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4 months ago
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Xander Schauffele hit a major record-equalling 62 to set the early pace at the US PGA Championship in Kentucky.
The American holed nine birdies in a sensational bogey-free round to lead by three at Valhalla.
Americans Tony Finau and Sahith Theegala sat second on six under, one ahead of Rory McIlroy and Robert MacIntyre, who both posted five-under-par 66s.
Defending champion Brooks Koepka was in a group on four under.
World number one Scottie Scheffler (19:23 BST) and two-time major winner Jon Rahm (19:12) were among the later starters in round one.
Schauffele posted just the fourth 62 in a major championship, matching the score both he and Rickie Fowler carded in round one of last year's US Open, and Branden Grace's effort at the 2017 Open Championship.
Those rounds were all at par-70 courses. Valhalla is a par-71 course.
It was an almost faultless display by the 30-year-old Californian, who started on the 10th and had five birdies in his opening nine holes to climb to the top of the leaderboard.
"It's a great start," said the world number three, who missed a 32-foot putt at the last to post the first 61.
Schauffele has struggled to finish off good starts though and has not recorded a victory since winning the 2022 Scottish Open.
He dropped to joint 10th at the 2023 US Open and also led from the first round at last week's PGA Tour event at Quail Hollow but was caught and passed by McIlroy in the closing holes.
"I think not winning makes you want to win more, as weird as that is," Schauffele added. "For me, at least, I react to it, and I want it more and more and more."
McIlroy is once again in Schauffele's rear-view mirror. The world number two, who won his fourth and final major to date at this venue in 2014, started brightly from the 10th with two birdies in his opening four holes.
But a bogey on the 17th was followed by a wayward drive that found water on the par-five 18th. However, McIlroy scrambled a par and that proved the catalyst for a sparkling second nine.
He birdied the first after his second shot from deep rough hit the flagstick and he had a run of three successive birdies from the fifth, including a chip-in from greenside rough on the sixth.
"I'm not really happy with how I played but I am at least happy with the score," said McIlroy, who was joined on five under by Scotland's MacIntyre.
The left-hander followed three birdies on his front nine with two more coming home.
"I had zero expectations," said MacIntyre. "I got off to a nice start and my caddie did well in managing me when I was out of position. But it was just a solid round of golf."
Cameron Smith, the 2022 Open champion, was among a group on three under, alongside Norway's Viktor Hovland.
Jordan Spieth, who is making his seventh attempt to become the sixth player to complete the Grand Slam of winning all four majors, started with a solid 69 to be level with his good friend and two-time winner Justin Thomas, who was well supported by his hometown crowd.
Tiger Woods, who won the 2000 US PGA title at Valhalla to claim the third leg of what would become his 'Tiger Slam', conceded he "struggled from tee to green" after closing with successive bogeys in a one-over 72.
