying the PGA Tour's all-time scoring record, and the PGA Championship. He hit 35 of 56 fairways in regulation at Quail Hollow and was fifth for four rounds in strokes gained off the tee. "We were really prepared, so it wasn't that big of a deal,"Scheffler said. He does take the testing seriously and would like to see changes in the process. "I would argue that if we're going to test the drivers, we need to be even more robust in the way we test them," Scheffler said.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
2025 PGA Championship Round 1 leaderboard, live updates: Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy not lighting it up
The second major championship of the season is off and running. The golf world has descended on Quail Hollow Club in North Carolina, where the iconic Wanamaker Trophy is up for grabs this week. Scottie Scheffler, per usual, is the favorite this week. The top-ranked golfer in the world is coming off of a dominant win at The CJ Cup Byron Nelson two weeks ago, which marked his first win of the PGA Tour season. Scheffler showed up to the course wearing orange on Wednesday for a practice round, too, an apparent shout to his infamous arrest during last year's tournament. Rory McIlroy is right up there with Scheffler. McIlroy won the Masters in a playoff last month to finally complete the career grand slam and end his 11-year major championship drought. He's shined at Quail Hollow Club throughout his career, too. He's won the Wells Fargo Championship there four times in his career. Stick with Yahoo Sports this week for all of the latest news from on the ground in North Carolina, and check out the leaderboard here. First Round When: Thursday, May 15Where: Quail Hollow Club | Charlotte, North CarolinaTV: ESPN TV Schedule7 a.m. — 12 p.m. ET | ESPN+12 p.m. — 7 p.m. ET | ESPN, ESPN+ *Denotes No. 10 tee start 7:38 a.m.* ET — Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler, Shane Lowry8:22 a.m.* ET — Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele 1:14 p.m. ET — Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Collin Morikawa1:25 p.m. ET — Jordan Spieth, Patrick Reed, Ludvig Åberg1:47 p.m. ET— Bryson DeChambeau, Viktor Hovland, Gary Woodland It's been anything but routine for Scottie Scheffler, who carded an eagle, a birdie, a bogey and a double bogey on his front nine. But after a birdie at No. 2 — he started on the back nine — he's got it to 1-under, with some of the easier holes on the course ahead of him. Meanwhile, playing partners Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele are just hanging on at +2. That would be Alex Noren of Sweden. Four birdies in six holes on the back nine have Noren at 5-under. But here comes the Green Mile. Okay, here you go: Next hole? Lowry drops a 68-footer for back-to-back birdies. 💥 #PGAChamp — PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 15, 2025 It's been rough early for Lowry, but back-to-back birdies — including this one at No. 4 (after starting on the back) — has him at 1-over Luke Donald is a long way from being the No. 1 player in the world, which he was in 2012, but right now he's leading the field — along with Nico Echavarria and Stephan Jaeger — at the PGA Championship. Donald, currently ranked 871 in the world, is now more known for his prowess as the European captain of the Ryder Cup than he is his actual golf game. But he's in the hunt early this week. Nowhere near the top of the leaderboard, that's where. The five-time major winner is 4-over through 11 holes after a double at No. 1 and a bogey at No. 2 — he started on the back nine. And he's likely to drop at least another shot after putting his tee shot at No. 3 is in trouble. Since winning the PGA Championship in 2023, Koepka hasn't finished better than T17 at any major and is coming off a missed cut at the Masters last month. They call it the Green Mile because, well, it's a difficult — diabolical? — three-hole stretch at Quail Hollow. It spans from 16-18, and it bit the three best players in the world right from the start. Rory McIlroy put his drive into some trees, had his foot slip on his second shot resulting in an everyday player's duff and wound up with a double bogey. Then, both Scheffler and Schauffele, who were in perfect position off the tee, hooked their approaches into the water to the left of the green. They were left with treacherous chips that ran out to well over 30 feet. Two putts later, Scheffler and Schauffele also carded doubles. Ouch. The world Nos. 1, 2 and 3 - Scottie, Rory and Xander, respectively - played the par-4 16th hole @PGAChampionship in a combined 6 over par. — Rex Hoggard (@RexHoggardGC) May 15, 2025 Make it two chip-ins for Scottie Scheffler. Using a putter from off the green at the par-5 15, drained it from about 35 feet for eagle. That gets the world No. 1 to 2-under. Off the green, on the money. Birdie for Scottie 🐦#PGAChamp — PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 15, 2025 There are eight players at 3-under, including both Ryder Cup captains — Luke Donald and Keegan Bradley. The others at 3-under include: Ryan Fox, Nico Echavarria, Tommy Fleetwood, Matt Fiztpatrick, Stephan Jaeger and Rasmus Hojgaard. We're going to hear a lot about No. 14 at Quail Hollow this week, a driveable par 4 at 311 yards. This sequence sums it up: Xander Schauffele yanked his tee shot into the water to the left of the green, took his penalty shot, chipped up to 15 feet and had a shot at par — that he left just short. Scottie Scheffler put his drive just to the right of the green, putted up a hill from there, left the putt 9 feet short, missed the birdie and had to settle for par. Rory McIlroy put his tee shot well to the right, chipped up with a beauty to 4 feet for birdie ... and missed it. Quietly, Tommy Fleetwood may be the best player right now not to have won a major. Ranked 13th in the world, Fleetwood has seven top-five finishes at majors, including a pair of runner-ups. But he's never won. He's off to a solid start at Quail Hollow, with three straight birdies at 13, 14 and 15 to get to 3-under and a share of the lead. After missing out on a birdie at the par-5 10th, Sheffler stole on at No. 12, chipping in from just off the green to get to 1-under: No putter needed for Scottie Scheffler 😎#PGAChamp — PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 15, 2025 Not for nothing, but Scottie Scheffler is wearing orange again today — this time the Texas burnt orange kind: After missing a lengthy birdie on his first hole — the 10th — Jon Rahm didn't miss at 11, with this 33-foot beauty: Rahm from downtown 💥#PGAChamp — PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 15, 2025 New Zealand's Ryan Fox is taken it to Quail Hollow so far. He's carded three birdies in his first five holes to get it to 3-under, two shots better than the early wave. The marquee group of the tournament — No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, No. 2 Rory McIlroy, No. 3 Xander Schauffele — are on the course. All three scrambled on their opening hole — the par 5 10th — with awkward short pitches to the green on their thirds. Didn't matter, for some. McIlroy rolled in his 10-footer for birdie, Scheffler missed his 9-footer, and Schauffele made his 6-footer. There's a not-so-secret, not-so-unspoken conventional wisdom that among the four majors, some are more major than others. The Open Championship has seniority and majesty, the U.S. Open has brawn and muscle, the Masters has tradition and elegance, and the PGA Championship has … a big ol' trophy and a whole lot of one-time major winners. But conventional wisdom isn't true wisdom, and the truth is that the PGA Championship, in the decade of the 2020s, has given golf banger after banger tournaments, delivering a reliable mix of storylines, drama and highlights, year after year. Through all of golf's tumultuous last few years, the PGA Championship has delivered. We'll see very soon if the tournament can keep that streak going this week. For more on the PGA Championship's latest streak of greatness, click here. The carping — reinforced by the echo chamber that is Golf Twitter — has hit a new high this week at Quail Hollow, site of this week's PGA Championship, and since this is a major, the cuts slice a little deeper. 'I guess I would say Quail Hollow is like a Kardashian,' Hunter Mahan told The Athletic. 'It's very modern, beautiful and well-kept. But it lacks a soul or character.' Ouch. That's going to leave a mark. For more on how golfers view Quail Hollow, click here. If Scottie Scheffler isn't having some fun as we approach the anniversary of his infamous PGA Championship arrest, this is one incredible coincidence. Scheffler showed up to Quail Hollow Club in North Carolina on Wednesday wearing a plain orange Nike polo for his practice round. That isn't news on it's own, but his choice of clothing came almost exactly a year after he was arrested at last year's PGA Championship, which led him to having his mug shot taken in an orange jail jumpsuit. While there are any number of reasons that Scheffler could be wearing an orange polo — he went to Texas, for example — this is apparently the first time that Scheffler has worn orange at a tournament since his arrest. Yes I DID scroll through a year of Getty images to confirm this — claire rogers (@kclairerogers) May 14, 2025 For more on Scottie Scheffler's wardrobe choices, click here. Rory McIlroy broke his silence on the "beef" between him and Bryson DeChambeau at the Masters last month. 