LIVE | Featured Holes 16, 17 & 18 | Round 1 | 2025 PGA Championship

Join us LIVE for the 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club. Watch all the action from the featured holes of 16, 17 and 18.

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Contested each May, the PGA Championship is the second major championship in golf’s annual rotation, and perennially features the strongest field in the men’s game based on the Official World Golf Rankings. Known for dramatic finishes and notable champions, the Wanamaker Trophy—which has been awarded to the winner since 1916—is inscribed with names such as Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jack Nicklaus, and Gary Player.

The 2025 PGA Championship is set to take place between 8-11 May at Quail Hollow Club. The reigning champion is Xander Schauffele.

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hell. Not the direction McIntyre was looking for. And that is trouble. That is trouble. He let us know what he thought of that T- shot. Co-leader Steven Joerger. Oh boy. There is a fairway there somewhere. That was not ideal. So, one way rightight, one swimming in the creek like you said, partner Chris Kirk now has the opportunity of all the short grass in front of him. Well, should look good to Chris. He likes to draw the driver. One of the best drawers of the ball on tour. So, we’ll see if he can split those other two. Job done. Rinse and repeat. What a green mile for Lori Caner. Look out. Hello. Look at that geometry. Lorie Caner adds another. Not a lot of PS on the back nine there for Lori. Bonus birdie there though, holding a long putt. Yeah, big time bonus. Second PGA championship for the Englishman up on the 18th green. Couple birdie opportunities. Good way to finish for Michael Kim. Always nice to be the last. That’s a great finish on this golf course. Four under in the last five. A lot of people would be buying that one later in the week, later in the week. Absolutely. Had to withdraw last weekend for neck and back injuries and was walking around with just a wedge and putter yesterday during his practice round. Wasn’t sure if he’d give it a go. And Jeff, I think you’re right. People will plead with him for that finish today. Yeah, but where the injured golfer, they always say. How true is that? Did that ever happen with you? When you’re feeling a little dinged up, you just go out and play better. It can happen for sure. I mean, all your expectations go away. You go out with, you know, well, I’ve just given a try and sometimes you you get your mind out of your technique and you just focus on where you want the ball to go and sometimes it works. Thomas Dri to join the birdie party. Why not? Ah, this green mile’s not so [Applause] hard. There will not be many groups that walk through 18 with a clean sweep. Harris English. Don’t mess this up, partner. Well, don’t let the group down now. An even par round of 71. Always makes it harder to make your putt. When the two in front of you make theirs, you hit the best shot in there. They put all the pressure on you, Shane. You can still take four on 18 every time, though. Absolutely. When you look at today, now that we’re starting to get some rounds completed, what’s a good score in your mind, Jeff? If you’re one of the players going out this afternoon, if you’re Harris English, a 72, okay, at the end of the day, I think so. Yeah, I think anything around even par, um, you’d love to be underpar. Um, you really, you’re still looking at where Scotty Sheffller is, where Xander is, where Maroy is, the guys who you would expect to be there towards the end of the tournament, and they’re all around that number. Scotty’s one under par. Siwu Kim at the 17th. playing alongside Sam Stevens. Good start to the week for Sam Stevens, 28-year-old out of Kansas, playing Oklahoma State, wrapping up round one on a sun soaked Thursday in Charlotte. [Music] One of the most difficult finishing stretches in golf, the famed Green Mile, 16, 17, and 18 here at Quill Hollow Club. Jeff, it does not take long to crunch the numbers and realize this is really hard. This is a tough stretch of golf. Yeah, I mean 14 15 you’ve got a chance to sort of the last two chances on the course to make you score and then you you face 530 yards on 16 17 super tough and then 18 and we find Robert McIntyre in the fairway bunker. Good break to end up in the bunker off the tea. It’s going to be tricky from there but that’s a pretty good result out of the fairway bunker. all things considered with how disgusted he was on the T-OT right side of the fairway. Steven Joerger came to the 18th as a co-leader at 5 under par. T-shot went into that man-made creek and so he is taking a drop here. Ball will be severely below the feet of the right-handed golfer. Get any easier here, Jeff? There’s not a lot good about this situation, I don’t think. Um ball below the feet really tough. He is getting to place the ball cuz it was rolling into the hazard. So hopefully the ball’s not sitting too bad. The rough looks okay. He should be able to get this somewhat near the green, but very awkward. You can see how difficult it is just walking up that hill. It’s going to be a tough shot. Got to be careful with the heel of the club catching on the swing. The ball could go a long way to the left and with water on the left. You don’t really want that. Maybe a good time to make a do good decision. I know you want to finish off a great round. It’s tough to do this on the last hole, but uh you don’t want to compound your error. Just get out of here with as least damage as possible and finish off a good day. So, the ball in play. It will be a third shot here for Steven Jagger making his third start at the PGA Championship by far. I can’t get all of it because of the stance, but I still think 55 shots should be fine. 55. down. His best start in a major championship. All his athleticism required here. Predictable result. Uh, as I said, you got to be you got to guard against the club turning over on a slope like that. So, front right bunker. It’s not a great spot. It’s going to be a really difficult up and down from there, but uh hopefully he can do that and finish off a good day. Be able to minimize that damage and join the group of 67s that have been posted. Meanwhile, a 17. Couple long range looks for Sam Stevens and Siwu Kim. It is Stevens first for Birdie. That’s a really good putt there. As you can see how quick that gets past the hole. It’s a kind of a layup putt that one. You just want to leave it as close to you can to the hole as as you can. It’s uh very very quick pass the hole there on 17. Sort of adds to the difficulty of the not only such a difficult T-shot, but the whole back half of the green slopes away from you. So your job’s not done once you hit the green. Never take a moment off. These are larger greens about 6600 square ft on average. It’s in the top half for the size that you see each year. So very precise placement what you require. And now Seaw Kim going up and over. Seaw out with the long putter. You never know which putter he’s going to bring out onto the golf course. Seawwood seems to make any of them work though, well judged 29year-old South Korean that plays with so much energy and will likely leave with a par there in the heart of the Green mile difficulty here for Jerger. Yeah, this is not max difficulty but very tough. There’s a ridge probably 10 15 ft short of the hole. I’ll let McIntyre go. This one should be pretty quick down the hill, I would think. just get it on the grave. Well, he’s going to get away with a par after that T- shot. He’s very happy with that. Beautifully played. It’s hard to put such a big swing on it and have the ball go such a short distance. [Applause] on a shot like that. Gorgeous touch for the Scotsman who’s in with an opening 68. An early bogey did not deter him as Jagger wastes no time. Fourth shot. Well, he did very well there. That’s pretty high degree difficulty. Bunker shot. Not really what you want to do. Have trying to get up and down for bogey to finish off a good round, but he did pretty well. T-shot went left into the creek. Took his drop now. Staring down about five feet for an opening 67. Putter in hand for Chris Kirk trying to steal a birdie. What a finish. [Applause] Chris Kirk picks one up. His lone back nine birdie at the difficult par4 18. Well, for his reputation, we’ve seen a lot of birdies on 18 the last few groups. I think you’re the good luck joint. Maybe. Maybe. They knew Jeff was tagging in. It was time to pour in some putts. Time to show off a little bit. all things considered be a good five for Steven Joerger. Yeah, he’s not losing a lot to the field if he makes five here. Definitely wants to make this putt. Nobody wants to double bogey the last. You work hard all morning. Do a lot of good work. Always feels better even if you make bogey. If you make a putt like this, a good up and down for bogey on the on the last. It’s a good bogey. He’ll be happy. He’ll be very happy with his morning’s work. Dead center for Steven Joerger. An opening round 67 for the 35year-old German. His 10th major championship appearance. His lowest ever major round to begin the 107th PGA Championship in the house of four under. the start of the green mile. Not too far from the 18th green, 16th T. Harry Hall, the Englishman, two under. It’s quite a wide fairway 16, but it’s such a tough T-shot cuz that bunker is right where you want to go. Uh the fairway slopes fairway slopes a long way right to left and it just pushes you to the further right than you want to go and you it’s just a tough T-shot for a wide fairway and you know you have to hit the ball really well because it’s such a long hole. There are certainly bogeies out there at the end. So Ryan Gerard, the lone man standing at 500 par, leading the way on Thursday at the PGA Championship. [Music] The 107th PGA Championship for the second time now at Quail Hollow club about 7 milesi south of uptown Charlotte. A steamy Thursday here in the heart of North Carolina where a man from North Carolina, Ryan Gerard, leads the way five under par through his first 14 holes here. How about the captains Keegan Bradley, Luke Donald playing well. Donald in with an early 67. Bradley wrapping up round one as well. Strong opening round for Ryan Fox. The New Zealander won last week in Myrtle Beach to punch his ticket to the PGA Championship. Alex Smallley was the last man in the field and Steven Joers made a bunch of birdies in route to that 67 he posted just a few minutes ago. We’re hanging out here at the Green Mile. Harry Hall, the Englishman two under as he arrives at the 16th. As more players this afternoon filter out onto the golf course, the strongest and deepest field we see each and every year, Jeff, and it’s given us a lot of excitement here early. Lots of different styles of players on those first couple of pages. One of them we just saw one under. It’s Ben Griffin on 17T. Yeah, an interesting first day after such a wet early in the week. We’ve got perfect weather now on Thursday. Uh, Green Mile’s been biting a little bit, but we’ve seen some success as well. Recently on 18, we’ve had some birdies. No birdies yet on 16. Good mix of players. All the talk before the tournament was long hitters only. We’re going to do well here, but we’ve got a good mix. Luke Donald up there. Yeah. Um, so it’s obviously offering something for everybody. Lee Hodes lands aboard at the 17th. A long, difficult downhill par three. That really illustrates the difficulty of 17 because that ball lands three or four yards further on. The ball goes all the way to the back of the green. Such a tough hold here to close. And the final man of this trio, Bobby Gates, one of the 20 PGA professionals. That’s a beautiful look at ball flight there. Oh, Bobby. Beauty. Not so difficult at all. Beautiful shot. He landed it right where you have to to get that forward bounce. PGA director of instruction down at Summit Golf School in Woodlands, Texas, outside of Houston. His first career PGA Championship, his first T-shot in competition play at the par 317th. And he stuffs it. Wow. Director of instruction. I said, “Book your lessons with him.” That’s uh he knows what he’s doing. I think his rate just went up a little bit if you’re watching there at home. What a shot from Bobby Gates. One of the 20 that make up the Corbridgeidge Financial Team. PGA professionals qualified to be here this week at the 107th PGA Championship. It’s nice to see the sunshine and some shadows. Not too many of those early in the week. Overcast and rainy. Check this out from Bobby Gates. Second best of the day. I don’t know how many will get inside six feet. No, six feet. That’ll be uh that’ll that’ll stand up all day, I think, is second best shot. You never know, but it was a beautiful looking shot on the tracker as well. Really the shot that I’d asked for. 17. You want to hit a draw, start the ball right at the green. So he’s got a great chance to cash in and birdie opportunity. Dan Griffin sizes this one up. So we’ll go back a hole to 16. Nick Dunlap, Thirstston Lawrence, and Harry Hall off the beefy par4. Yeah, 285 Nick Dunlap hit. And he’s still got 241 to the hole. That’s as much par four as you want. has not been a birdie yet here at the 16th. Holman’s playing. It’s almost the same same stroke average as the par five 15th right next door. It is just a difficult customer today. Harry Hall up first. That’s a really good shot from there. Anywhere on the putting surface is good. The job’s not done. It’s a very difficult two putt from there as we’ve seen all day, but anytime on the greeny rig at 16. Trist Lawrence next up from the middle of the fairway. One of the longest hitters in the world. Still has 210 yards. See that pin today right back. It’s a big ledge. Sort of a smallalish sort of ledge right up the back left of the green. Very difficult to get anywhere near this hole. Almost. But that’s what happens. You try to get it all the way back there and the ball just gets repelled and goes over the green. Little disappointment for the big hitting South Africa. Next door at 17, Ben Griffin second. Look out. So quick down that hill. You’ll see a lot of players hit it in that little bowl right at the green there. But they’ll do it once and then they won’t want to do it again cuz it’s not a good spot. Haj’s long range effort. Might want to hit the brakes. Wow. It’s a bit mean, isn’t it? 2 30 yards water on three sides of the green and you put a big slope on it. It is a beast. There’s no doubt about that. I always found this hole the hard the most nerve-wracking T-shot almost of the whole two a year 17. You’ve just got no bail. There’s always a lot of people there. Such a small area you can land it for the ball to end up in a good spot. Incredibly nervy shot because so many things can go wrong. Absolutely. And what’s been remarkable this week with the amount of water this golf course has taken on, the subair systems on the green, they are still firm as can be. So, you’re really not getting much help from mother nature. It’s a pretty good advertisement for sub air in the greens, isn’t it? With as much rain as soft as the rest of the golf course is. The greens are like it hasn’t rained here for months. Man from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, about two and a half, three hours away, Ben Griffin trying to salvage a par and stay one under. Another green mile casualty there. Ben Griffin with the bogey. falls back to even Hodes with his par effort part of his game he’s worked really hard on has been the hiccup in his bag for a little bit feeling more comfortable on and around the greens all of his attention here trying to get down to still there’s always something in your bag you have to work on. Um and putting is so vital to your scorecard and your confidence level that the putting green it’s hard to find a hole to practice on on tour these days. Everybody’s practicing their putting pretty hard. He’s working pretty hard on his read here. He should have got a bit of help. Are you a line putter? Do you like using the line on the golf ball? Not particularly. I do sometimes. I I have a line on my ball, but I don’t I only use it sometimes. Well, when you make every putt you look at, you don’t need the line chest. Sometimes I find my instinct is almost better than my eyes. Um, but everyone has their way. There’s guys who use a line and they’re great putters and there’s guys who just have the blank ball and they’re great putters, too. One miss right, one miss left. means the middle’s open for Bobby Gates coming up. That is a bogey for Hodgeges. So he’s three over with one hole left. See Kim as Tam went into the penalty area at the 18th, but now just trying to hack something up close. Uh it’s a shame for Seoot was having a pretty good day. At least he’s got hops. We know that. He’s got hops. He’s an athlete, too. Rico Hoey in the fairway. Good finishing T- shot for Sam Stevens. Good look for the middle of fairway. Got the hard part of 18 done. [Applause] Tough lug perhaps for Sam Stevens at the end. 16 Hall. Wow. From the putts I’ve seen on 16 today, that’s one of the best efforts from down there. Very slow putt. Get it past the hole. He’d be coming back up the hill. After his T-shot, I guess he’s he’s probably pretty happy to have four feet for par. I would have thought. So much can go wrong here. We saw the top three players in the world all make six here this morning. The green mile just magnifies your mistakes so much. There’s plenty of hard holes in golf, but the last three holes here, it seems like you don’t make bogeies, you make doubles and triples. Two of the three toughest holes from the PGA Championship was here back in 2017 as well. It’s the fourth for Seu Kim after his T shots in the penalty area at 18. take all of his energy to walk away with a five. Kristen Lawrence par putt missed the green to the left. Oh, that had some pace. That had some pace. I think he’s happy it hit the hole. A good looking second shot in there. And it just just dribbles over the back of the green and he struggles for par. It’s uh just a brutal hole. Still no birdies today, I don’t think. Not yet. We’ll have one. I like your enthusiasm. Glass full. It’s why we get along. Nick Dunlap par effort. It’s a good solid save for Nick Dunlap. Made history becoming the first amateur last year to win on the PGA Tour in over 30 years. So while it feels like he’s been out here for a while, it’s easy to forget he’s just 21 years old. should be wrapping up his time in Tattown down in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. But now it’s full year number two in the professional game. Yeah, big future for Nick. He’s had his struggles this year a little bit, but long career ahead of him. Back on the tea, Ryan Gerard, who is cruising, able to find the fairway. Gerard playing alongside Greg Cotch, one of the PGA professionals in the field here this week on the green to clear. Gerard just made an eagle at the 15th. Chipped in from long of the green to get to seven under. So the lead right now is three shots for Ryan Gerard. Feels like he’s almost playing a different golf course. But here we go. The start of the green mile. So Harry Hall did make his putt off the head. Remains a couple under. The third PGA championship for Greg Cotch, 39year-old PGA assistant pro at the Carlton Golf Club, Grand Lakes down in Orlando. And there is our leader, Ryan Gerard. Seven under par through his first 15 holes today. Just the third major championship for Ryan Gerard. His first PGA championship with the presence of event catch first. Good look at what they’re facing here. It’s It’s a very big target this green, but you’re really probably aiming at the 16 there on a camera at the back of the green. Somewhere 20 ft right of the hole. You’re pretty happy. Might have lost this one left. [Applause] Easy. Pretty much been cruise control today for Ryan Gerard. Check out that scorecard. A lot of circles that all add up to seven under as he plays into the 16th. Pretty good shot really. He was eyeing it watchfully hoping it missed the bunker. Tough two putt though. We’ve seen that’s been a really difficult one to two putt today. Very slow up the hill. Seven under par. It’s pretty good start. This is some drive here. Has he driven this over the bunker? It looks like it. Marco Peny Penge, the Englishman, 27 years old, primarily plays on the DP World Tour, a winner just a couple weeks ago. 330 yds over that bunker on the corner there. So that’s uh Marco can move the ball a little bit. Yeah, it’s handy to have in the bag. Absolutely. This hole lengthened about 25 yards from the last time we saw a new back tea box added cuz it wasn’t long enough before. Big advantage to be able to carry it over that bunker. Early in the week, we didn’t think we’d see anybody carry it over that bunker, but never underestimate how far some of these guys hit it these days. So with the big booming T- shot, how aggressive can you afford to be? He can be a bit more aggressive here. The hole helps you. The ball’s above your feet, which tends to lead to a draw. So he can aim this out 20, 30 ft right of the pit. Hopefully it draws back in. Again, no damage done if he’s a bit right of the hole. We see what happens. If you land it back there near the hole, it could go over the back into the water. So, still have to be pretty conservative, but much easier with a seven I than a three iron. You won’t be too happy with that one, I don’t think. Wasted the good T-shot a little bit. Yeah, less than thrilled. It’s just not a big one. You know, you’re just looking up the rock. Trust yourself. You got this. Final words of encouragement from Travis Ham to his man Nick Dunlap on the T7. And now you see what happens. It just never wants to stop. That’s a really good shot though. Any putt for birdie on 17 is a good putt. And right before Dunl left, Hall had the honor. ain’t any big bird Englishman playing with the big hitting South African 28-year-old Tristan Lawrence. Lot of talent this kid. We’ll be watching him for the President’s Cup international team as well. It’s going to be a popular spot this week. I think there 218 in the fairway. Ben Griffin. [Applause] Beautiful shot there for Ben. Starting to see a little whip in that flag stick. Not a whole lot of wind earlier today. Breeze kicking up a little. Plenty of underpar rounds in progress right now. With all the rain this golf course has had, besides length, what’s its biggest defense in round one? The defense is always the greens, I think. I mean, we all talk about the length of this golf course, and it is very long, and it is a big advantage to be long off the tea, but the greens are very difficult. That they’re overseated with po trivialis this week, but the underlying Bermuda grass still has a grain that affects it quite strongly. Uphill puts are very slow, downhill putts very fast. And if you get yourself above the hole, and a lot of these holes, you’re really just hoping to to get the ball up and pound. It’s very difficult from above the hole. Ken still a long way away for his par. That is PGA professional Greg Cotch. Just stay dry. Tough shot from down here. You got to make sure you get it all the way up the hill. But then it’s just going to want to go downhill once it gets past the hole. That’s a really good shot from down there. 12 career starts on the PGA Tour for the assistant pro down at the Ritz Carlton Golf Club in Orlando. And a great chance to salvage his par. Well, check this out. Ryan Gerard seven under par. Jeff, thanks to a little Greenside magic, his third at the par 515. Wow, this is a tough spot, too. This is really quick. It’s going to be breaking pretty hard right to left at the end. In the hole indeed off the flag stick and down. When it’s your day, it’s your day. Great three. So Ryan Gerard leads the way by three. Seven under porn. A chance to stretch his lead. Little bit short, but that’s a really good putt. We’ve seen a lot of people leave that a long way short today. He is a North Carolina kid through and through. Born in Raleigh, played at Carolina, and here in the heart of Charlotte, he leads the way. Ryan Gerard, a three shot cushion on Thursday. moment ago. Pench for par. Pours it in. Wow. Made up for his bad second shot there. Fours a four. You’re right on the card and you run to the next hole. worthy of the smile as he heads to the par three 17th. And now live with Ryan Gerard, our leader, trying to stay seven under on what has been his state. Just one bogey on the card at the start of the green mile. [Applause] That’s a good looking scorecard. Six under through seven holes on the backside. Unreal for Ryan Gerard. 17th hole. Second shot just over the back but should have a pretty good chip from there. just a moment ago from the man out of Cornwall, England. And now Dunlap from Birdie. Well, we saw what it does. Probably breaks a couple of feet left to right. One of the putts on 17. He can be a little bit aggressive back up the hill. and a tough day for Nick Dunlap. Likely a far there at the 17th. We’ll have to battle tomorrow. Top 70 players and tie from this 156man field to be around for the weekend. qualifying for that Waker Trophy here at the 107 PGA Championship. Now, Lawrence, who was short and right of the green, a popular spot, trying to get up and down. [Applause] nice up and down there. Left it in a spot where he could have an uphill putt. Every one of these last three holes feels like a little bit of an examination. The job’s definitely not done till you walk off 18 quail hollow. Yeah, definitely not finished. So Harry Hall going through his full examination here. Big Birdley English bin out of Cornwall, England. He rocks that flat cap. Many people think it may be a tribute to Ben Hogan, but it’s his fellow countryman, Jim Barnes, also out of Cornwall. Jim Barnes, winner of the very first PGA Championship back in 1916. All the research uh on that putt worked out. Pretty stylish golf for Harry Hall. If golf doesn’t work out, I think peaky blinders will always have an opening for him. I like it. You got to pick your own style. Yeah. Absolutely. Dunl left just cleaning up. So Dunlap in with a two putt par which clears the green for Ryan Gerard, our leader, making his way to this difficult par 317. Just got to step up and hit a big boy shot. Jeff, you just got to step up. That’s right. As I said, this is a very nervous T-shot. There’s nowhere good to miss this hole. Short, left, long, all in the water. Rights are very difficult up and down. So you’ve just got to stand up. It’s a four or a five on for most of these guys. Maybe a six for the long guys. And if you can’t really pitch the ball much past about halfway or the ball will go over the back. So a very small a big green but a very small area where you can land the ball and have success. Always one of the toughest shots of the year. Gerard on the way and a very popular miss on 17 over to the right there. Pretty tricky from over there though. the chip. You got to go up the bank and then very quick down the hill. Next, 27year-old Blimpson, Lancaster, England, making his UGG championship debut, third ever major appearance. pretty good shot. He was begging for it to sit. He knows anything that lands in the middle of this green can run into trouble. Yeah, absolutely. anything left of the hole and anything sort of much past the middle of the green, it just hits and it scoots and it goes all the way over the back. And the PGA Pro, Greg Cotch, four-time North Florida PGA Player of the Year in his section. Thankfully, unlike Florida, no gators in this water. No gators in this water. No. Uh, he missed that second shot left on 162. So, obviously fighting a little bit of a left at the moment. Not the miss that you want on the green mile. No, it is not. guy. The guy in the white. Yeah, guy in the white probably 305. Keith Mitchell crunching the numbers. Now we’ll see a bunch of groups beginning their round. So just the seventh hole of the day. Off to a good start. 200 through his first six. Yeah, he’s been playing well, Keith. He’s such a beautiful ball striker. Drives the ball great. Not sure many what numbers you have to crunch here on 16. Just did a long one. Come on, win. Hold it. Huh? We’re good. It’s pretty muted for Keith. Usually more buttons are undone. Yeah, he runs with a little bit of style too. Old school visor. Yes, he does. Cashmir Keith. Harry Hall at 18. Picking up the tea is always a good sign. Yeah, that was pretty. That was a beautiful drive. 45. Yeah, I love that. 178 16 17 are more about the second shots. 18 is definitely mostly about the T-shot. If you can find this fairway, which Nick Dunlap does not maybe left of the creek, left of everything. He’ll get a drop out there a little bit to the right because of that grand stand, but that was a long way left. And double cross of all double crosses for Nick Dunlap. His tough day comes to a close. Bob Sours PJ professional at 16. 56y old getting it out there. Found the fairway. 12th appearance at the PGA Championship for the director of instruction at Kinsale Golf and Fitness Club out in Powell, Ohio. We know they’re all watching Bob out here. I was watching Bob on the range. Lots of head covers practicing the long medals. He knows that this is a big test for him the next few days. Such a cool deal they get to play in this tournament. All the members at home that’ll be tuning in. Very exciting to see the their local man come out and play against the big boys in the PGA. Always been a cool part of this tournament. It absolutely is. And it’s always great when we get some of those Cinderella stories. Michael Block a few years ago, T15 Oak Hill, become a an everyday man’s hero. And who knows, maybe one of those will fold here this week. But right now, this day has belonged to Ryan Gerard. He is seven under par, six under on the backside alone, and he’s got the putter in hand. You like this play, Jeff? Well, it’s certainly an option. Um, looks like he’s a little bit on the downs slope, but it’s probably the the safest choice, I think, from here. These fringes are cut, these surrounds and approaches are cut so tight this week. Um, if you’re not feeling 100% with a bit of loft in your hand, putter is always a safe go. This is a tricky one to hit when loft. So putting is usually your worst putt is always better than your worst chip. Um and especially when you’re seven under, the hands are probably not feeling quite like they were at the start of the day. Pretty good choice, but we’ll see. It’s going to be slow up the hill and then get fast when it gets near the hole. That is pretty good. Yeah, you got to be careful. gets much past that hole, you can putt it right off the other side of the green. Maybe part of the hesitation as well on why he didn’t want to go with the wedge, blast something by Yeah, when the fringes are so tight, putting is very attractive. Yeah, especially when you’re uh you’ve got to be feeling it a little bit. Three shots in front of PGA. Uh it’s usually the safest choice to hit the putt. Might be not the funnest choice, but it feels very comfortable in the hand. You get to take the strike. You don’t have to worry about a bad strike. You know you’re going to strike the putter pretty well. It’s just picking the speed. Most things have gone well today for Ryan Gerard, a low man on the golf course, wrapping up round one. Benge now for birdie. Look at this. Look out below. Marco picks up a big birdie at the 17. 49footer goes down for the Englishman and he stole one. Wow. Yeah, you on 17 stealing one for sure. And this putt looked great all the way. Big sweeping break from right to left and fast right in the middle. End over end. Outstanding. Pen a couple under with one hole left. Now cotch went into the water off the tee. Head up to the drop zone about 135 yds from there. Knocked his wedge by the hole. is for bogey. It’s a good save for bogey. If there’s a good bogey, that’s a that’s the one. Tough day for Greg. Birdies have eluded him maybe at 18. Always a difficult end there. And now Gerard to save four and stay seven under. Can’t get too aggressive with this one. It’s very easy to hit this one three or four feet past the hole. So he kind of just has to dribble this one into the front of the hole. Probably breaks a little bit left to right. [Applause] First try blemish. Yeah. Yeah. Held his attention. That’s the tough part. You really just have to hit that one so softly. First blemish, but the green mile’s going to catch a few people out. Very difficult to come through unscathed on these last three holes. In with a four. So Ryan Gerard back to six under par. His lead is two as he heads to the final leg of the green mile. This R4 18th where the group ahead of him is in the fairway. There have been eight birdies, Jeff, but all coming out of that short grass. Yeah, the challenge on 18th is certainly the T-shot. Um, one of the hardest T-shots on tour really. If you can find the fairway, the hole is very playable, but as I said, one of the hardest fairways to hit on tour. Well, it’s not that narrow. It’s just scary on both sides if you miss. Moment ago, Harry Hall. [Applause] He’ll be sort of satisfied with that. So, Nick Dunlap got everything sorted out. Relief taken. His second shot from way left. Wow, that’s tough. Bit of a break off the tea getting it drop like that from the stand, but just wants to go left on the 18th. This sort of sums up the day for Nick Dunlap. Big T- shot for Lawrence. If you haven’t seen him play before, he hits it miles. He hits it a country mile. Strong young man. A lot of a lot of uh big future for this kid. Very talented player. Doesn’t look super impressed with that one. The biggest part of the fairway. It’s the most neutral shape in the bag. You know what I mean? You’re bringing it down. So, Penge looking for his optimal flight here on the 18th. Yeah, you can see there that there’s a little bit of a diagonal that you’re hitting onto. It’s not straight down the fairway. So, you sort of got to take a little bit of the creek on. You want to aim it out towards that right bunker, but you know you’re not going to be able to hit the green from that right bunker, generally speaking. So you sort of have to take the water on, hit a really good shot. The hole’s still 496 yards, so it’s still two pretty big hits to get it there in two. So just a hole you have to get out your driver and hit it well. And this almost looks like it may be a mini driver gaining popularity now. It does. Oh, we did see him hit the ball over the bunker on the 16th. So I think Marco is a pretty long hitter. Big advantage to be able to take less than driver here. He’s found that bunker. All depends on whether he’s close to the lip or he’s back in the middle of it. He’s got any chance from there. Just starting the green mile. Seventh hole today for Keith Mitchell. A long way. Trying to hit a draw in there. It looks like that’s a really good shot there. Flirting with going too far left, but it’s in a good spot now. Our leader, Ryan Gerard, off the tea at 18. Once again, it’ll depend on where he is in that bunker. Up the back of the bunker, you’ve got some chance, but they’re very firm bunkers after all the rain, so the ball tends to run towards the front. The Canadian Adam Hadwin 16th Fairway. That’s going to be all right there. Breeze picking up here on Thursday afternoon, the first round of the 107th PGA Championship from the fame Quail Hollow Club. [Music] [Music] It’s the first day of a major. Everyone still believes the crackle in the air is born of that hope. All these players somewhere inside have laid out some scenario that ends with them holding the WMaker. [Music] Who will hoist that W maker trophy come Sunday night in Charlotte? Will be Harry Hall. This will be an opening round 68. The lack a little giddy up. Yeah, putting up a pretty steep slope there. It’s uh like a little tear in the middle of the green there on 18. So, a little bit of work to do. still off to a strong start here this week where Ryan Gerard, the leader, makes his way up the 18th fairway. Did find that rightand fairway bunker. All location dependent here like you outlined, Jeff. But here Ryan Gerard just making your first back nine bogey. How do you avoid compounding damage at the end of what’s been a really good day? Yeah, I mean it all depends on where he is in this bunker. Uh they both look like they’ve got some chances. A little lie dependent. It’s as I said, you you kind of want to aim it at this bunker off the tea, but you don’t want to be in it with these firm bunkers. With all the the rain earlier in the week, the ball tends to roll up towards the front of them. So, it’s all if they’ve got a good lie, they can probably get it pretty close to the green, but you’re uphill a little bit on your second shot here at 18, too. So, it plays a little bit longer. You got to make sure you hit the ball first and make sure you get it out of the bunker primarily. Don’t try to take too much on. If you can just get it on the front half of the green, that’s fine. Even just short of the green, you can work from there. So Ben Penge the Englishman in there first. He just made a big bonus birdie. Almost a 50-footer went down at the par three 17th. And while they assess things at 18, we’ll go to 16. Adam Hadwin pitching his third shot. Adam, very tardy player, Adam Hadwin. Great consistency out of Hadwin. Part of that big Canadian contingent. Another international President’s Cup player. Yes, he is. Past. We hope to see him Madina next year. Action now on the green here at the 18th. Harry Hall for par. out of England. Played his college golf at UNLV. Still lives out in Las Vegas. Got that maiden victory last summer on the PGA Tour. Now trying to cap a strong start at the 107th PGA Championship. Nice putt. That makes lunch taste a little bit better. Par, par the green mile. Not a bad way to finish an opening round 69 for Harry Hall making his PGA Championship debut here this week. Chance for our first birdie. Nearly. Great try though. He’ll take a four. Yes, he will. We’re to 17. 16th hole pitching a shut out so far. Lawrence wrapping up at the 18th. Nick Dunlap was in trouble in this group. He walks away with a double bogey to wrap up a difficult opening round and a par for the 28-year-old South African Thristen Lawrence. [Music] which will clear the way for our leaders group. Ryan Gerard in the fairway bunker alongside Marco Pen. The lip an issue here at all? I think it has to be a little bit. I mean, it looks like on the right hand side there, the lip’s a little bit lower, but you always have to make sure you hit that ball first. It’s got to be at least 170 yards to the front of the green. Another 27 to the pin today. So probably 200 ys back there. So he’s got to have a seven six or seven iron in his hand. All in all, pretty good there. Anywhere putting after being in that bunker, you’re pretty happy with that. Back in the 16th, Keith Mitchell and Adam Hadwin did both tap in the short par putts. So they head to 17 and then ultimately this finishing 18th hole where the leader Ryan Gerard is in the fairway bunker at six under with a two- shot lead. Looks like he uh hit the face of the bunker on the way out. No real damage done, but not how he wants to finish his round. We’ll see if he can get up and down. Finish off his six under. Almost like he skialled it out of there. Yeah. Not what he intended. Sometimes if you don’t get a close look at the lie li fairway bunkers are very lie dependent. Um and as I said you have to make sure you hit the ball first catching the fairway. PGA professional representing the North Florida section. What’s going through your mind here if you’re Ryan Gerard? Obviously, it’s only Thursday, right? But feels like it’s easy to get ahead of yourself and make a bigger number than you should maybe. For sure. It’s um it’s to look, it’s tough finishing on this course any day of the week, but when you’re leading the PGA for the first time, uh it’s tough to bring it. He’s had a great day. Hopefully, he can get this one up and down. No real damage done on that second shot. Um, as I said that all the trouble’s off the tea on this hole and they hit you hit the bunker and you complicate the hole quite a lot. But he can get this one up and down. He’ll get a good number. Hopefully he’s his head’s probably spinning a little bit, but take his time. Get a good number. Try to give himself just just give me a good putt for par is really all you’re looking for. as you say, don’t compound the error, but things start moving very fast in your own brain when you’re when you’re leading major championships. Sometimes it’s uh it’s hard to have your head not run away with you. Well, you’ve won a major. How’d you slow things down? Wow. They’re going very fast. Um yeah, I don’t know. So, I don’t know how sometimes I don’t know how I made it work. It just happened, you know. Um, but I’d been a little bit accustomed. I’ve been in the in the mix a few times and I think the first few times you get in the in the in the picture in these big tournaments, it gets it takes you by surprise about how much more ner how more much more nervous and how much more pressure you feel being normal tournament. And for most normal players, it takes a few times to experience that, to get a bit more comfortable. By that time, I was a little bit more comfortable, I think. But you still got it. It looks a It feels a lot different on the inside than it looks on the outside. Just the seventh major championship round for Ryan Gerard. His PGA Championship debut here this week, meeting everybody so far. Had his third shot into his final hole today. Pretty good shot. It’s going to be a fast putt downhill, but he’s got a nice putt for P. Even with a two putt, he’s still going to be leading. 500 in the first round in the PGA is a pretty good way to start your PGA career. Back at the 16th, Eric Steer, one of the PGA professionals in the field. That’s where you’re trying to hit it on 16. I think the whole field would take it there for two. First career major appearance this week for Eric Stager, PJ golf instructor, repping Pebble Brook Golf Club out of Noblesville in Indiana. playing alongside Eric Cole. Another very good shot. Yeah, pin high and two uphill putt. Maybe we can take the lid off the birdies on 16 in this group. I hope so. 16th hole has been a brute. Eric Cole, PJ tour rookie of the year a couple seasons back has an opportunity to be the first. Maybe the Aussie Cam Davis out of position. He might choose to hit this one off the path. cuz that might be a better option than dropping it in the pine straw there, which will be interesting to watch. You ever prefer hidden off the path? Well, dropping it in that pine straw is very risky. At least you kind of know that you can see the ball. He can order a new six or seven on next week from Titus. Um, you have these situations sometimes you can see how sort of fluffy those pipe needles are. You could get yourself into a really bad spot in that stuff. So, he knows what he’s got here. These aren’t shots you practice, but we’ve all probably hit a shot or two in our life off something pretty similar to a car path. Cam’s a pretty talented golfer. He’s got one of the most enviable swings the range on two. We all want to swing it like can. Um, we’ll see how he handles this. Get some sparks flying when he makes contact. Where’s he looking with this hospitality area up the right hand side? Trying to peel something back. Yeah, he’s got to start this out probably over the water and hit a big fade. And all in all, that’s a really good result from there. I think he’ll be very happy with that. Cam Davis, the hands and the athleticism. Now a chance to get up and down. 18th hole. Cotch is first. try to find that first birdie of the week tomorrow. Here we go. Ryan Gerard with a par putt. He was in the fairway bunker alongside Marco Pen. Pen was able to get it up towards the front of the green. Got out with a two- putt par. Gerard caught the top of the bunker and from inside 100 yardds wedged it above the cup. A chance to post six under and sign for an opening 65. Very quick putt this one. Gerard can’t get it to go. It is a bogey bogey finish. most likely once he makes that official at the difficult green mile. It would still be the lowest round recorded so far, but letting out a little air at the end. Cotch wrap it up here. [Applause] Jeff, if you’re Gerard, how long do you simmer on the sour finish before turning the page? The quicker the better you can turn the page. I was never very good at turning the page. Um, but if he can head in and have some lunch, it’ll dawn on him that he’s still shot five under par. It’s still a really good day. He got that bonus eagle a little bit on 15. That ball was traveling pretty fast. So, and the green mile, look, that finish. He’s not going to be alone having two bogeies in the last three holes out here. No, not at all. Check this out. Look at the numbers. Three of the five toughest holes on the golf course today. Nine golf balls have gone swimming. It all starts with that difficult 16th, the hardest on the golf course. And of course, 17 and 18, no bargains either. Par three in the heart of the green mile 17 where we find Keith Mitchell. Two under on his opening nine today. And we’ve got a new number posted to be Ryan Gerard in the house with a five under 66. [Music] got a new number to chase here on Thursday afternoon. Just past 2:30 in round one of this 107th PGA Championship. It’s the North Carolina kid Ryan Gerard about three hours away from his hometown of Rally. He’ll sign for a 66 in Charlotte. 