'I don't know what he was expecting,' McIlroy said on Wednesday. 'We're trying to win the Masters. I'm not going to try to be his best mate out there.' Honestly, that checks out. For more on their "feud," click here. CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The first groups are away at Quail Hollow for the PGA Championship, and your early leader: Ryan Fox at -1 after one hole. That's likely to change. The weather looks spectacular and warm, a pleasant change from the rain that has absolutely drenched this course over the past three days. Course crews have worked to dry out the greens, but the rest of the course is likely to be playing soft, at least for the first couple days. We're in for a fine major this week, let's have a good one. It's been anything but routine for Scottie Scheffler, who carded an eagle, a birdie, a bogey and a double bogey on his front nine. But after a birdie at No. 2 — he started on the back nine — he's got it to 1-under, with some of the easier holes on the course ahead of him. Meanwhile, playing partners Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele are just hanging on at +2. That would be Alex Noren of Sweden. Four birdies in six holes on the back nine have Noren at 5-under. But here comes the Green Mile. Okay, here you go: Next hole? Lowry drops a 68-footer for back-to-back birdies. 💥 #PGAChamp — PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 15, 2025 It's been rough early for Lowry, but back-to-back birdies — including this one at No. 4 (after starting on the back) — has him at 1-over Luke Donald is a long way from being the No. 1 player in the world, which he was in 2012, but right now he's leading the field — along with Nico Echavarria and Stephan Jaeger — at the PGA Championship. Donald, currently ranked 871 in the world, is now more known for his prowess as the European captain of the Ryder Cup than he is his actual golf game. But he's in the hunt early this week. Nowhere near the top of the leaderboard, that's where. The five-time major winner is 4-over through 11 holes after a double at No. 1 and a bogey at No. 2 — he started on the back nine. And he's likely to drop at least another shot after putting his tee shot at No. 3 is in trouble. Since winning the PGA Championship in 2023, Koepka hasn't finished better than T17 at any major and is coming off a missed cut at the Masters last month. They call it the Green Mile because, well, it's a difficult — diabolical? — three-hole stretch at Quail Hollow. It spans from 16-18, and it bit the three best players in the world right from the start. Rory McIlroy put his drive into some trees, had his foot slip on his second shot resulting in an everyday player's duff and wound up with a double bogey. Then, both Scheffler and Schauffele, who were in perfect position off the tee, hooked their approaches into the water to the left of the green. They were left with treacherous chips that ran out to well over 30 feet. Two putts later, Scheffler and Schauffele also carded doubles. Ouch. The world Nos. 1, 2 and 3 - Scottie, Rory and Xander, respectively - played the par-4 16th hole @PGAChampionship in a combined 6 over par. — Rex Hoggard (@RexHoggardGC) May 15, 2025 Make it two chip-ins for Scottie Scheffler. Using a putter from off the green at the par-5 15, drained it from about 35 feet for eagle. That gets the world No. 1 to 2-under. Off the green, on the money. Birdie for Scottie 🐦#PGAChamp — PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 15, 2025 There are eight players at 3-under, including both Ryder Cup captains — Luke Donald and Keegan Bradley. The others at 3-under include: Ryan Fox, Nico Echavarria, Tommy Fleetwood, Matt Fiztpatrick, Stephan Jaeger and Rasmus Hojgaard. We're going to hear a lot about No. 14 at Quail Hollow this week, a driveable par 4 at 311 yards. This sequence sums it up: Xander Schauffele yanked his tee shot into the water to the left of the green, took his penalty shot, chipped up to 15 feet and had a shot at par — that he left just short. Scottie Scheffler put his drive just to the right of the green, putted up a hill from there, left the putt 9 feet short, missed the birdie and had to settle for par. Rory McIlroy put his tee shot