500 leads the way over a host of four under 67s as the afternoon continues here at the Quail Hollow Club where you must navigate the green mile at the end. One of the most difficult threehole finishing stretches in the game. It all begins at the Long Park 416. Hardest hole in the golf course today. Cam Davis was on the cart path to the right, knocked it up green side and hit it to here. So there’s a par putt for the Aussie. Hoham four. Hoham four. Cart path left of the green. Up and down. No pictures on the scorecard at the end of the day. What a way to start the green mile for Cam Davis. Didn’t feel like he stole one there. I think he shot a long way to the right. Eric Cole found the green trying to make or the more traditional way. Two puff and 30 ft if it goes down. These next handful of groups just getting their opening round underway. So it’s the eighth hole of round one for Adam Hadwin company. Green side at the 17th. Now this is a difficult shot. Found himself into the first cut of rough. Has to take the loft this time. Can’t do the putter from there. Has to fly this on the green. And once it gets on there, it’s going to be very quick. and he proved me wrong and he left it short. Very fine line here between leaving that shot short and it get well past the hole. Will leave plenty of work for par for the Canadian Adam Hadwood. playing his ninth PGA championship here this week. Missed the cut when we were at Quail Hollow back in 2017. Keith Mitchell next up. Beautiful short game, Keith, usually, but as you can see how quick that gets past the hole. No easy shots here on 17. A hole that’ll make many mutter like we see out of Mitchell. Now Souards, 56-year-old PGA professional, his 12th PGA Championship. Oh, that looked nice. That pitch shot, didn’t it? Oh, yes it did. Deaf touch from the PGA director of instruction at Kinsdale Golf and Fitness Club up in Powell, Ohio. Sour the bride of Glenville State University nearing 30 years since he played his first PGA championship back in 1997. Pretty remarkable they qualified to be here this week. Adam Hadland sizing up a par fight. What an up and down. Doesn’t matter how you do it. Right up and down. Worthy of the smile and the disbelief for Madam Hadwin. Back at the 16th. We’ve got three in the fairways. Still a long way in for Austin Ecro and Jacob Bridgeman along with Brian Bergstall. It’s the Oklahoma State Cowboy Austin Necro first to let it rip. 17th Mitchell. Frustrating bogey. Looked like he hit a pretty good putt there. Very aggressive. He’s been the 18hole leader three times already this year. Keith Mitchell has gotten off to redhot starts in 2025, but it’s been about keeping that momentum. See if the trend continues. Tidy up and down there from the pro Sards to make the bogey official. looks less than pleased. 17 will do that to you. Yeah, it will. This is This is one of the toughest holes on tour. Four or five iron to a to a green that you really have nowhere good to miss it. Obviously, there’s water everywhere on the left, long and short, and right is a is is no bargain. And we just saw Keith struggle to get up and down from over there. So, you’ve just got to stand up and hit a really good shot. I was always nervous on this te some reason. A lot of a lot of people gather at this T-shot. You can see 18, you can see 16. It’s a great vantage point to watch the golf course and there’s always a lot of people and a lot of trouble on this hole. So, hard to pick the right club and hard to make a confident swing because such a scary shot. What’s ultimately a quality shot here today? Anything on the green on the proper shelf? Anything on the green, I think, is always a pretty good shot. I mean, a quality shot is probably within 20 or 30 ft. Um, there’s a very small area you can land it in for the ball to end up near the hole. The front sort of 10 yards of the green, the ball’s just going to stop. If it lands in that sort of tabletop area that you can land it in, sort of midway up the green, it’ll get down to the hole. And if you fly anywhere past that, it’s going to go over the back. So downwind, sorry, downhill, usually a little bit of wind off the lake. Very tough to get the club and you’ve got such a small area to land a very long shot. Tough examination the 17th hole. Absolutely mentally and physically. There’s the daunting look as Cam Davis airs on the side of caution. And that’s always a very popular miss here. Eric Cole next up. See a lot of players now tucking their shirt sleeve under their armpit kind of like he did there. What are they trying to achieve? I think that’s a connection thing. That old Hogan used to say, keep your keep the upper part of your arms attached to your body or as close to your body as you can. I think it’s just a little bit of a feel that guys get going. Just a reminder to keep their arms close to their side. using their shirt to their advantage, trying to hit a big draw in there. You see a lot of guys short here, too, cuz as you know, as as I said, you can’t fly the ball too far up the green without it going over the back. So, a lot of balls come up short. 18th T. Adam Hadwin. Oh, somehow hold. Golf ball listened. Always nice when it does that. Doesn’t always back to 17 on the tea with Eric Stiger, 36-year-old PGA professional. And there’s the example. If it flies too far up the green, it’s just got no chance to stop. Spectators around this green probably wonder why everyone’s finding it so hard to hit it close to the hole. But always easy to be that armchair quarterback. Back to the start of the green mile. Hardest hole on the golf course. Got to find the fairway. Great start for JJ Spawn. The leaderboard. Yeah. So JJ Spawn 400 through his first six holes as he begins the week here in Charlotte at the PGA Championship. 18th T with Keith Mitchell. Keith going through it a little bit at the moment. Just made bogey at 17. Insult to injury there at the 16th. That’s a guy that hit it a long way. Ben on the tea at 16. Ben can hit it a long way. Big kid, very good player. Played great the last couple of years. That’s going to be a fun one to watch. Ball way above his feet. 33-year-old South Korean Benon played his college golf up at Cal making his ninth start at the PGA Championship. Nice Austin Ecro going through it a little. Start the green mile. This a bogey putt at 16. Okay, you’ve got to navigate the green mile when you get to Quail Hollow. It is a gauntlet living up to the hype in round one. Want to make your weight challenge. The WMaker Trophy weighs 32 lbs. What weighs more? The Waker Trophy. Well, this is a perfect one for you. An average 2-year-old child. Yeah, the the WMaker Trophy is heavier than an average 2-year-old child. It’s not heavier than my 2-year-old child, but I would say it’s heavier than an average two-year-old child. Um, that’s a weird one. The W Maker. I held an average 2-year-old. I’ve never held the W Maker, but like I feel like the W maker looks more difficult to live. What weighs more, the Waker trophy or an empty keg of beer? I’m going to say an empty keg of beer. That is incorrect. That’s a trap question. You’re still a good guy, though. Say Waker. That is correct. Both those two. Oh, the W maker trophy named after Lewis Rodman Waker. The winner getting a 90% size replica of that to take home. And of course, their name forever engraved on the real one. That’s Cam Davis. Second and 17. Pretty tidy little pitch there from Cam. One of the better efforts we’ve seen from over there. Back in the 16th, JJ Spawn found the fairway. What a great start for JJ Spawn who has played some very strong golf this season. Highlighted by that playoff duel with Rory Mroy back at the players championship. Man who has really refound his golf game now well into his professional career. California kid who played at San Diego State, lives in Scottsdale now. I see him very regularly. Um, we both play at the same golf course. Always seemingly in a good mood. JJ, loved grinding on his game. And yeah, he’s been playing great this year. I mean, that players championship, it’s one of the along with this one of the best fields in golf. Yeah. So, that would have given him a lot of confidence for a week like this. Certainly oozing with it out of the gates here. JG Spawn still deciding back on the 16th fairway. Gives us time to check in on Davis. Hard putt at the 17th. Too tidy up and down to start the green mile. Couple of good saves there on 16 and 17. Oh, the power of some putts. Now Spawn’s ready. Now that’s a good golf shot. Wonderful shot. See if JJ can give us the first birdie of the day. He is feeling it today. JJ Spawn. Dead aim at the 16th. Wonderful shot. Now he’s got to be very careful from here. Ball way above the feet. Always wants to go a long way left. You know you can’t miss it left here. He’s got to give this some air out to the right. So Ben out of position will try to scramble successfully. Nicholas Norgard, 32-year-old Dne playing in his first season on the PGA Tour. Great international career on the DP World Tour. comes up a little bit short. You said they’re teaching some good golf swings in Scandinavia at the moment. Yes. A lot of good swings coming out of that area. And they’re usually under a ton of snow. It’s pretty remarkable the run that’s been happening from up there. This is at the 18. T- shots for Mitchell, Hadwin, and Sards. in the lake. That’s a good cross-section of what can happen here on 18. One left, one in the middle, and one right. Bad one in the middle. He’s the happy one in the middle of the fairway. Less happy now, but he can he can get that one up and down. Third shot after the T-OT went into the creek for Keith Mitchell. All in all, a pretty good result from there. [Music] Back on the Davis. What a beautiful golf swing. Cam Davis says pretty good result, too. Effortless power. 317 off the tea. That’ll play anywhere, especially here on this finishing hole. Such a difficult hole. It’s all about the T-OT, really. Water up the left, bunker on the right. You just have to split the two. You have to take the creek on really off the tea and get a just a long T- shot. It’s 496 yds as well. Second shot plays uphill. So, two good golf shots and not a flat green either. There’s still a lot of there’s a lot of motion on the green. Still have to make sure you keep it under the hole. Eric Cole next up. Yep. always a shot you’re glad when it’s over and find yourself on the fairway. You’re very happy with that big sigh of relief. After making bogus 16, Ecro on the TS 17. Very good shot. But that’s what happens. It lands on that front bit of the green and it just stops. And we’ve seen what happens when it lands much further than that. It’s uh just such a small area you can land it in to have any real success on 17. Just brutal. Adam Hadland was in the 18th fairway. Second shot found the greenside bunker. Thank you. Should be able to get this one relatively close. Didn’t quite fly that as far as he would like, but he’s got an uphill p for path. Longer than he would like to though after hitting the fairway off the te. Would you rather face the green mile on your front nine or back nine? Um, front nine, I think. Okay, for sure. Well, you got bit of time to undo the damage if you get over to that front n. It always felt kind of nice to get through it. But it’s a satisfying I mean, you know, they’re so hard. It’s it’s a satisfying stretch of holes to play well, too. I mean, we’re all competitive athletes. We like the challenge. We don’t like it when it doesn’t go well, but it’s great to have the challenge of the three hardest holes in a row on tour, probably. and to bring in a good round. It’s incredibly satisfying when you get it done. Ninth all the day for this trio. Keith Mitchell rinsed a T-shot. Long way away on this par effort. I think Keith will be pretty happy to get off the green mile today. Not having a lot of fun. You need a little mojo. Yeah, got a cup full of nojo right now. Ben on who is right off the te scrambling for par. Plenty of bogeies at the 16th today. No birdies yet. The hardest hole on the golf course, but maybe somebody in this group can deliver. JJ Spawn hit a beauty and is off to a sensational start. Four under through his first six holes and this would be an exclamatory start to the green mile. Yeah, one of the best looks at birdie we’ve seen. Should be a pretty straightish put. Quite slow back up the hill, but a really good opportunity to steal at least a shot and a half from the field for a share of the lead. just ran out of juice. He’s never going to be disappointed, but he had a good opportunity to make birdie there, but great two shots he did to hit it to that spot. An effortless form and what has been a clean start for JJ Spawn. He remains just one back in the lead as he heads to the heart of the green mile. Hadwin at 18 for par. One over as he makes the turn to the front side. And Mitchell makes back-to-back bogeies, but all things considered, okay, fives there. Yeah, even par in the front nine. I mean, he was under par and he’s made two bogeies, but he’s still going okay. He’s got the front nine to go. As you said, a great first round player this year. So, obviously in pretty good form. He’ll uh he’ll be happy to get off the green mile and go over on the front nine and see if he can get back in the red numbers. Snack time there for Keith Mitchell. What was your go-to? Well, it’ll wear you out. I mean, I’ll eat some fruit. I’ll eat a I’ll eat a protein bar. Whatever I can get. Coming right up, partner. Steamy Thursday afternoon, round one of this 107th PGA Championship. [Music] Opening round of this one, 107 PGA Championship. Great crowds on hand. We’re about seven miles from the home of NASCAR and the Hall of Fame. So, only fitting that you can go five wide. all these different options for you on ESPN and ESPN Plus. Great to have you hang with us on the featured holes this finishing stretch. The green miles 16 17 and of course this par4 18 where Eric Cole has missed the green. Same bunker we just saw Hadwin get it up and down from those so he has a chance but disappointing once you hit the T- shot. As I said once you hit this fairway you feel like a lot of your battle is done on this hole. Still some work to do. Cam with a perfect T- shot here. Loves to move. He moves the ball both ways. Cam loves to hit fades and draws. Really not a shot he can’t hit. Very strong. Keeps himself in very good shape. The uh perfect professional golfer really just does everything well. has led to a couple of wins in his career and he is off to a really nice start. This T-shot you can sell late on Sunday evening looking to take advantage and he does. Beauty from Cam Davis. You can see on the second shot as well. I think quite a lot of money. That’s uh two really good shots up 18. Great start to the tournament for Cam. Great start to the tournament for JJ Spawn as well. Four under through his first seven holes. An effortless par at the 16th thanks to a couple of quality shots and now needs a quality long iron off the 17th T. You just missed your mark by a little bit there, but you can see it runs all the way off the green and we’ve seen that shot today. That’s a very difficult up and down. Norard next up. Major championship debut this week for the 32year-old out of Denmark. In some good form, top five finish last week in Myrtle Beach. Finishing off with a Sunday 64. So trying to keep those birdies rolling here in Charlotte. First time at Quail Hollow. He’s not scared of going left for the pit on 17. You can exhale now. Wow. very real chance that later in the week some balls that land there can end up in the water. Absolutely. We’ve seen as weeks go on at Gualo, this screen gets very very firm and you have to be very careful left of the pin and past the hole here. The PGA’s been pretty nice though. They’ve they’ve left the rough around this green a little bit longer than we’ve seen it before. It’s going to have to be really going fast to sort of run off the green and go into the water. Some years we’ve seen it just trickle off the edge and go in the water, but there’s a little bit of a buffer around the green to hold you in. But trying to work out the wind here. The wind is often very tricky to pick on here on 17. The lake does something funny to the wind sometimes. You see flags to the right of the green going direction to the to the flag maybe on the 16th green. You just got to be decisive and make a really good guess. Trust it. Man on back at 18. Left of the creek. Third for Eric Stinger, the PGA professional. That’s an interesting way to play 18. Almost an exciting end to the 18. Might be the way to come in from really good shot. 36y old Stinger. His major championship debut here this week. Long lineage of PGA professionals in his family. His dad Scott was the PGA director of instruction at Pebble Brook Golf Club where Eric’s out of for 38 years. Played in the PGA Championship back in 1994. And now Eric getting his opportunity here in Charlotte this week where the sun is out and shining. rain on Monday and Tuesday. Almost 5 in over the last 10 days. Golf course trying to dry out. Eric Cole’s third a moment ago. Nicely out, but he’s got a bit of work to do. still not inside Cam Davis. The second shot, two terrific shots from Cam Davis. So Cole trying to salvage his par. Remarkable story when he got onto the PGA Tour a couple seasons ago. the consmate mini tour grinder. Over 50 wins on mini tours across Florida. Kept chasing his dream. The son of two professionals. Worked his way at long last to the PGA Tour. Took home rookie of the year honors and now has carved himself out as a very consistent player. One of the top 50 last year. He is in all the signature events and becoming a mainstay at the majors as well. It’s a great place to learn your craft at the mini tours. You don’t have all the advantages of the PGI tour events. It’s a great up and down for four there on 18. You don’t have all the advantages of the equipment manufacturers and the great yardage books and the caddies. I mean, you just you just have to learn your craft and and you learn how to put a score together on different courses every week. Not a surprise that someone who sticks in that long and does that does well as soon as they get out here. Wonderful drive. A quality approach. Now time to drain the birdie putt. Cam Davis to turn three under. What A3 Cam Davis birdies three of his last five on the way out and is two shots back making the turn 16 with Aaron Ry. Hi. Fairway for the Englishman. Almost went down for Steer. Looking for the save. Right up and down there from left to the creek. He’s got some fans now following him around. Three-time Indiana PGA assistant player of the year, Eric Steeler, looking for his first birdie and his first major championship. 16T with Cam Young. There’s a great drive on 16. Such a great long game. Cam Young. Surprised he doesn’t do better in some of these bigger tournaments. It’s always a question, right? When almost not if for Cam Young. Seven runner-up finishes his rookie season, but still looking for that first win. Ben on runs it by 70. JJ Spawn just one off the lead. So difficult to hit that pitch up next to the hole. Very tight grass. You get a lot of spin pitching it off this grass. Jacob Bridgeman at the 18th. That will be an interesting third. That’s going to be a tricky shot from there. Major championship debut this week for the PGA Tour rookie, 25-year-old out of Inman, South Carolina, playing alongside the 26-year-old twotime winner, Oklahoma native, Boston Ecro. Pretty good shot on there. Straight under the hole. It’s going to be a very slow part up the hill there. On to save corn. Another player’s game is really sharpened when he went to this long broomstick putter. Always had the length backto-back bogeies though here at the start of the green mile. That was just a moment ago from Ben on and now live with JJ Spawn. One shot off the lead and bogey free so far. This for Park. Yeah, we’ve seen this one. Just has to dribble this one down there very quick. Great try. Looks like they’re having trouble reading these putts. A lot of putts are shaving right and left, so it’s obviously a difficult one to read. First bogey of the day. The way the green is, you’d swear it would break towards the back of the green there. And I’m sure that’s what he might have been expecting a little bit, but it went the other way. Sometimes the straighter the putt, the harder it is to read. [Applause] It’s funny how that happens. Almost looking for the break. So JJ Spawn falls two off the pace with plenty of golf left as he heads to 18. Here are the T- shots over at the 16. Three good ones. Ry, Highmith, and Young opening up the green mile. We are missing something in that uh graphic right there. I don’t think we’re going to see an eagle all week. And I hope partner we find some birdies. Hardest hole in the golf course. We’ll find a birdie here somewhere. It’s such a hard hole. You can see they all drove it over 300 yds. They still all have well over 200 yds to the pin. It’s a water on the left. Scary second shot from that far back. And a lot of these guys are hitting it back short of this bunker because most guys can’t reach this bunker off the tea. And you get a little bit blind. You almost not see where you’re going with this shot from here, which adds to the adds a wrinkle of difficulty as well. Back in 2017 when the PGA Championship was here, just 25 birdies or better. That was the fewest on any hole here on the golf course. Year in year out, that is the story of the start of the green mile. Looks like Aaron Ry went for a little more club. The least amount of birdies and they still added 30 yards to the line. Wasn’t difficult enough. He’s taking a head cover off here. Awkward stance next to that drainage thing. See who handles this. And that’s what can happen from so far back. And you know, left is no go. See a lot of people hit their second shot right here. Rookie season and a rookie winner. One of eight first time winners on the PGA Tour this year. So he is into the majors. It’s the bucket hatw wearing southpaw 25year-old Joe Heismith. Quality second shot there. You’ll take that every time. 116. You ever rock the bucket hat? No. I always found it got in the way of my follow through. Sure. Yeah. Uhoh. Norard. No good. My dermatologist would tell me to wear one. I mean, I know you’re at least good with the sunscreen. Good with the sunscreen. Yeah. Um, but that’s the hazard of being out in the sun your whole life. It’s you get hit by the sun. Young a little bit long, but he’ll take that. See how JJ Spawn bounces back. Just made bogey. Two off the lead. He’d be very happy with that, especially after the man in front of him hits one way left. It never makes it easier. Ben on now. Big drive, Benn JJ poked it out there a long way. He’s thinking the same thing. Got a bit of sneaky speed. Yeah, two good ones from Spawn and on here in the opening round of the PGA Championship, 7 miles south of Uptown Charlotte. A beautiful Thursday at Quail Hollow Club here in round one. Next May, the PGA Championship returns to Aronomy Golf Club in New Town Square, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia. To register for tickets, visit pga championship.comregister. Registration closes soon. It’ll be great to get back up to the northeast and the wonderful golf fans up there. Always well attended when we’re here in Charlotte. Second time the PGA Championships being contested at the famed Quail Hollow Club where the Green Mile causes fits and Aaron Ry escapes with [Applause] magic. First birdie of the day in dramatic fashion at the 16th. Well, we got one. Not the one we expected. What a great shot from here. [Applause] Picture perfect. Aaron Ry all of a sudden just one shot off the lead. I don’t see a ton. What a stretch. How about that? Maybe everyone’s been trying to play the hole wrong, but here you go on the green in two. Let’s just miss it way right. Putts are overrated. Absolutely. That was remarkable. So Ry delivers at long last the first birdie here at the park 416. Hardest hole on the golf course. Cameron Young strides into his birdie attempt. Oh man, not quite enough on the effort for Young. Meanwhile, at 18, JJ Spawn been on in a couple of good ones. Norard just outside the rope line over there to the left, but it will be spawn first up. Just made his first bogey of the round. So, he’s two shots back. All right, that’s a very good shot. Pin high in two. It’s difficult to hit it pin high here at 18 uphill. Difficult to pick the club. Big ridge before that pin. Not totally happy with that. He should be satisfied. You golfers have such high expectations every shot. I know. Hard not to when you got the world class game, right? Well, we’re never happy. on just doesn’t get up the ridge. Straight up the hill though from there. Slightly puzzled look on his face. The wind does get weird around this this course. It’s never a very strong wind, but it can, as I said, it gets funny around the lake. Can blow around the stands on 18. Always difficult to pick what it’s doing at the 16th. Young for par. [Applause] So Cameron Young remains two under. Fourth PGA championship for Cameron Young. T3 finish a couple years ago at Southern Hills back in 2022. That’s Norard. Very good result from there. Anything can happen with the ball that far below your feet. Excellent shot. It’s going to be quick down that hill, but we’ve seen that shot. Not super difficult. Great result after driving it way left to the creek. Fairway at the 16. Tom Hogi always one of the great iron players in professional golf. So solid from Tom Hogi seems to play well very regularly. Great golf swing. Not his favorite one here though. [Applause] Exhale, Tom. Exhale. Stay dry. You won’t know that till it gets there. That was an unhogike shot. Patrick Rogers, Stanford Cardinal at the 17th. That is a bogey chip. Yes. [Applause] Wow. It was for bogey, but it was a beautiful shot. We’ve seen everybody struggle with that shot. And that went in perfect speed. Matthew Pavone, the Frenchman at the 16th. Well, we saw a birdie from up there. See that wind picking up a lot there on that flag. Always hard to follow a guy who’s just hit one left to the green, too. You’ve got wonderful optimism. Taylor Pendendrick’s a big hitter, but he could not fly in these bunkers. 330 about from the new back te. Well, if Pendy can’t get over it, not many can. Yeah. incredible driver of the bowl. One of the many Canadians on the PGA Tour, now President’s Cuper, and a PGA Tour winner playing here in the PGA Championship. Little bit unlucky there. That was a great shot out of the bunker. Only a matter of time, I think, till Taylor gets right up there in the mix in these majors. He’s a very high quality player. Norard. It’s his third Brody effort. He’s not pleased. If he gets away with a four though on 18 after that T-shot I think he should be he should be okay. It’s the interesting thing about 18 often there’s a lake but this is a very narrow creek. You see a lot of balls go left but not be in the water. So you see some very interesting shots from left to the water here. Balls above the feet, balls below the feet. It actually makes you it helps you be more aggressive off the tea and take it on. If it was all water left to the hole, you everyone would miss the fairway to the right like on say 18 at Srass what we see. But because it’s a narrow creek and it’s not really definitely going to go in the water, you may be taken on a little bit more than you normally would. A very intricate interesting design from George Calvin company. who watch Ben on for Birdie. Bingo. That’s a bounce back after two bogeies to begin the green mile. He caps it with a circle. Wow. One over for those three holes is pretty good. You know, nice to make a birdie on 18. You leave it straight under the hole. You can be aggressive on the putt. And as you said, he’s wielding that long putter pretty well these days. Certainly is. Aaron Ry just stole a birdie at 16. Here’s the encore. Pretty good shot there from Aaron. See, it never wants to stop, but he’s left that right under the hole. He can be very aggressive on that putt. Slow putt back up the hill. Ahead to 18. and JJ Spawn for a bounceback birdie. Most players we’ve seen here miss this putt to the right. So it obviously breaks a little bit more than people are seeing. There’s another same story again. There must be a little trickery going on there, but a good four on 18. Good front nine for JJ. Doesn’t look super pleased, but this Thursday’s off to a good start. Just two shots off the lead. Young is three off the lead. Not getting the turn. Tom Hogy has hiked up the pants. And that that is a great shot from down there. Wow. Does look like he’s got his shorts on. He’s showing us his golfer’s tan there with his shoes and socks off. Well, from the fairway, he probably thought it was wet with the left heat. Came in just barely stayed out. Now Hogi with the hustle. Oh, he’s left himself a reasonably makeable p too after all that. Do you ever do that? I’ve had to take the shoes off once or twice. Yeah. You a guy that packs spare socks just in case? No, we don’t plan on having to take our shoes off. Fair enough. You uh you do what you have to do to hit the golf shot. All worth it if he makes the par putt. Absolutely. Do you think the water was cold? Wow. I don’t know actually. It’s probably not warm, but as I Anytime you get down there and you see your balls not in the water, you’re happy. I’ll take my shoes off if I get a chance to make par. So Tom Hogy lacing them back up. He’s not afraid of anything cold. He grew up in Fargo, North Dakota. This is all part of the process. Taylor Pedr chipped it to there. So, marking what will be a par putt now. trying to avoid dropping a shot. 33y old Canadian out of Richmond Hill in Canada now lives down in South Florida like so many professional golfers. It was a sister that got him into the game. She was working in the shop at a local golf course when Pedr was a little kid and she inspired him. He tagged along a couple times, fell in love with the game, and now is out here playing in his third PGA championship. My sister ran away from the game because my parents and I were all obsessed with golf. She uh thought golf was very boring. So, I think all of us being into golf made her go the other way. Can’t do anything my brother’s doing. I got to do something else. That’s a cool story. Yeah. Yeah. Usually the way it goes with siblings, right? One way or the other. Yeah. Either one want to be attached at the hip or completely opposite directions. Pavone down or par. Good putt. Well, we’ve seen some good scores come from right of that that green side bunker. So maybe it’s not the worst spot to miss it. Well, here you go. Average proximity about 60 ft down the 17. Not a whole lot of players getting a close. Good aggressive shot from Aaron Ry. And a chance for back-to-back birdies as Cameron Young flops away. Pretty good shot there from Cam. Difficult being in the rough, not being able to get into spin on the ball knowing how fast it is past the hole. Really had to play quite conservatively there. Feet are dry, shoes are on. Tom Hogy for par. Always disappointing after you take your shoes off to not get the payoff. You ever watch Full House? I did watch Full House. Looks like Stephanie Tanner. How rude. How rude. Absolutely. Joe Highmith here at the 17th. Another player we see Leave it short there. Such a scary shot. How about two birdies in a row on the green mile? That would be quite a feat for Aaron Ry. It would tie him for the lead if it goes down. And Aaron Riley, Englishman, now getting a full examination of a 17-footer at 17. It’s his third PGA Championship. Grew up in Wolverampton, England. Came up through the DP World Tour ranks before a couple of wins. Got him on the PGA Tour where he’s played for a few seasons. does not have a victory yet but has certainly proven that he’s got the game to compete. Does not leave any stone unturned. Now Aaron Ry for birdie and a share of the lead. [Music] You were talking about how rude. Wow. What a great try. Oh, a horseshoe in the heart of the green mile. The disbelief. He took that pretty well really. Oh, that did everything but disappear. If there’s a way that you get robbed of a birdie at 17, it just happened. Aaron Ry, but still a great start. Four under through his first aid. And Highmith try to save par. Haven’t seen many hole that putt from above the hole there. Obviously a difficult read. Like I said, you would think it’s going to break towards the back of the green the way this green works, but everyone seems to be missing it on that side. So, it’s not doing what it looks like. It’s pretty incredible. We get the good fortune of watching that over and over and over again. see the trends emerge and how all of the pros see, feel, do the same thing. Yeah, I guess we all see it the same way. I mean, we hit so many putts and we read greens so often and learn these things and if the whole tour seems to think the ball’s going to break to the right and it doesn’t, then it really is a tough putt to make. Young’s turn. Someone’s gonna make this head scratcher. Yeah, obviously. So, likely a par for Cam Young here. grew up in New York, not too far from New York City, but did play his college golf at Wake Forest about three hours from here in Winston Salem. So, he’ll have a lot of local support, people cheering him on this week. Four back with 10 holes left. and Highmith next to clean up. Pretty remarkable what he did on the weekend at PGA National. Made the cut on the number. Shot backto back 64s to earn a victory and now will be in all the majors this season. But the Green Mile bites on a sunny Thursday in Charlotte. [Music] [Music] Golf, it turns out, is really about math. You hear that, kids? Pay attention in class. Who knows if one day you’ll need to know that it’s 176 to the pin, but only 153 to the front and 151 to a landing spot on the edge that will take enough off the shot for it to settle close enough for a makeable putt. It’s a numbers game. Certainly is a numbers game. The 107th PGA Championship. A lot of numbers coming down the home stretch and Aaron Ry one back off the T at 18. Certainly Aaron one of those players who likes to dive into the numbers of the game too. a lot of guys very analytical and dive into the the stats and the data of the game and Aaron’s one of those. There’s a lot to be learned in that area. You that kind of player as we watch Richard Bland at 16? I’m really not. I find it fascinating uh diving into them. I get some information sometimes uh and it usually sometimes matches what I thought but sometimes you learn a little bit. Um, I think the younger guys who learn with all this data and analytics, it’s a great way for them to play. But for us oldies, I think we just got to go more by feel. You’re more athletic. I get it. That raw talent. It is interesting as Young tries to peel it back to look at that divide between the numbers and the field, how it’s changed over generations. Yeah. I mean, it’s uh there’s a lot to learn there. Yeah, I think sometimes if you if it gives you more belief in what you’re doing, then it’s a really good thing for you. Um, gives you something to trust. If you work on numbers on the range, on your Trackman, when you get out in the golf course, it’s easier to trust what you’re doing. But for some guys, I just like to look and then hit. Hi, Smith. Anxiously looking. Shouldn’t be. It’s perfect. Back one to 17. Pendr, what do you think of his move in his golf swing? Unique, right? It is unique, but it’s it’s a great move. If you if you watch him through impact, it’s exactly what you want to be doing. So, it doesn’t really matter in golf how you get there as long as you get the club on the ball in the right in the right position. And uh he he can repeat it. Yeah, he’s very consistent ball striker and a fantastic driver of the ball. Very long, a lot of power. One of the long hitters on the PGA Tour. Here is a look at that unique action. Yeah, he takes the club a long way on the outside, keeps the club outside the hands, and it just sort of naturally drops the club into that shallow position that everyone’s trying to get into these days, but gets him in a great impact position. As I said, he can repeat that all day. He’s one of the most consistent strikers of the ball out here. Loves to turn the ball over. didn’t draw it as much as he liked to on that shot, but as I said, it’s it’s it’s only a matter of time until he starts really contending in these major tournaments. He’s that level of player. Pat Gazire, that’s a bogey putt, but it does go down at the 16th. We’re seeing all numbers on 16 today. a four-time winner, now one of the elder statesmen of men’s professional golf. Takes a lot of guys under his wing in that Sea Island St. Simon’s area down in southeast Georgia. One of the new emerging hot spots for PGA Tour pros. Yeah, one of the great guys in the locker room. Everybody loves Patton and he’s he’s like you said, he takes the young guys under his wing. He’s great. That was a turtle slowly trying to cross the green. There was actually a bunker earlier today, other side of the golf course where somehow turtle climbed into it, made a whole mess that the ground squad had to come in and and clean up and tend to make all pristine again. Matt McGuardi for [Applause] par for the last 12 months for the 27y old born and raised in Scottsdale played his college golf in California got that rare three- win promotion off the corn ferry tour and then immediately three starts later last October won on the PGA Tour and now is in all the majors making his PGA championship debut this week. Two shots away at the 18th. Couple of good ones and Ry over in the bunker examining. Yeah, very methodical golfer. Aaron Ry as you mentioned he uh no stone unturned in his preparation very thoughtful never seems to get too angry too up too down very sensible sensible golfer and he gets some great results he’s been a great he’s been playing great for the last three or four years got a little time so we’ll go to 17 with Pendr One of the best efforts we’ve seen in that spot. You like that putt from under the hole rather than that fast one down the hill. Now Ry ready. What’s the checklist you go through for a fairway bunker shot? Yeah, it’s it’s make sure you get a steady stance because your feet can slip around on the sand a little bit. And number one is you have to hit the ball first. Any sand before contact is going to kill the shot totally. Um and it’s very li dependent. Sometimes out of you can get some lies in fairway bunkers that you just you just have to get it out. But we play in such perfect bunkers these days on tour that generally you get pretty good lies and we can manage it usually. It’s just depends on the the lip in front of you and what sort of shot there is. But usually better than being in the rough if you’re in a fairway bunker. 200 on the nose for Highmith. Got some major championship pedigree on the bag. That’s Joe Lava Jr. working with Joe Highmith. Joe Lava senior of course now working with Patrick Campbell but caddyy for Tiger Woods for a while. So I’m sure the elder Lava gave his young buck maybe a little advice on the big time stage. Oh, I’m sure. Yeah. His father, one of the great alltime caddies on tour. Caddy for Fred Couples for the longest time. Tiger Woods. He knows what all these major championships are all about. That’s a nice shot in there. He’s got a good chance to make birdie from there. Uphill putt. There’s Joe Junior along with Joe Heismith. Great T- shot for Cameron Young. Should be no more than mid iron here for him. A great two shot. He’s very long. Cam Young. Excellent long game. In fact, excellent all round game really. As we said, it’s uh just a guy we’re waiting to have a big week in a week like one of these. Just a short on in here to 18. Just a short iron for Cam Young from 174. Maybe an eight iron. Be looking to hit this one pretty close. [Applause] Right over the flag. Fast putt down the hill, but a great shot in there. [Applause] Press for par. drops him back to even par which is five shots off the lead here on Thursday afternoon in the green mile where it can feel like a slog to the finish. Sun is out and shining. Look out, turtles coming through at Quail Hollow. [Music] the PGA of America and our more than 30,000 PGA of America golf professionals. We love this game. The 107th PGA Championship from Quail Hollow Club this week. Land that used to be the largest dairy farm in North Carolina now taking center stage. The crown jewel of the Queen City where the sun is out and shining and Aaron Ry has been shining so far. Partner third shot here at the 18th. Tough shot there. Got the collar right behind his ball and not his best. He’s been making the green mile look pretty easy first two holes. catches up with everyone. Yeah, always awkward when the collar is right behind your ball like that. Um I’m sure he’s not happy. We would expect to do a little better from there, but you got a long one left for par, but certainly play the green mile well. A whole out birdie from off the green at 16. The only birdie at the 16 so far today. Lipped out on his 17footer at the 17th. And now the grind begins here at the 18th for Aaron Ry. The Englishman loves to play and loves to practice. Calls the Jacksonville area home down in Florida. utilizes the practice facility down at TPC Srass. Usually find him on the back of the range beating golf balls. This would keep him one off the lead. Well, see if he can We’ve seen this P miss right a lot today. See if he can work it out. Play enough break. Gets another one. But even par for the last three holes. I think he’ll take that through there. Good front nine for Aaron. Part of the big group at four under. Ryan Gerard. First year on the PGA Tour. First ever PGA Championship. Was all the way at 7 under before he got to the green mile. But backto-back bogeies for Gerard finished up what was ultimately an opening 66. Nobody has caught him quite yet. Aaron Ry along with Cam Davis have the low rounds in action. Couple of players three under are on the golf course, but no really big moves. And really, Jeff, when we look at that many leaderboard, a lot of mega names who have been all the chatter coming into the week, notably absent. Yeah, I mean all the talk leading in was Mroy, Sheffller, Dashambo, Justin Thomas all struggled a bit today. Yeah. Um the PGA could do that sometimes. I think Quail Hollow is a sort of course by Sunday afternoon. I think it’ll be a bit more familiar looking the leaderboard. Great opportunity for these guys to get themselves in the mix in a major. There’s an aggressive shot right over the Flagstick. Young now putting down the hill. didn’t get the break he wanted on that one. Hard putt to be aggressive though. Very quick down the hill there on 18. one under as he makes the turn at 16. 52year-old Englishman Richard Bland for birdie. Senior PGA winner Richard Bland did tie for seventh in Korea a couple weeks ago. Now Highmith already put the 18th Ryan short bogey effort. Are you a leaderboard watcher at all, Jeff? Especially early in tournaments. Um, I would always look. I think Thursday is a good day to look just to get a sense for how the course is playing. Am I finding this harder than everyone else or am I am I actually genuinely playing well? Sometimes, especially in these majors when it’s difficult, it’s hard to tell what a good score is, but if you look at the board, it usually gives you a pretty good idea of what you’re facing out there and how you’re doing relative to everyone else. But towards the end of the tournament, I didn’t look too much. Ry off to a good start there. Three under making the turn. This is Kazir’s second. Wow, that’s the best we’ve seen from over there. That’s a great shot there from Pat. So, is there a point where you made the conscious effort not to look at the leaderboards? I didn’t refuse to look. Okay. Um, and it would depend on who was on it and how many people were on it. I would get sneaky looks every now and then, but I definitely didn’t study the board. Tom Hogi. Maybe a bit of a break being right at the bunker there, but depends on the lie he had. Must have been a good break. That’s a great shot there into 18. Same part we’ve just saw Cam Young have. Rough this week. Not overly long. about 2 and 1/2 3 in before its last mow on Wednesday, but it’s pretty dense around the property. It’s pretty dense and all that rain we had earlier in the week, I think, is going to make it play pretty heavy. And now the sun’s going to come out. So, it’s perfect grass growing weather. So, it’s going to it’s going to get a bit longer and thicker during the week. Sign me up, Favone. [Applause] going to replace the sod he peeled from these pristine fairways. Keith Wood, golf course superintendent. His team of 30, have done an outstanding job keeping Quail Hollow in tiptop shape. Pend in the garden spot. Could have used one more club there. maybe Taylor. Um but yeah, as you’ve mentioned the golf course, this is always immaculately presented for us when we turn up to Brahello. One of the best condition courses we play anywhere in the world. And given the conditions that we had over the weekend and on Monday and Tuesday, it’s amazing how well it’s it’s held up. And it it’s just perfect everywhere you look. Back of the 16 start of the green mile with one of the young stars, Michael Thorbjornson. 