well to the right, chipped up with a beauty to 4 feet for birdie ... and missed it. Quietly, Tommy Fleetwood may be the best player right now not to have won a major. Ranked 13th in the world, Fleetwood has seven top-five finishes at majors, including a pair of runner-ups. But he's never won. He's off to a solid start at Quail Hollow, with three straight birdies at 13, 14 and 15 to get to 3-under and a share of the lead. After missing out on a birdie at the par-5 10th, Sheffler stole on at No. 12, chipping in from just off the green to get to 1-under: No putter needed for Scottie Scheffler 😎#PGAChamp — PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 15, 2025 Not for nothing, but Scottie Scheffler is wearing orange again today — this time the Texas burnt orange kind: After missing a lengthy birdie on his first hole — the 10th — Jon Rahm didn't miss at 11, with this 33-foot beauty: Rahm from downtown 💥#PGAChamp — PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 15, 2025 New Zealand's Ryan Fox is taken it to Quail Hollow so far. He's carded three birdies in his first five holes to get it to 3-under, two shots better than the early wave. The marquee group of the tournament — No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, No. 2 Rory McIlroy, No. 3 Xander Schauffele — are on the course. All three scrambled on their opening hole — the par 5 10th — with awkward short pitches to the green on their thirds. Didn't matter, for some. McIlroy rolled in his 10-footer for birdie, Scheffler missed his 9-footer, and Schauffele made his 6-footer. There's a not-so-secret, not-so-unspoken conventional wisdom that among the four majors, some are more major than others. The Open Championship has seniority and majesty, the U.S. Open has brawn and muscle, the Masters has tradition and elegance, and the PGA Championship has … a big ol' trophy and a whole lot of one-time major winners. But conventional wisdom isn't true wisdom, and the truth is that the PGA Championship, in the decade of the 2020s, has given golf banger after banger tournaments, delivering a reliable mix of storylines, drama and highlights, year after year. Through all of golf's tumultuous last few years, the PGA Championship has delivered. We'll see very soon if the tournament can keep that streak going this week. For more on the PGA Championship's latest streak of greatness, click here. The carping — reinforced by the echo chamber that is Golf Twitter — has hit a new high this week at Quail Hollow, site of this week's PGA Championship, and since this is a major, the cuts slice a little deeper. 'I guess I would say Quail Hollow is like a Kardashian,' Hunter Mahan told The Athletic. 'It's very modern, beautiful and well-kept. But it lacks a soul or character.' Ouch. That's going to leave a mark. For more on how golfers view Quail Hollow, click here. If Scottie Scheffler isn't having some fun as we approach the anniversary of his infamous PGA Championship arrest, this is one incredible coincidence. Scheffler showed up to Quail Hollow Club in North Carolina on Wednesday wearing a plain orange Nike polo for his practice round. That isn't news on it's own, but his choice of clothing came almost exactly a year after he was arrested at last year's PGA Championship, which led him to having his mug shot taken in an orange jail jumpsuit. While there are any number of reasons that Scheffler could be wearing an orange polo — he went to Texas, for example — this is apparently the first time that Scheffler has worn orange at a tournament since his arrest. Yes I DID scroll through a year of Getty images to confirm this — claire rogers (@kclairerogers) May 14, 2025 For more on Scottie Scheffler's wardrobe choices, click here. Rory McIlroy broke his silence on the "beef" between him and Bryson DeChambeau at the Masters last month. 'I don't know what he was expecting,' McIlroy said on Wednesday. 'We're trying to win the Masters. I'm not going to try to be his best mate out there.' Honestly, that checks out. For more on their "feud," click here. CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The first groups are away at Quail Hollow for the PGA Championship, and your early leader: Ryan Fox at -1 after one hole. That's likely to change. The weather looks spectacular and warm, a pleasant change from the rain that has absolutely drenched this course over the past three days. Course crews have worked to dry out the greens, but the rest of the course is likely to be playing soft, at least for the first couple days. We're in for a fine major this week, let's have a good one.