23-year-old making his PGA Championship debut. Kazire after that beautiful greenside shot. Yeah, beautiful shot. That’s the best effort we’ve seen there from short right of the green. And we’ve seen a lot of shots from over there today. See if you can capitalize. Oh boy. You can see how much that ball broke, how much of a slope this uh hole is cut on today. It’s not only 230 yards over water, but they put the hole on the side of a hill as well. That is a sour four for Pat Desire. Back-to-back bogeies to begin his green mile. Look at that. that things have gotten a little harder in the last hour or so. Three of the four hardest holes in this finishing stretch. It’s a tough place to get it in the house. You know, you get through 15 and you know your job’s not done. It’s just getting started. has led to so many memorable finishes at Quail Hollow over the years. This is where things will all come to an end. We’ll hand out the W Maker Trophy on the 18th green on Sunday night. Right now, Taylor Pedr putting for birdie. [Music] Wow, that was a good looking puck. Oh, did everything but disappear. What an effort. Par won’t hurt. certainly beating the field average, but could have very easily been a birdie for Pendra. The even par 36 on the way. Jason Duffner is not afraid of anything. He’s just trying to get back home. Now, I’ve got to give the turtle credit that he’s moving pretty quickly. He is. He’s getting going. is some speed. [Applause] Back on the tea here. Rafa Campampos. That is well done. He became the first Puerto Rican since Chi-Chi Rodriguez five decades ago to win on the PGA tour when he broke through in Bermuda in the fall. What a week for Rafa. Became a dad on Monday and then Sunday night was a winner. And it sure would fit in with this flower pattern. Beautiful day here at Quail Hollow Club. We’re at the 18th. The Frenchman Matthew Pabone’s got a chance to pick one up. One of the few putts on 18 that you can be a bit aggressive. Short ride of the hole is a great place to leave it. But a par is a par. Is that much easier to say now on this side of the game with the headset on? Was it hard to feel that way and practice the patience as a player? Oh, absolutely. Yeah. Um, I think it depends on the form that you’re in. Okay. Matthew hasn’t been in he’s been a little bit off the boil this year. Um, he’s probably just trying to put it together. When you’re playing well, I think sometimes making bogeies is harder to take than when you’re playing poorly. Uh, but yeah, sometimes I was patient, sometimes I wasn’t. That’s the hardest part is is keeping is preserving your confidence and keeping it going because this game will this game will test you very often. It’s incredible. 14 clubs in the bag with that 15th one. The six inches between your ears always soever important. Here’s Kazire. He Hideki does. He didn’t seem too pleased, but worked out fine. Might be great at botchi ball out there. Tyler Collet on the 17th. He is one of the PGA professionals in the field here this week. This one might want to sit down. [Applause] Saved by the sprinkler head. That little bit of rough they’ve left. There’s a nice little buffer. Call it the runaway winner at the PGA Professional Championship in Port St. Lucy, Florida last month. He’s playing in his fourth PGA championship, third in the last four years. That was a 10-shot win at the PPC for Collet who’s been getting a lot of starts at opportunities because of that. All right, the turtle is gone. So Jason Duffner is ready to putt for par. One of 13 past champions in the field here this week. The 2013 PGA champion, a young Jason Duffner. Look at these locks. And up at Oakill in [Music] Rochester, rainy down the stretch, but it was Delner who prevailed and went on to win, playing alongside Shawn McKill, who won 10 years before Duffner back in 2003 also at Oakill that incredible shot on 18 hit there and Duffner present at the champions dinner Tuesday night honoring Xander Schoffley right let’s take a look 03 Oakill Shawn McKill what a golf shot this is Incredible. And the punt you dream of. Shawn McKill, the winner of the 2003 PGA Championship up at Oill. And now playing here 22 years later at Quail Hollow. Back in the fairway, fairway adjacent. Got Wallace and Compos right next to each other. Lenan over on the right hand side. Another one of the PGA professionals, Ryan Lennahan, PGA director of instruction, Walnut Creek Country Club, South Lion, Michigan, representing. First career major appearance. This is a tough spot. I think he’s just going to have to lay it up from here with this tree in front of him. Be a long way from the hole, too. Pitch it out on the fairway. Try to hit a wedge or something under the green and give yourself a putt for a par. [Music] [Music] [Music] 40 years young. And it’s just playing for position. That’ll be okay. Hand playing his college golf back in Nebraska in the day. So the stars for the Corn Huskers. Here is Compost. Pretty good shoe game matching his shirt there. Did he style himself or was there some input on this? There may be. I don’t know. But he’s uh pink is the color of the day. Saw Rafa on the range yesterday asked about his little daughter. He said it’s a handful starting to crawl. I’m getting busy. But he wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ll go back to the crawling stage. Mine’s driving now, so that’s Oh, man. That’s a lot scarier than crawling. How’s that go? That’s interesting. All right. It’s great. It’s the best. And you’ve got a chauffeur on the road trips. Keep your feet up. Absolutely. The Englishman Mount Wallace. Good T- shot for him as well. It’s got the flat stick out. Check this out. If you missed it a little earlier, Jeff, you were all over it out of the sky. This is Patton Kazire at the 18th. He was less than thrilled, but watch the landing. Bumps into his partner’s ball. Looks like it moved it a little bit. So, here’s the deal. [Music] So, there’s the conversation with the rules official. They got it all squared away. And Matt McCari’s up first. looked a little anxious about that one, but it’s okay. Yeah, the Patton’s ball stays where it finished and Matt’s ball goes back to where it was. The original ball if it gets moved, goes back to where it was. And but they won’t make Patton put the ball in a divot um cuz that wouldn’t be fair. So, it’s close as close as it would have been to replicate the same situation he would have had if the ball hadn’t been there. kind of raise the grass up a little bit. See what I’m saying? His divot just barely raise the grass up a little bit. Would I mean would I be able to just make that a little bit more uniform? The lie was altered. Would you look like your grass raised up? Yeah. A little bit on the outside. So, here’s what you would do. You would place it in the nearest live most. I already placed it in the lie that I had. Yes. You put it back and then he altered. Okay. And then you’re entitled to what you had and the ball came to rest. So this rule you can just move it just a little bit out of the way. I can just That’s perfect. Yes, sir. Clean it now. Uh, no, not in this case. So I can just grab the ball and put it right there. Put it right there. Y appreciate it. Yeah, I think we got a little bit of help right now. So, ball officially in play here for Pat Kazire. Everything is squared away. We heard that the the important phrase in there was the official said, “You’re entitled to the lie that you would have had if his ball hadn’t been there,” which is only fair, I think. Um, Patton didn’t really like Matt’s divot had created a little bit of a different situation. So, he got to move the ball. Looked like about an inch. Always scared to put your f your hands on the ball. You really need that official to confirm about three times. Just doesn’t feel right sometimes. They’re all squared away now, though. We talked earlier about how tricky this win can be. Desire working with Dean Emerson as Caddyy trying to figure it all out. Yeah, it’s a funny spot. These big stands sometimes can uh you get lots of flags to show you where the wind is going, but sometimes these big stands can make it whistle around in there, change directions a little bit. Gets a bit confusing. And this is a hole where it’s really difficult to hit the ball pin high. So, you really want to know what the wind is doing. spot on. I guess they worked it out. Just earlier, another one of the past champs in the field here this week. Jimmy Walker Birdie put it to 17. Walk it in. 2016 Baltistrol. And what a stretch for Jimmy Walker. There was a couple year period where he was at the top of the professional game and he worked his way to becoming a major champion. 9-year anniversary of his triumph and winning the waker [Applause] and a big bonus birdie. Bonus birdie there on 17. Yeah, that was a fantastic win for Jimmy. Had been one of the hardest workers on tour for a long time. Always saw him on the driving range hitting balls. Always working on his game. Wonderful guy. Everyone was happy when he had that run at the top and won his major championship at a great course like Bald Strol 2. Maybe a little taste of what is to come. Ryan Gerard 66 is holding up well. The North Carolina kid leads the way in round one. [Music] PGA Junior League is bringing friends, families, and communities together through golf. All with expert PGA and LPGA coaching. Find a team near you at pga Juniorleague.com. Well, we have seen a lot today. Eric Cole at the third making the turn. The par three fourth. Oh, look out. A major ace for Eric Cole. Hell yeah. [Applause] What a moment. And what a shot for Eric Cole. There’s never a bad day for an ace, but in a major. Wow. Oh, incredible to see that excitement and the jolt of energy and almost disbelief that it went in for Eric Cole. So, we have officially had an ace here at the PGA Championship. Campos runs his effort by knocked it in for par. No trouble there for Compos. That was just a moment ago to 18. Gazire trying to pay it all off. We’ve seen that a few times on that putt, too. They’re uh misreading his 18th green a little bit. Still three foot straight up the hill to make par on 18 is always a good spot. Yeah, four’s never going to hurt you. Scoring average closer to four and a half here at the 18th. pick up half a shot on the field. Yeah, Kazire got back into that winner circle last September. I was out in Napa Valley. So, I wonder wonder how he celebrated. Probably a couple good [Applause] options. Looking for the red here to get to birdies. Even far on the way out. T-shots away at the 16. Johnny Vegas smiling. Ryan Campbell metal flies. It’s a long way back there. Yeah. this year down in Mexico. He took advantage of the great break he got. Here’s Elvis Smiley getting a little blustery out there. It is. Elvis very promising young player from Australia. That tander had his first win down the Australian PGA Championship last November. won the Australian Order of Merit, which is I think is the how he found his way into this field. But big future for this kid. Just 23 years young. First career PGA championship with a youngster from Queensland, Australia. [Music] [Applause] Well, what’s Elvis without a little Vegas? Time to roll the dice and to continue. Well done there, Johnny Vegas out of the pine straw. All depends on the lie [Music] here. Looked like pretty solid contact. Really good shot out of there. Another one of my hopefuls, my international team. Great players. Played a President’s Cups before. Big strong guy too and has given himself a chance for birdie. Home stretch here of round one of this 107th PGA Championship. Been a pleasure partner Mark Donaldson and Susie Whley tagging in. They along with the rest of our great crew will take you the rest of the way on Thursday in Charlotte. [Music] [Music] the 107th PGA Championship from Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina. There’s a few names there we didn’t expect and some names that are very pleasant return to a major championship leaderboards. It’s busy and jam-packed at the top on a beautiful opening day from Quail Hollow. Temperatures far too hot for a Scotsman. Mark Donaldson alongside Susie Willy for this one. She’s used to conditions like this. I just need a little bit more practice. How are you? I’m fabulous. I feel like I need a little powder in that pitcher. Let’s not start with talking about makeup. We’re here to talk about golf. Yes, we are. Yes. And we are on the 16th, the 17th, and the 18th. Oh, the scary three. You know, I laugh. I before I got here, I was looking up some things about Quail Hollow Golf Club, and I kept reading and reading and I was thinking, well, gosh, no, why do they call it the Green Mile? And as I was looking more and more, I thought, well, that’s a horrible name for the last three holes based on what it’s about. Yeah. But now that I’ve watched the carnage there today, I think we get it. Richard Bland on 18 with a sumptuous effort. Yeah. The green mile 16, 17, and 18. That doesn’t measure a mile. It’s 7 of a mile. It doesn’t measure a mile. I couldn’t figure out. Of course, it’s green on a golf course. And then I found it was all about the movie. Yes, indeed. It’s a beautiful day. And we kind of deserve this after Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday where we had to get our waiters on to get around. Yeah, true. And guess who’s got Goreex footwear? The woman sitting alongside me. She knows. Keep your feet dry. Still soggy underneath, but the course is in wonderful condition. Overlooking Charlotte in the distance. It’s Jonathan Vegas of Venezuela for birdie on 16. Seen that a lot today on our feature holes coverage starting this morning with Steven and Jane. And then thanks to mine and Jeff. A lot of these putts have been left short. You would think Susie as the day goes on and they get dried out that maybe they roll a little bit quicker, but yet again players still leaving them short. Yeah, I think 16 and 17 are tricky. As you head toward the water, it feels like it should just run off very quickly. And I was out walking this morning with a group and it’s really just not the case and it just as a player it just looks quick and it’s hard to get the ball to get there. In this group, Elvis Smiley, son of Liz Smiley, former Australian tennis player, tapped in for par. That lake is beautiful, but it doesn’t have a name. That might be something over the next four days that we seek to change. Just Quail Hollow Golf Club Lake. I mean, there’s only been one birdie on the 16th all day long. How about we call it birdless? Well, call the lake birdless. There you go. Might not be a birdie, but it’s a lovely pond. going along nicely, starting on 10. Sometimes psychologically starting on 10 and finishing on nine, it’s it’s not great. But here you don’t have the green mile as your final three holes. Those are holes seven, eight, and nine. So, I’m just looking for a little positives. I think that’s smart. Currently that front nine headed out one through nine playing just under 36. 35.94 back nine playing quite a bit harder at 36.65. So to your point kind of nice to get it behind you. Okay. As someone that is a fantastic teacher of golf, if us mere mortals are facing a shot like this that Raphael Campus has automatically you think with the water behind that that’s a a concern. We’ve got them kind of spread all over the place here. What’s the key? Whether it’s Raphael Campos or whether it’s Matt Wallace or Ryan Lenahan in this group as well. What’s the key to not decelerating through the shot? And with the lie that these guys have got onto a green that’s pacy with water at the back. What should we be thinking? Yeah, but you see our PG of America rules official there. That’s Robin Jones, one of our PG of America rules officials kind of helping him out here. But to answer your question, where it looks like he’s going to drop, unless he were to drop where Robin’s feet are, is on a down slope. That makes it even harder cuz your club will deloft coming through and the ball comes out a little hotter. But in this situation, sometimes your best play is just bounce it up short. And if it were to stop, you’re guaranteed your bogey and you’re taking double out of the equation. Trying to fly it and hit the hero shot back there to that whole location is just a lot of risk. Of course, they can try to do that. But on the first day of a tournament, you’re just trying to manage your mis hits the best you can. Capitalize on the holes. You hit the ball well. And in a situation like this, it’s all about double bogey avoidance. His first time at a major. Ryan Lenahan. He’s the PGA director of instruction at Walnut Creek Country Club in Michigan. He’s trying to take it in your stride. It’s little things like this. If you’ve got a shot that doesn’t go where you want it to go, it’s trying to live within the moment, not get overed by things. Yeah. And I think too what happens at home, at least to a lot of my students that I’ve talked to, you you tend to go quicker. And I’m not advocating slow play, but when you’re in trouble, you’ve got to think through a couple different scenarios before you just choose and decide. Here’s the T-OT that has left him where he [Applause] is now. The drop cannot be any closer to the hole. So, it’s just finding the right spot. Yeah, I think the safest play again, as I said, is just to bump it into the front there. And if it hops up and releases down, terrific. If it stays there, it’s still a much easier next. You also might have the option, I mean, this is a very lofted club of sticking it high into the air and trying to land it soft. So, it’s not like there’s just one shot. No, not exactly. You just have to carry it farther. Obviously, trying to land it a little higher. I think he’ll try to land it just on the green surface. If it goes up high, if he’s hitting this low, he’ll hit it right at the beginning of that first cut where the rough meets the first cut. Okay, we’ve set it up over to Ryan. Yeah. So, he just landed it right where that cut met the grass. He’s trying to get it to feed down there, but that’s really well done from where he was. It’s safe. Uh obviously a very difficult putt to save the par, but that should be an easy two putt for him. And now we’ll find out if these players or caddies have been watching our feature holes coverage from earlier today when they would have seen that that putt is a lot slower than they think it is. Okay, next up from Puerto Rico, Rafael Campos. Yeah, that’s beautifully done with his hands, but this is going to keep going quite a ways on him. That was the more risky of the shots, but that two will be okay. Little awkward with that second cut. Let’s head up to 18. We saw the fantastic approach shot from Richard Bland. and the 52-year-old from the south coast of England in Hampshire finishes off. I think one of the hardest things to do this week is to take a bad photo because there aren’t many bad photos around. Yeah, it’s a beautiful piece of property. Stunning. Walked the course last night. Got some lovely snaps at sunset to avoid the potential of slow play. Players on the green have stood aside and the players in the group behind Vegas was smiling and Brian Campbell will take him. Two or three consecutive years we’ve had some crisscross holes where there’s been stoppages here. It’s been pretty good pace of play at five Rs 20 for a three ball. Do it a bit quicker, but not bad. Yeah. And from here, you really want to start this just at the one on that camera tower if you’re going to draw it in from right to left. Certainly not taking on anything left of this whole location. If that water is all grass, it’s a totally different hole. It’s just a psychological, oh, there’s water. Yeah, and to your point, what makes this so difficult is this fall off on the right. Certainly isn’t an easy pitch shot to a slope green from right to left. So really the only good place to hit this is on the green, which is a very difficult play, at least on this 17. Brad Beecher on the back for Elvis Smiley this week. Spent a lot of time on the LPGA tour with Indie Park and Lee going well. the Aussie to the gathering area, the collection area and Campbell will be next. Jeff Oggov was waxing lyrical about this young man’s talent earlier today on our future holds channel. 17th playing the third hardest hole today. Only seven birdies. This looks good. Oh yes, that certainly I imagine that wasn’t exactly the plan, but came out just fine. Let’s take a look at the fly over for this hole. Now, where the T is, it used to be further over to the right hand side, but they’ve moved the 16th green to the 17th TE is now here, so you can go long. There’s a little bit more of an angle, but it’s still daunting when you’re on that tea. Oh, yeah. Of course, every par three out here is a little daunting, and this one especially because of the slope from right to left back to the water. So, even if you’ve missed the water off the tea and you’ve missed the green to the right, that water is still there lurking in the back of your mind and forces you to come up a little short most often. Three balls have been wet today. Okay. Again, there’s options here which the putter is is one of them. Yeah, I have seen a lot of this actually today where people are using the putter. This grass is so beautiful around the surface. I’ve seen a lot of, you know, spinny pitch shots. So, this is interesting cuz it’s quite steep. Very difficult to judge. This looks quite nice. Great pace. This might go in. Suddenly something that looks fantastic has got a tricky wee one back. And a great shot. I might get a read here from Campos. Back in 2017 when the PGA Championship was staged here, 31 double bogeies or worse made on this hole compared to 22 doubles or worse at the other three par threes combined. Yeah, this is a pretty slow putt. Not a whole lot of slope in it, but he’s going to have to give this a good go for par once again. Putts coming up short on this hole from all sides. Color of pink are we going for? I don’t know. I kind of like it. It’s nice. Is it is But is it pink in capital letters? Cuz it screams pink. Yeah. I I was going to go with fuchsia, but I don’t think that’s right. Maybe a little bit brighter than fuchsia. for the Corbridgeidge Financial Team of 20, Ryan Lahan. See you can get up and down from where he was. Yeah. Representing the M Michigan section of the PGA. Ryan’s the PGA director of instruction at Walnut Creek Country Club. Ah, there we are. Way to go. I mean, it’s just so impressive what these PGA professionals do. They they work full-time and they keep their game at an extremely high level and they have to earn the right to participate here amongst the very best PGA professionals in the country on course and playing ability. And you know, I know the PGA professionals, me being one of them, are incredibly proud to watch them out here competing. It might just be a three on a scorecard, but for Ryan, he’ll be heading back and talking about that putt, that up and down from a horrible position on 17. No doubt. Of course he will. That was a fantastic par. Matt Wallace. Yeah, not much to this. Just has to give it enough pace. Take a little slope out. It finds the bottom of the cup. Par at 16, par at 17. Tell if you can do the green mile and level par, you’re making strokes on the field. Raphael to tidy up. Okay, this group head to 18 and the group behind already on the green. We will see how they get on when we come back on day one of the 107th PGA Championship. Our feature holes on the green mile 16, 17, and 18 at Quail Hollow. [Music] [Music] So, first things first, we’ve already watched this all the way through and made sure unlike the Colts with their schedule release video that there are no things that anybody could take offense to. However, there are one or two issues that the players will face on the green mile as they navigate their way around the course. I just wonder who this character is based on. 99 doubles or worse. It looks a little like Adam Sandler. That was in 2017. 12 triples or worse on these three holes. The same number in 1 to 15 combined. Look at all the balls in the water. I haven’t seen any alligators yet in that lake with no name. But beware, it’s not just H2O in there. At Quail Hollow in 2017, the hardest final three holes compared to Winged Foot and Kiwa Carni. This is tough. 20 balls in the water on the green mile today. Three on 17. So 16 and 18 have seen 17 balls in the water combined. That was Elvis smiling. players just marking their balls to allow the group behind Kevin U marking Gross one of the Corbridge financial team of 20 John Kefir to hit up and then walk round. This is one of the longer walks from 16 green up to 17T uphill and head right to the back. 223 yds on the scorecard today. Playing 227. The drop zone is 130 yd away. If you hit it straight into the water or you get it wet. Yeah. Aimed well out to the right. Trying to take this in from right to left. A great illustration there with a graphic top right. 63 ft of curve. get an extra half club. Let’s go to 18T. When you’re standing there, you cannot see the left hand side of the green. This is Raphael Campos. We’ve seen draws in here. We’ve seen fades in here. And we’ve seen others. That’ll work. Yeah. A little deceiving as you look at it there. It’s much tighter up there in that backdrop where they’re hitting from. Well, this is safe, that’s for sure. Mark and Gross, a member of the 2022 winning PGA Cup team. Did I just happen to captain? Okay. Who had 27 minutes on the bingo card for the reference? There’s no way I was mentioning it first cuz I knew you would. There’s only two of your boys in playing this year. I know. Michael Block as well. That’s right. That’s right. We’ll get to Michael in our coverage the rest of the day. Some good grips coming through. John Kefir. Taking this in a little straighter than the two we just saw, at least from the alignment. So, has quite a bit of curve on this. It needs to settle out. Taking it to the left side of that hole is really risky. And wow, that just disappeared in that long stuff behind it, but safe and dry. Johnny from Baltimore lives now down in San Antonio, Baylor Grd. You were out there earlier today. What have you seen the difference between the bounces when you get that high apex from earlier today when it was a little bit softer to compared to what Johnny just had there? Yeah, you know, it looks just a little what’s the real difference that I’m noticing. It’s just a little breezier this morning. I think it was pretty calm conditions. It started to pick up just a little toward the trail end of my walk out there like around 115ish, 120. Um, so certainly they’re dealing with more wind conditions. Um, and the greens certainly have become a little bit harder, but they weren’t super soft this morning either. You know, they have those subair systems underneath which were so fortunate to get rid of a lot of that water. So, get up to the area where it then comes down. This is hard to judge. A lot of players from this range have been leaving it short. Yeah, I was with Matt Fitzpatrick earlier and left it well short. It’s much steeper right through that area that he just put it through than I believe they think it is. Mhm. There’s another example of how short they’re leaving that. That’s why players and caddies, if they’re at a loose end in the morning and they’re playing late afternoon, should be watching the feature holes covered. Yeah, we say that all the time, don’t we? Jake Knap. That’ll work. Oh, that’s well played. Beautifully done. Let’s go back to 17, which is 17 ft below the T down here on the green. See if the pace can be judged by Johnny Vegas. This would be a good one to keep the momentum going at two under. unable to do what Ryan Lahan did. But that’s a tap in for Johnny. Momentum between 13 and 15. It’s a bit of a a dunt this bogey. The lefty Elvis smiling coming back up the slope. It’s given enough pace I believe. Oh my goodness. That’s so important to pick your pace first and then choose your line. He thought he had a really good putt there for that line. He needed a little more pace. Up to 18. Raphael Campos from Puerto Rico. [Applause] Lovely swing. [Applause] Finishing product’s not too bad either. I was going to say yes. Good call by you back on 17th for par. B R B R B R B R B R B R B R B R B R B R Brian Campbell. Yeah, this after coming up well short from the front side of the green, but no foul. No, that’ll do. Now the climb up to the 18th T. That’s a tidy few holes. Little pep in his step. Mark Donaldson. Susie whe day one of the 107 PGA Championship. Up to 18. Yeah, this whole location tucked all the way in the back right just six paces off the back right of the green. Really difficult to get it all the way back there. You see that little slope they have to navigate. Jake Knap 16. Started the day at the first. So coming to the end of his round. Birdie putt on 16. Yeah, this would be for the second birdie of the day on 16. He’s got to hit it. No. So before that shot, I’m going to show you the chip from Michael Cartr. Oh my goodness. Wow. Michael is our PJ professional champion 2025. It’s a great story about Michael um posted on his Instagram. He spent Mother’s Day in the car with his wife Ashley and the two young kids. She was changing diapers and they were on their way to his tournament he was playing last week. Nicely done. Ah that away. He’s a member of the South Florida PGA section. Works at the Bears Club in Jupiter, Florida. Yeah. And played around the golf on Tuesday with a couple of members of the Bears Club. Rory Murroy, Shane Lowry, and Podrick Harington. I mean, that’s a pretty good crew, don’t you think? Exactly. Okay, we’ll leave them there and we will be back shortly to continue our coverage on day one of the 107th PGA Championship from the wonderful and the beautiful Quail Hollow. [Music] They take you back a couple of appears to Oak Hill, Rochester, New York, home of the garbage plate. Michael Block playing with Rory Mroy does that. The Block Party, he’s back again for another major championship. A lot of eyes will be on him this year once more. So, what will he do in 2025? At no point in no time did I ever say I want to be on tour. I don’t want to be a tour pro. I want to be a PJ pro. And it was the best decision I ever made in my life. And it wasn’t because I could play in the PJ championship or a tour event or whatever. I just wanted to go to a golf course every day in my life. Ethan and I, my son, shot by shot. We just go go to work. That’s it. I clock in on each shot. I hit the drive. Whether it’s in the rough, whatever it is, I reset. I go to work and I hit the best shot I can. At the end of the day, I add it up. And hopefully that’s a good score. I’m pretty confident to be honest going into a major such as this. I’m hitting them very straight. I’m putting well. I’m hitting my irons well. I say get the Carolina peeps on board with the block party and we’re going to be good. Why did you Photoshop his head into a photo? So, Michael was the second one that’s playing here that was on the 2022 PGA Cup team. We were victorious. However, Michael hopped on a red eyee the day after clinching the point we needed to win to win his section championship uh in Southern Cal. That’s an uncharacteristic miss for Michael. Yeah, I I can’t imagine he would have played too many shots like that when he was part of your team that won the the PGA Cup. He seemed very quick. Eric Vanroy and McKenzie Hughes alongside Michael playing this 16th. Tough one to control for Eric from the rough. McKenzie a good golfer out of Canada. We set Michael up. talk about the hole in one in 2023 and a curse of the commentator and his next shot doesn’t get a foot off the ground. Yeah, welcome to golf. Right. Right. Here’s McKenzie. I will say Michael was such a breath of fresh air and representing PJ professionals everywhere. People actually knew who we were and what we did and uh so thankful to him for that. in a decent streak right now of PJ professionals that have made the cut this tournament. See if we can listen in. McKenzie having a good week last week. Struggled a bit today. Who’s the second at 60? Yeah, surprising. He plays this course quite often. Certainly better in there than had it not have bounced in. Saw a lot of golfers when they had the chance playing out of that bunker over the past few days. Kos on 18 for Birdie. Oh, that’s a really nice round. Two under for Raphael’s first nine holes. Nice way to bounce back as well after that bogey on 17. Okay, Eric Vano, yourself. Come on. Pep talk. There’s Caddy. Gilbert moves out the way. This will be interesting to see what kind of control you can get. Looks like it’s setting up a little bit in that rough. Yeah, easy to let this go too much to the left. Hard to get through it when you’ve got your left foot so much higher than the right and in the deep stuff. But looks like he held it off best he could. It’s a good shot from there cuz there’s a tendency, isn’t there, just where your body shape is, as you said, your left foot’s higher. Why do we see so many normal golfers that don’t play professionally hit it way left? Yeah. You end up hanging to your trail side on a slope like that. And when you hang on your trail side, the club, the momentum passes you and the club flips. Um, and typically the ball will travel far to the left. Uh, and you’re just not used to getting through it. And that’s why you’re hanging on that trail foot. You really have to get yourself to get through it and up the slope. So, as an instructor, you’re telling your pupil to get all the way through. Stay balanced as best you can. I mean, there’s plenty of slope sometimes that you can’t necessarily get to that left foot, but you really want to try to stay balanced as much as you can. And then to make sure that if your lead side is your left side that you that lead side is leading. Wonder how father and son will get on. Father golfing and son on the bag. It’s the younger son Ethan. Dylan’s also caddied for his dad. Yeah, Ethan’s quite a good player himself. So is Dylan and headed for him in the PJ professional championship to get him to this point. So forget about the second shot. All right. Well, we can still see the ball. He’s got a little ups slope there. That won’t be too difficult. I’m sure there’s there’s many places we could go with Elvis in trouble and puns and references. I’m not I’m not going to go there cheap. I tell you what, the there’s there’s different rankings of pine straw. I’m a tarill and so I’m used to the pine straw, but I’m here to tell you the pine straw here at Quail Hollow is thick pine, isn’t it? I mean, and so it’s not like you can just get up there and just hit it out cuz it’s so much surrounds the golf ball. You’ve got to figure out your next best play. We can see the golf ball, but we can’t see his feet. Yeah, correct. It helps him here that he’s a lefty. Yeah, certainly is. And it looks like he’s just thinking his best bet here is to just pitch back out to the fairway versus trying to advance it. Jason Day got greedy on this hole. Cost him an eight after an errant T-shot. Elvis taking his medicine. At least you know you’ve got a shot again on this stretch of holes. And we’ve seen the best players in the world number one, two, and three make double today on the 16th. And you’re just trying to avoid that double by just giving yourself a chance at your par. And if you don’t make par, just walking away with losing one shot versus two Tony Vegas. Yeah, these trees might just impact him a little. It looks like he’s trying to take this low. Depends on the lie as well. See how far he could skate this down there. Yeah, he took that nice and low underneath those branches there. See get a big hop. Wow, what a beautiful play. Just almost too solid contact. And you can see just before pin high on the right hand side, the pitch mark for Johnny and just hoping it didn’t quite get as much of a kick as it did. It’s interesting the rough when I was out there today looking through it quite thick in certain places and you know once in a while though it sits up just a tad. You might not see the ball but easy to catch a little bit of a flyer. Back to 16T. Maxoma level par for his opening 15. 319 to the front of the bunker you see there on the right hand side. Yeah, there’s no real advantage even for the biggest of hitters to take on the bunker because even if you get past, you do have a downhill lie whereas this is a perfect lie and it’s flat. Okay, third shot. Elvis. Elvis smiley on 18. Yeah, wind blowing just slightly from left to right. Couple pieces left of this would be a good spot, which is exactly what he did. And that’s just beautiful to save his par. Elvis, talk to me about that par on 18. Was it just a normal four? Yeah, just kind of hit it in the pine straw, chipped out, hit it within 6 ft and sank the par. Many ways to get a par on this 18th. Some are a little bit more obscure than others. I always tell my juniors, the boxes are so small on the scorecard, so you can’t tell the story. Just put down the four, right? There’s no diagrams on any of those little cards. It’s just a number that’s required. His mother, a very competitive sports woman, very good tennis player, is smiling. So often you see that, don’t you? whether it’s golf, tennis, or wherever, just in the family, and you’ve obviously got the two girls, and you just kind of sometimes they want to follow in the footsteps of mom and dad. Yeah. And I think it’s what we do, you know, as a family when my family isn’t loves sports, all sports. And so, we enjoyed it together. So, it made great fun out of it until they started beating me and then it wasn’t so much fun anymore. But what’s worse, when they get taller than you or when they beat you at sport? Yeah. The first time they blew it by me off the tea on the same tea box was not a great feeling. But you as a parent, you’re like, “Okay, that’s awesome.” But then you’re like, as a competitor, wait a second. It’s a big one for Eric Vanroyan. Up the hill, just get there. 16. The old Alita Adams song. There’s one for the teenagers. I don’t think that’s going to get there. No. If it doesn’t get there, just leave yourself nothing that’s too tricky. Still a bit of work left for Eric. We’re back up to 18. Again, this is all about judging the pace for Brian Campbell. There’s a ridge about 5/8 of the way up the distance of this puck. that needs to climb. How much of a lot of the players leaving putts like this short is down to the fact they didn’t get three full days on the course because of the weather? Yeah, I think quite a bit actually. I mean, 99 of the players in the field had played this golf course in a competitive event prior to this. So, many of them had played it before. But if you’re a golfer, even at your own home course, you know, the conditions differ year to year, monthtomonth. Some of those players played in 2017 when this championship was in August. So, far different golf course than you’ll see here in May. He’s left himself a fair share bit. It’s Par. Eric and Ryan coming off a really nice week. The CJ Cup Byron Nelson where he placed second a couple weeks ago. Just trying to keep any blemishes off the scorecard. Well done. A lot of sunscreen required today. This is the hottest day of the week so far and it’s going to get hotter. Well, you know, I was noticing on some of the players, you know, I think they need to reapply. They’re looking a little pink. Tony Vegas, the MLB patchy and he pitches it in. Away. I love that. That was just a little chunk of stab. Beautifully done. See the club head didn’t quite get through the grass all the way on purpose moments ago. Johnny Kefir’s T-shot. Where’s that heading? Yeah, that is not going to be fun. Oh. Oh. Oh. All right. Well, it’s come back. Oh no. Did it bounce off the in the water? Oh, what a off the roof. Horrible break. And into the water. All you all you’re asking there a little bounce off the bridge. Take it back into the fairway. Bridge. Anything but the water. Yeah. Brian Campbell ahead on the green after his putt from the edge. Well done. Good two pop from back there. I was watching our feature holes coverage earlier today. Bob McIntyre. Um let’s just say that the language that came out of his mouth wasn’t great. but neither was the shot. But he got the most unbelievable bounce and he ended up in the bunker when it was so far right he thought, “Oh, I don’t know where this is going to be.” But then he makes a fantastic par on this hole. It’s it’s what you make of the opportunity, but you need a bit of luck at times as well. Yeah. And there are those days where it just feels like nothing’s going away. And there’s other days where it just does. Every just every bounce, every putt, you think, “Oh, no. on just missed it. Goes in. That’s where the ball’s landed on 16. Some interesting comments earlier today from Scotty Sheffller about preferred lies. He uh he said, “Right, this is it. It’s going to be my last answer.” And then he spoke for about 90 seconds and answered every other question with one answer. Back to Max Homer. Yeah, you saw the dispersion there on 16. It’s certainly not an easy fairway to hit. And these are the best of the best. They are. This is going to have to work itself a little to the right. He needs to lean just a tad. And it’s interesting. I don’t know whether they can’t. They think it’s a little more into the wind the last couple of groups than it is. We’ve seen a couple just surprising long shots to the back. Yeah, I don’t know if there were mud ball there or not, but Max found that one wet. We will come back to 16, 17, and 18. Snacks for even the youngest at the PGA Quill Hollow. [Applause] [Music] The course doesn’t move. The course doesn’t move. The opponent does. Ahead, behind, around the course, up and down the leaderboard. Both are the enemy. Not either or. Yes. And to win a major, you’ll have to beat the course and your fellow [Music] competitors. Best day of the week so far weatherwise. And for Cam Davis, it’s the best day in quite some time. He’s got a couple of holes left having started on the 10th. He’s playing the eighth and the ninth. He has a one-shot lead over Ryan Gerard. Bob McIntyre from Scotland. Good round of 68 for him, but it’s very congested as we zoom through and a lot of different flags, which is always great to see. And this is probably the strongest field in any major tournament. And a lot of big names are a little bit further down. 11 balls in the water from our holes. 16, 17, and 18. The first hardest, second hardest, and the sixth hardest. It’s tough. And when you think back in 2017 at the PGA Championship in this stretch, only three players finished underpar through this stretch over the course of the tournament. You and I were looking um during the break, the average score you can par in. You’re making over a shot to the rest of the field. Vanroyan on 17. 17 ft drop down to the green and in the collection area. So while we were in break, this happened on 16 Neman playing with Lucas Glover and Max Homer. They’re taking that in from the right hand side. M when you’re four over through 15, you need some form from somewhere. Yeah, that’s lovely. Normally a shot like that might elicit a smile around so far and then a twirl of the tossed club which is kind of satisfactory anger. I was going to say I’m glad you threw in the toss. The twirl was a little forgiving by you. Start wellver steady career. Oh, such a stellar ball striker. I mean, his putting struggles are well documented and certainly he’s since going to that broom putter improved significantly. But if you think about his ball striking, goodness, had he just had a little more confidence with the putter all along the way, how much he would have won even more. This is a big one for Max. Having found the water, it’ll feel like a result if he can hold this. Even though it’s for a bogey. Yeah, two bogeies, two birdies on his day so far from Max. It’s happened all day. players unable to get the pace of these putts. And after a nice birdie at 14, it’s three over for his last two. Adam Scott playing with Turtle Hatton and Will Zalatus teeing off on 16 wind. Just hoping for it to squirt a little to the left for him. 311 to get to the bunker, but it did what it asked. Those golf balls cost a lot of money, the ones that listen. They don’t tell you where you can buy them as well. After that wonderful approach, Neiman tidies up nicely. found a bit of form on the lift tour this year in Adelaide and Singapore, Mexico City. Not a stress-free scorecard, however, for him today. No, a day like this and these warm temperatures, some of us would like to go for a little swim in there to cool down. Yeah, this is so hard to judge with the putter as we’ve mentioned, just because it’s still a little bit damp out there around the surrounds and in the fairways as well. So, you’re navigating a little dampness, uh, some slope, different grass as you head into the green surface. You can see this is a nice angle. You can see how steep that slope really is. And then straight down the slope to the whole location once it gets to the green. Greens resurfaced with tiff eagle Bermuda grass. You’ll see this just so quick after the whole Good news, bad news. Well past where he’d like to be. Good news, pretty straight coming back up that slope. Well, he’s just seen what what it does having gone beyond the hole. Keeping an eye on it to 16. Tillen second leaning hard. Wants this to get more left. Swatting at any flies around trying to make it go more left. Mildmannered to keep Terrell Hatton when things are going well. Full bloom down here in North Carolina. Michael Block had his issues on 16. Let’s head to 17. Moments to go. Par three at a PJ Championship. He couldn’t, could he? Not again. A It’s a good looking shot. Come on. Come on. Get in there. Get out. That was the 15 for Oak Hill. That went in with his shot to 17 to date. There’s the smile back. Third closest to the hole today. Inside of 8 ft. And that smile we saw so often at Oak Hill when he was in the top 15 has returned. Adam Scott’s second shot to 16 along very nicely. Yeah, that needs to sit. Adams just really found his form with his irons this year. approach the green has just been off for him to save his paranroy. That’ll be a dropped shot for Eric. Now, when you hit such a good T-OT like Michael Block did, let’s see if he can pay it off. Yeah, capitalize on it. That’d be great. Michael, a member of the Corbridgeidge financial team, Southern California PGA section. That away. Well done, sir. And uh well, it was going to be a fist bump with his son, but took the club and hey, cool. Yeah, just a couple doubles on the card today that have hurt him. I love this. Isn’t it great? You’ve got your Corbridge financial team of 20 and had such success couple years ago. Michael Block has got a lot of fans cheering him on. Let’s take a look at 17 from the fly over. Where’s your aim point if you’re a right-handed golfer? Yeah, right-handed just on the corner of that camera tower, the one closest to the whole location. Certainly don’t want anything going left of this whole location. Green slopes harshly from right to left. So, anything at the camera tower will feed back down on that hole. But, you know, interestingly enough, looking at that whole location this morning, I really wasn’t aware of how difficult a front shot would be with the slope for putting and we’ve seen that’s been very difficult as well, but I didn’t anticipate that for this whole location. Neman just seen that birdie from Michael Block. It was only the sixth of the day. What’s the Chilean store? Oh, that’s also well done. It is. It’s very well done. We could have had a Chilean winner settle of this competition. Southern Hills Mito Ferrer who inexplicably rushed his t-shot on 1830. It was Justin Thomas that capitalized Lucas Glover 223 this hole playing 227 today is Caddy saying 230. Yeah, Lucas has had three top 10s already this year. Third at the AT&T Pebble Beach players championship of course. So what a great play. Tied for third there. Wonderful week for him and tied for eighth at the Valspar Championship. US Open winner Beth Paige back in 09. And that one is in trouble. All right. Yeah, that could hit the structure. Well, not quite that not quite that high, but it will not be an easy one. You’ve got your collection area, then you’ve got your first cup, but once it gets into that rough, the control over your next shot becomes very difficult. The late afternoon sunshine and the heat of Charlotte, North Carolina. and the green mile and Adam Scott. This was all about the stance. It was never going to roll into the water, but the stance is okay. Yeah, coming up that UPS slope that got away from him. Certainly wasn’t intending to carry it that far. Some good groups coming through 16, 17, and 18 here on our feature holds coverage. Next up, Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, and Colin Morawa. Followed by Jordan Spe, Patrick Reed, and Lucas Ober. Then Hideki, Windham Clark, and Tom Kim. And Bryson Dshambo, Victor Hland, and Gary Woodland. They’re all feature groups today. Elsewhere on our interactive coverage of the 107th PGA Championship. Max on 17. Another one that isn’t really coming back. safe enough. Not where you want to be, but could have been a lot worse. Can Till Hatton judge the pace? Rinse and repeat. We have seen with a couple of parts if you do race it by, you’re going to race it by a long way. So, you’d rather be safe and get it within 3 ft short than risk what happens if you get it beyond. Yeah, certainly not one of those putts that you’re trying to slam it in the back of the hole. Going well. Turo one under for his back nine so far. Justin Thomas. Yeah, Justin just got off to a very slow start today. Double bogey and a bogey right out of the gate. This headed well right. Yeah, this is going to be an interesting second shot. Fleet foot from one of the marshals. The team of volunteers that helped make this tournament such a success. I don’t know if you get help when you do that, but it does alleviate some of the frustration. What is happening this game? You hit one good shot and you think I’ve got it. That’s right. And then a little bit blustery. 16 Adam Scott try and save his par. He’ll drop back to three under. ahead to 18. Eric Vanroy. Yeah, looks like he’s going to try to take this in from left to right. Just up the right side of that fairway. Adam Scott tapped in for his bogey. And Eric could be hampered by the overhanging branches of the trees. We will find out when we come back as our day one coverage of the 107th PGA Championship from Quail Hollow continues. [Music] They call it the green mile and it’s justified. I think it’s the toughest stretch of holes in the world. You have to hit perfect shots or you’re going to make bogeier much worse. You’re trying to sign for three pars. You know, if you get to sneak a birdie in, that’s an advantage. There’s nothing hidden. It’s right in front of you. You got to go execute. Hit some golf shots. That’s for sure. When people come off this golf course, the last thing they remember is the last three holes and they think that green mile keeps getting longer somehow. Even in perfectly calm conditions, every single shot is a test. Max Homer on 17 with his second shot. Some have elected to park. Max using the lofted club and we’ll now have a test one coming back. So if 16 through 18 are known as the green mile, would you say that 13 through 15 are kind of like the prisoner’s last meal? A chance to fatten yourself up before you get into the the problems of 16, 17, and 18. Yeah, absolutely. That’s perfect analogy. Big old steak. Yeah. Right. Eat as much as you can. Colin Morawa. Now this to the right, but should catch a piece of it. That’s going to be a very difficult putt as we’ve seen. Yeah, it’s very slow. Looking forward to the weekend already. We’ve got 14, 15, and 16 as our feature hole. So, we might get to see a few more birdies even. Indeed. This is a this is a test and all those golfers we spoke to, okay, would sign up right now for going through these three holes in level par. So very difficult. You can’t see the bottom of the green from where Dustin’s standing. Tricky to judge or feel. You’re just going off a number. That’s about focus for Dustin. Just before you and I came on air, he was at the turn and he missed a three-foot putt and left himself with a lot longer. And that bounce did exactly what it did with Adam Scott. 17 Lin Neman for his birdie putt. Oh, well done. Just a little off. Yeah, if they get it there, we’ve seen a lot that just drift off to the left towards the end. Two birdies today on 16. 46 bogeies or worse. That group of the world one, two, and three earlier today all making double bogey, Justin Thomas. Yeah, Justin needs to start this with the six on that camera tower. Wouldn’t want to be any more left than that from that lie. That is just going to come out of there hot and the indication [Applause] We’ll be back with Justin in a second. I go to 17 and Max Hilmer. Yeah, this is save his par. Ah, there we go. Around and about and down it goes. Make him feel a little bit better. Max, after quite a few mis cuts in a row, Max has had a couple good weeks, it’s nice to realize he’s not on the first page of that leaderboard, but hanging in there. There so many streaky golfers, PGA and the LPGA, too. Derl Hatton. Yeah, that’s exactly where he started. It just never got the turn he needed. Went pretty straight. He was leaning to his left. Always weirdy if you got a microphone near your turtle. You know what? I I got to be honest. I realize it’s a lot of annex, but I quite enjoy it. Will zurus back on the tea. Yeah, good to see Will back out playing. Yeah, on and off injury here. That’s going to take a big hop. That first hop over there on that left hand side. Just a large one about a third on that green. You just have to try to stay right at that whole location to avoid that. Now he’s got a very tricky chip out of some deep stuff. Eric von Roy ahead on 18 bogey 17. No, he seems to like this. A just carried it too far. That is quite the boing. Sub air under these greens have dried them up very well. Just when you want a soft bounce, that’s what you get. Adam Scott bounce back from his bogey on 16. Also trying to take it in from right to left. Started it outside of the camera towers. Does it have the length? It’s one or the other for so many golfers, isn’t it? They’ve either got the line but not the length or got the length but not the line. Yeah. And I feel like with Adam, you know, watching him play the last few weeks, it just seems to be a distance control factor for him. It just look like he’s swinging poorly at it. Well, the Marshall indicating with the two hands up that it was dry. So, this is Justin Thomas. Blade wide open throwing it well up into the sky. How good is that? How good is that? Justin. There we go. That’ll make him smile a little. Colin says, “Come on, buddy. Maybe the arm thing up in the air was a good thing. Having watched a rerun of his 2017 victory and seen a few of those. A little shake of the head. Check out this reaction. This is so fabulous. Look how high he hit that golf ball. You see his hands come up really quickly toward the finish. Yes. Thank you. Across comes Colin with a big smile on his face as well. Hey, they all count. Take it. Move on. Cuz that could have been anything. Anything. Sneaks one back. Unexpectedly. Celebrated with something a little bit stronger when he won his PGA Championships. Van Royan after his little boing that went through the back. and his third. Yeah, you can see quite steep his takeaway open face. You can see his cliff face slide under. So before he plays this shot, you’re teaching someone, say you throw a bag of balls down in an area like this? What’s the main thing that you’re teaching your students about how to play this shot? Yeah, I think where they’re going to the club’s going to impact the turf. And I think often times people try to slide it too shallow underneath the face instead of getting a little bit steep. They think steep they’re going to chunk it when in fact it’s just not the case. And when they try to slide it is when they have the miss. You can see him hitting the turf there just at where that ball’s lying. Not prior to it, not well before it. The loft is going to take that ball up in the air enough for him. Inadvertently, what I’m doing is I’m trying to get free lessons for both me, the boys and girls in the truck, and everyone watching without us having to pay. Yeah, I don’t think Eric was pleased with that at all. I don’t think it was that shot. Lucas Oar on 16. Boy, this looks tremendous. See if it stays in the fairway for him. Doesn’t sneak left. It is a very wide fairway, but in this area here, it’s very flat, so that’s perfect for his second. Now, we saw Colin Morukawa’s big smile when Justin managed to get it up and down. Let’s see what he can do from a way back. Yeah, see if he can get this there. It’s easy to watch it and to see all these golfers hitting it short, but if you know you’ve still got to hit it harder, there’s still that danger of hitting it too hard and it must be very difficult to get the right amount of contact. You know, it’s funny often times even when when you’re next to somebody who has the same putt and they’ve left it short, you’ll leave it short right next to them and you think, “Oh my gosh, and why didn’t I learn from it?” But it’s more the feel of the player. This from Jordan is headed to where Justin was. Yeah, about the same exact spot. So, all he needs to do is hit the next one long and then hold the next one. Shall we tell him? Yeah. Funny old game this, isn’t it? Dustin 16. Has he fulfilled his potential with the number of tournaments that he’s won given his ability? You know, it’s a great question and I think Dustin, had he stayed would have won more golf tournaments for par. He was a very risky player. He took risk on and he did. He was fun. Wasn’t afraid of it and played ma major venues well because he he would take on the risk and sometimes get away with it. You know, you’ve got a right to left pot there, but when you start it at the hole, it’s going to have no chance. So, he’ll drop one assuming he makes that one back. Colin Moricawa for his part, the 2020 PGA champion. Yeah. Harding Park. Well done. [Applause] Nice bounce back from that bogey with a couple of birdies. Let’s take you to 17. And the average proximity 61 and a bit feet. I I wish we had our AROS data that we usually put up for the zero handicapper and the 10 to 15 because can you imagine 61 ft for the tour professionals tells you how difficult this hole is. It’s okay from there. Looks like he’s left himself with an uphill p. Smart leave from Tur Eric Venroy finishing off South African. Yeah, this after that chip got away from him. See if he can save it. Tristan Johnson made that putt. Eric drops to one under after a round of 70. I wonder if he would have signed for a round of 70 if offered that before he stood on the first tea this morning. Yeah, that’s a great question. You know, I don’t I don’t know. I think when par 71 probably no. I think you’re hoping for a little better. This is a long way for Adam Scott on 17 69 ft. with a ridge and a break. It’s okay. the T-shotss of Jordan of Patrick and of Ludvik. Spith is pretty close to where Justin Thomas was. looked like that might be the case. Best angle in is the Swede. Patrick Reeds with a chance to impress Keegan Bradley. Try and get into the RDER Cup side. That’ll be a quiet affair later this year in Long Island, the Rder Cup. Might need to bring in some extra fans to generate a bit more atmosphere. It’s going to be pretty quiet. Boring. Not boring, just Wow. It’s going to be incredible. That’ll be rowdy. We’ll come back to that in a second. Manhattan. Uh, don’t do that. drops one with one to play. It’s Patrick. Keegan Bradley against Luke Donald Rder Cup into this year. I’m actually the junior Rder Cup captain, so I’m really looking forward to it. Trying to get it to come round, but it’s not doing what he hoped. The bounce helps. Still a long way to go. And again, as we’ve seen so often today on our feature holes coverage, it’s about the pace trying to get it there. So many have come up short. Focus and concentration is a key thing for any golfer playing this stretch of the course cuz you can easily let things get away from you. One bad shot, which it’s easy to do on these three holes. Momentum is hard to find. How do you follow the shot that Justin Thomas last played? Let’s find out. Well, really designed almost for the same shot he hit, but that was out of the rough. It really took off on him. That little right to left shot. He tried to hit into 16. This mimics it. Yeah. On. Yeah. So, he’s starting it right on that 17. You heard him say conversation with Matt Minster. There’s Caddy. So, while they wait, we’re going to go and catch up with Jordan’s best buddies. Jordan just struggling today with his approach, but mostly because of where he’s leaving himself off the tea. ranked 105th today off the tea. That’s a long bunker shot to come for Jordan. Back to Justin playing 227 today with the pin back left. Will that one hang on? Yeah, he took it at that 17, but he took it there with a little bit of a cut. And given what he did on 16, that’s not bad. Yeah, but not for him. Yeah, position A in the fairway. See if he can capitalize on that. Beautiful smooth golf swing, but we’ve seen so many of them carry it six, seven yards too far. Just starting to see the breeze get up. How calm was it down there this morning? Yeah, quite calm, actually. Um, you know, I would say it was only maybe four miles an hour, five, gusted a little bit toward the end, uh, as I was out there around 130, but nothing like you’re seeing here now. I’d say it’s about double right now, but still not a whole lot. No, compared to what they have played in. What a beautiful back swing that was. Asking for it to sit down. Ah, he just striped that. Such a solid golf swing. Now, had that shot have been played previously before this tee was moved. That was probably wet, but they now have that additional angle having redone 17th T. So, it stays dry, but a tough one for Colin. Ahead to 18, Turtle Hatton. Nice little fade. I’m back to 70 dust. It’s another one of those that we’ve seen a few times today. Looks a good line, but not the right distance. Dustin Johnson finished runner up in consecutive PGA championships in 2019 and 2020. He’s only the second player to do so. Jack Nicholas was the first to do that in 1964 and 65. Not bad company. Caught that one well. Nice quick pick up of the tea. A nice drive from Adam. Birdies zero. Less than half have managed to sand save. Yeah, I was going to say that’s not good news. These are from the bunker. See if he can buck the trend. He’s a very talented bunker player. This is going to run on. Yeah, it came out quite low, too. It’s like a game of chess. You kind of got to think three or four moves ahead. That is set up by your second shot. Your second shot, you haven’t got much control on it because of your first shot, which is your drive into the rough. It’s they’re all intrinsically linked. They really are. That’s why, you know, I love and I love the look at them, but I always tell people be careful. They don’t tell the whole story, right? Us commentators can make them shape our narrative. Maxoma for birdie 18. Ah, come on. That would have looked good for a long way. Let’s go to 16T. Tom Kim playing with Hideki and Winding Clark. Oh, that’s well done. That’ll work. Feel more comfortable. The low one, it’s fine, too. You can always tell when you walk the course prior to a tournament. Where are all the divots? Where are they all hitting? a lot there. The group of Patrick Reeds, Doran Spie, and Ludvig Ober. Does Ludvig win a major? I think he does. Does Ludvig win multiple majors? I think he does. Yeah. And I say that um I mean first of all I do think he’ll win Augusta the Masters. He loves that golf course. He’s already proven himself there and I think it’s you know whenever you make a prediction like that gosh knowing the depth of field and breadth of talent is saying something. But I I do believe his golf swing is one that will hold up much like Adam Scots. So I don’t see a whole lot of injury occurring for Ludvig along the way. He’s young um and just incredibly talented demeanor-wise as well at least to this point. Yeah, mentally I think he’s very tough. You’ve got to have so many things going right to be a champion in this sport. Patrick Reed the latest to come up short. SPath and Growler. 2013 in a pub in North Beric in Scotland. This young whippers snapper with a backwards baseball cap comes bounding in and orders a soft drink. First time overseas having won the John Deere Classic to gain entry into the Open Championship at Mirfield. Jordan Spith and he was with Under Armour back then as well. He saw his potential. Was I in a pub? I was. Were you having a ginger ale? We played pool together. You know, I I don’t know why I really feel like Jordan needed to make that putt headed into 18. And I just just sneaking outside those numbers where you want to be forced to go super low in a major championship just to make the cut. Few moments ago, Hideki on 16. Yeah, Hideki Matsyama. I’ve had a chance to follow him the last couple weeks as well. And the driver just hasn’t been as stellar as it typically is for Hideki. There was a choice in his game that probably is challenging him right now. That would be it. Iron play just stellar as always. That iconic image of his caddy bowing to the flag at Augusta. Okay, Ludvig be a nice par from here. He could make it. I just started right and stayed right. Very tentative. Few moments to go on 17. Cohen Morawa got lots of loft here. See how open that blade was. What a really cool shot. Wow. You can do it, Justin. I can do it. Magnificent from Colin. And before he hit that shot, he checked the angles. He saw the line. He knew where he wanted to hit with his first bounce. It’s easy enough to say that. It’s another thing to do it. That was really cool. A two on 17. 90° turn at the end. Where he’s hit it, you’re thinking that’s going to have to come in. And he knew what he was doing. Three birdies in four holes for Colin. He’s on a move. Adam Scott the second to 18 to his back right hole location has to clear a little shelf which he did. Great shot and because he was close enough and didn’t have a long iron into this green was able to get a bit more loft landed softly. Beautiful from Adam Patrick Reed with a par [Applause] pass ago on 18 Tur Hatton. You might already know what happens to this. You saw another ball on the green when Adam Scott hit his and this is what happened with Tur. That shelf is about seven paces shy of the whole location. That too carried on top of it. Well done. We’ll leave them on 18 and we’ll be back on 16 on 17 and on 18. Our green mile coverage of the feature holes at the PGA continues. [Music] just 24 years of age. Could it be his time? In your life, have you ever seen anything like that, B? I thought the same thing. It would have to be a huge hit with the seven iron. Well played, Justin Thomas. Beautiful shot. Justin Thomas makes it to 17. The player who beat the strongest field in golf, Justin Thomas. [Applause] his first career major title. He’s got a parot here on 17 at the same venue. Yeah, he’s really fought back nicely today after a very slow start out of the gate. It was three over through three. Won by two shots here from Franchesco Molinari, Louis Hazen and Patrick Reed back in 2017. Tom Kim 16 is second. Yeah, coming in blind here. It’s a long bunker shot. Yeah, very long off of those flat surfaces in the middle of these bunkers that they’ve raaked. This would have been an even longer bunker shot if it had rolled another yard or two to the sand instead. Second shot for Hide. You has to be careful here. We’ve seen a bunch of players landing this at the whole location, hole high, and just bounding off the back of the green. You can only see the top quarter of the flag and the pin right up against the edge as well. That’ll be tricky. It’s a congested leaderboard. Two tied for the top. Five just a shot back. Adam Scott ahead on 18. Been the best day of the week weatherwise. Very different as well. A May PGA Championship here to the August one of 2017. It was hot. It was sticky and humid. And fairways were quick. Fairways were very quick. We’re getting a lot more run. Green’s had a little more slope to him. They’ve leveled those out in 2023. Adam for birdie. Never really moved. Golf was not meant to be easy. Let’s take you back 496 yards to the T- box on 18 and say hello to Colin Morawa. Yeah, this has to settle down a little. Get up in that pine straw. that it maybe it hasn’t. Maybe it’s in the green stuff. Well, it’s on the grass, but there’s a lot of trees to get through. That might be take your medicine and on you go. We’ve seen in the past getting greedy on this 18th doesn’t usually work. Tur be a nice way to finish. It wasn’t and then it was. I’m going to try that. That was like a little swan pose at the end. He’s been doing a lot of leaning and that’s his uh that’s his happy face internally. He’s ecstatic. I tell you what, I feel like he must do some yoga. That was quite well balanced as well. Well, nice way to end and dinner will taste a little bit better. Ludvik 17 now. The shape’s good. What’s the length like when they start to say goal when it’s only 3 seconds after they’ve hit it? They know. This should be quite good. Yeah, that’ll work. Quick pick up of the tea. Various ways to play this. You could draw, you could fade it. That’ll do nicely for Justin. and we will see how he finishes along with the rest of his group and the others out on course in the 16th, 17th, and 18th at the 107th PGA in Charlotte. [Music] An American and an Australian play a course in North Carolina. And as it stands, the pit of them are tied for the lead at the 107th PGA Championship. It’s a congested leaderboard. Scotty Sheffller poking his head above the parapit. Two under for a share of 20th. 19 players above him though with a better score. Let’s see this long bunker shot. Yeah, if he can keep this within about 10 feet, it would be a great play. The players I saw on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, well, predominantly Tuesday, Wednesday practicing were practicing from that bunker to a a pin that was closer. Not many of them were trying it for that. Matsuyama trying to spread his body weight evenly. Yeah, I’m surprised he carried that so far. He was going back up on that little ups slope. Should have been a fairly simple pitch. This is where all the balls of the three Justin Dustin and Colin landed 14 ft below tea level to this fairway. Put it into context. In 2024, this the 18th was the hardest hole of the PGA Tour season, playing at half a stroke above average. We wondered with Colin Moricawa’s T-shot what he would be left with as far as a second shot. So, the obvious thing is go left. Problem is, you’ve got the stream. So, what do you do? Yeah, you do have the stream. They always fool me, too. Sometimes they find little windows that you think really and they do quite well out of them. But I don’t think he has much of a choice. He’s going to have to make par from the fairway. I think he’s just trying to figure out what’s my best play after I do that. A number am I looking to get it to? There’s a time for a power fade, which I don’t think is day one of major. Not when the ball’s that far above your feet either. Yeah. Do yourself some damage. Yeah, I think they’re just like you said, he’s got to make sure he gets it through the deep rough, but then has it stopped prior to the water. So, they’re just trying to get a number to the spot they’re looking for. And Joe Grinder’s like, I’ll go like, you know, uh, I’m okay. I’m in shape. That’s cuz he keeps getting sent on these errands. Yes, exactly. Crawling seen something. What does he see? always letting them know that uh you know perhaps perhaps uh pay attention because maybe he’s going to go across that little water. Very kingdom of course what he’s doing. I’m sure why in the world he would do that but the whole location keep in mind is back right. It opens up the whole location for him. Okay. What he’s just done we we’ll try and listen in. See if we can get a clue. Whatever. I know where you’re talking about coming out of the dude in the pink. Yes. Perfect. Yeah, just good. Solid one. So, I’m wondering here if he’s going to try and hit it beyond the stream towards the hospitality and if he can get it close to there to then have a better angle. We’ll find out in a second. Here’s Justin Thomas. Somehow go right. Somehow go right. Whoa. Well, that is something. Did that bounce off the bridge? Cuz that was a violent hop. It did bounce off the bridge. Well, it could have been worse. Okay. Is he trying to take on the stream? Is that why his car was going across? Just to say to the people over there, just keep your eye out on this. Let’s find out. The only reason why you do this is to get a much shorter yardage into this hole location, but you’re going to you’re really risking a horrific live. I just don’t understand that play at all. There was a gentleman in a hat behind him there whose mouth was just gaping as if to say, “What? Here’s what happened with Justin’s ball. Well, there was a splash. Yeah. And then it said it’s it’s there. I believe it’s hitable. Oh, it’s I mean it’s fine. Yeah. As far as dry, but it’s not going to be easy. It’s the b the bounce was funky cuz there was a little bit of a splash. Let’s talk about this Colin Moracawa play for just a second. Well, it’s confusing. I can understand if he’s taken out the stream and hitting it beyond that to get a closer end shot, but I don’t understand that. Back to Matsyama on 16. We’ll be back with Colin shortly. Pitch just got away from him. It just wasn’t that difficult. That’s just an unforced error there. What do we think he was trying to do with the shot that he played? I do think he was trying to hit it across. I think he was trying to have a shorter shot. I mean, we’re just surmising here obviously, but it didn’t make sense to do that. Had he just hit it in the fairway here at the skill level he is with his long iron play, you just make five. Now, he’s put double into play and he’s really played a beautiful back nine. that might be one for the post round press conference. Um Colin on 18 second shot Lud. Ah that’s nice. He’s so in control of his emotions as well. Well, that’s a familiar stance. Bryson level for the day. 311. It’s trying to work back for him to clear the bunker. Just coming off a win in Korea. Wow, that’s a long way down. Of course, runner up last year in this championship. Three top five finishes in fact. Patrick Reed tidies up for his car. This is the 17th hole. Jordan Speart did well there. That had a little bit of movement which she had to manage. This is when you’re a player and you’re just kicking yourself because he he obviously didn’t swing at the shot like he thought he was going to. And not only did he miss, he ends up in that hazard or excuse me in the general penalty area. Now hitting four. Really has to get up and duck. It’s okay. He’s laughing himself below the hole. That’s one that we’ll be pondering for a while. Second shot on 18. Right, Justin. I mean, he’s got a shot lefty. How deep that is that? I just can’t tell how deep it is. I don’t know either, but I mean I’m [Applause] So earlier today, I was watching our feature holes coverage and Tony Fina was just like, “Hey, I’m just going in with my shoes and socks on. Justin on the same hole has decided to kind of hold on to or like hold hold. Can you hold it?” You know what I’m saying? How does health and safety feel about this? I don’t think Justin feels very good about it. Forget about health and safety. And that just tells you how steep it is. I think he’s just worried it’s quite deep. Certainly doesn’t want to slip. That is it. Yes. Yeah, it is. Okay. This is one where you whatever club you choose, you’ve kind of got to get it steep up and steep down. Yeah. Very quickly, which is why I think maybe lefty is a better choice from there. Where can you get it? Well, if he takes that back, that would work, too. It’s just going to hit it. He has to hit it quite hard. So certainly this is one of the other issues here is contact. You don’t make good enough contact, you could end up in the water that way. You know what I mean? You have you have more room coming this way. Yeah. Like the left. [Music] Yes. I’m not trying to lift it up. No, that’s what I’m saying is is if we can get it just on the fringe or even the first cut over there in three, you’re better off. Yeah. And they made it all the way across the green, not just straight in front of him. He’s got to hit this hard enough. He knows He knows he’s not He’s like, “I four is out. Let’s just make five.” Problem solving with Justin and Matt on this Thursday afternoon. Wow, that’s really well done. What a beautiful golf club shot. In fact, he might make his four. That’s the work of a genius. Yeah, this is that was pretty good. This deser deserves another look. I mean, I think it was so amazing, too, as you see how quickly that club face passed his hands. He was under full control of this golf shot. That has to be going down as don’t try this at home cuz there’s so many things that could potentially go wrong. The amount of us that would step into the pond forward at least we’d have one dry shoe and sock. The one that we’ taken off. Bryson second from a long way down. 16th fairway. Spectacular drive. This was the furthest off the tea today. Well, unable to really capitalize on it. up. He would have expected better. Such a fun watch on his social media channels. Oh yeah, it’s hitting over houses and trying to get hole in ones. Like a lot of glass there as well. That’s another Don’t try this at home. Back to 17. Tom Kiming again. He might catch an edge, but I tell you what though, those are those shaved tops of those bunkers. I saw that quite a bit today. You just don’t get any re Sometimes they’ll bound forward, but the way they have these Keith Wood, the golf course superintendent, it’s it’s all shaved up there and it just takes those golf balls right into the base of the bunker. It’s quite the conversation with Paul Tori and Tom Auburn. Right. Oh dear. The immediate call of four right. How far right? This is in Colin territory. Perhaps a little farther than that. Yeah. Maybe a better second shot though. A double on 18 to go from minus3 to minus one after an inexplicable second shot. Yeah, truly. I’m just shaking my head. I just don’t It just doesn’t make any sense to me at all. I don’t know why they were It was just such a difficult shot from where they were headed, too, just to get a better look at the hole. Didn’t make sense. I was looking forward to reading that press conference. Someone’s got to ask. That might even be the first question. I mean, he’s he’s two shots off the lead on the 18th T. He’s two shots off the lead after driving off the 18th T. This would be quite the up and down. This would be the part of the day. I’m voting yes. Do it for the narrative, Justin. [Applause] [Music] did not move. I tell you what, still the great five, if there is such a thing on this 18th. That could easily have been Devil. Certainly not the day he was hoping for. Yeah. Three over after three and four over after six and then did all right at the turn and 16 Victor going along nicely. How about this? How about this? How about that is right was hauling. Tom Kim with a a long bunker shot. Yeah, difficult to carry this far enough with that water looming behind the green. That is really good. Boy, is that beautiful. Wow. [Applause] the frustration that he had on the tea, the conversation with Paul Tori and now little smile after a brilliant second shot. It gives with one hand and it takes away with the other. Does this sport Boy, is that nice, too. Two really good shots from Clark with that one. We’ve had 13 birdies, 75 pars and 41 hogies or others. Uh, Ludvig and Jordan. Little window there for Jordan. Tends to be where he shines. And it’s grass underneath him, not pine straw. So that’ll help certainly with the feet work. Yeah, he can’t afford to turn this left at all. However, really needs to hold this off right just sneak by that tree there on the right hand side. [Music] Got through. However, he’s okay. He’s okay. Lucky. You take it when you’re offered it. Now, what does Ludvig do from a similar spot? Brilliant drive. An okay second. A long birdie putt for Bryson. Just add them to the list. Okay, so the grass is replaced by pine straw. The angle’s pretty similar, but there is that stream. Yeah. Difficult to get your footing here. Very slippery. You see how deep that is? I was talking about earlier. So, sometimes contact is tricky as well. I can testify having ruined a pair of cream trousers, cream pants on day one. Boy, that was much sounded like a better strike than Jordan’s. He’s found the rough. Yeah, the the pine straw looks nice. The trees are beautiful, but it’s what’s underneath that’s very slippy from all the rain. And I think I join a a group of many who have tumbled this week. Hideki a few moments ago on 17 with his second. Yeah, this is a good look at how much this slopes toward the water from where he is. Pretty good. You’d rather have that than that same distance coming back. Ryson to try and tidy up. And he remains level par. [Applause] It’s a leaderboard beereft of some of the biggest names in golf which makes it refreshing. It means there’s a target on the back of Gerard and Davis and Donald and Fox and Smallley and Jerger and Ry whole host of players. One shot back on three under. I almost finished that with lions and tigers and bears. Oh my. 10 players tied on three under. Hideki. Yeah. Left all the way. It’s a proper test of golf in this Quill Hall. Not only does it require patience, but it requires bounceback ability. Teddyeki unable to do so after dropping one at 16. Drops one at 17 as well. This tests every facet of your game both physically and mentally. This would be quite the three for Tom Kim. Finding the front bunker, which is fine if the hole is at the front. Makes it very difficult when the pin placement is back left. Brilliant bunker shot. Yeah, it really was so difficult when it’s downs sloping water just right in your face having to carry it as far as he did. So hard to commit to that golf shot. Well done. Yeah, well done. There’s three poor T- shots from the three of them. Three pretty good second shots, but only one makes par. Bogey, eagle, bogey, par for a level par stretch of four holes up to 18. And Ludvik, this is where he ended up from the pine straw. Yeah, well, it sure sounded like he hit it. really good contact, but only traveled a short distance, leaving him this much in. That’s a brilliant shot. When you’re a young kid with a lot of talent and you get a RDER Cup spot because of that and you perform the way he performed, this is a kid with a huge future. Speaking of Europeans with big futures, someone who we’ve seen a lot of, Victor Hovland, Norwegian. Yeah, this looks very good. Again, anything carrying halfway on or more seems to run just off the back. But that’s a good leave. where we’re trying to go for a view from up high. 6:40 p.m. local time here in Charlotte, North Carolina, not too far from the South Carolina border. And Bryson on 17. He’s got the line and it’s got the distance. What a fantastic shot from Bryson. Just maybe. He could. Could he? Maybe. Come on. Wow. No. Wow. Oh my goodness. Is that the shot that Bryson looks back on as the start of a run towards the 2025 PGA Championship Challenge? I really thought that was going to turn just a little. took it in from right to left quite high. Landed softly just before that half that we were speaking of where it bounds to the back of the green. Look at this. Look at this. Oh my goodness. Pick it up. Let’s go to the next. [Applause] Fantastic. Should be a birdie for Bryson when we come back. Our coverage from Quail Hollow continues. [Music] So this is Ober for part Jordan speed bogey date team Ludvig goes one That’s it. [Applause] Sorry. Three. That’ll get the job done. 3 in away for Bryson. He’s left himself with an uphill puck. Smart play. What a shot. That’s what happens when you hit balls over your house to your par three in the back garden. Well done. Brilliant two. That could be the catalyst. Birdie at 15, Birdie at 17. Even if he pars 18 to go one under through the green mile, you would sign up for that before you even swing a club earlier today. Back to 16. Justin Rose so close at Augusta. Not the longest. wondered how this course would set up for him. He has finished in the top 15 at the PGA in the last five years. Very steady. Well, that got quite the bounce. 292 carry and then a lot more. That’ll be in position A1. Gary Woodland trying to recreate Tom Kim’s magic. Well done. Playing with Victor Hogland and Bryson Damble. Great to see Gary back playing again. It’s been quite the year or two for him and his family. Now many ways to play this. We’ve seen that from various players being in a similar position. And coming back up the slope just slightly big turn left to right. Right idea. Even if you don’t have golf clubs, this is a beautiful walk. Ah, this course, the land. There’s a lot of land, a lot of room. It’s just a stunning part of the world. I could use the grass a little shorter and a little less thick and a little less wet for that walk. But yes, you just enjoy your Gortex feet wear, keep your feet dry. I can thank the camera crew for those. I kept every time I walk my shoes and socks and everything and finally the camera guy said, “Oh no, here’s the pair.” When you when you played, did you like play with leather shoes to keep your feet dry? What did you do? I just wore my golf shoes, right? Um but when I’m out there walking and following them, I don’t like to I don’t want to ever leave any anything around coming off my golf shoes if I’m anywhere near the green. So yeah, you don’t want to get all dressed up and then wear a big pair of hunter wellies or something something like that. Aesthetically, it wouldn’t quite complete the look. See if Gary can complete this part. He’s left himself in a good spot. Give this a little pace. Take some of the slope out. Daddy’s done. Yeah. Well done. He’s playing a practice round on Wednesday with Scotty Sheffler and Sam Burns and a couple of others. Okay, Tom. There’s a lady on the balcony there hanging over in a similar shade of pink. Wondering what Tom’s going to do here. There’s a lot that could go wrong here. There is ball slightly below his feet. That will help get that ball over toward that tucked right hole location. But he needs to start this well left of the 18 that you see way off in the distance there. That came out low and a little skinny. That’s going to be all court. Well done, Victor. [Applause] Perfect position for Hideki. That from just 199 yds out. Little feet down. That’s [Applause] nice. Ah, rare thing here. A birdie putt and 16 from a birdable range and distance for Daniel who’s immediately chasing after that one in frustration. Whatever happens come Sunday, I’m not sure what lead you would need to be able to be relatively confident of success if you had the lead in the 107th PGA Championship having played 15 holes with 16 17 18 to come. This this is probably why I’m talking and not playing, but I would say I want a cushion of at least six. Oh, she want to avoid getting the ball wet on 18. Something Windham Clark was unable to do. I mean, it’s a really good finishing hole, but it really does put not so much pressure, but focus on getting a good drive off. If you’re in the middle of the fairway, you you should be all right. But it’s getting in the middle of the fairway. And I think the sides are just awkward. They are right. It’s not just as if you’re on a flat surface and just rough. It’s It’s this look. It’s I’m way tilted over. I have to stay on top of this golf ball not to lose it. Oh, well below Windom’s feet. I mean, look at that finish that he had to do to try to keep the face coming through square. Ouch. I think that was what makes it so difficult cuz the pressure to hit the fairway is so high because of that awkwardness. Let’s have another look at this swing, Susie. Yeah, you can see he has to go well down, try to keep his chest over the golf ball as long as possible. But as he does it, because he’s trying so hard to keep it there, his knees completely buckle out from underneath him. I’m I’m tell you that is they this is why they are in the gym. I mean most you know normal just pulled a hamstring. Yeah. Would have hurt their ACL in both knees and your hamstring. This will be an interesting play for Bryson. Shape of the shot. I know he’s got the length. Where does he want to leave himself for his second? Yeah, it looks like he’s just going down that next T- box cut just on the interior right side of it, which is that’s what he did. But he came out of that really early. He’s trying not to hurt anybody. An ample warning that that was headed to the right. That was quite the shot tracer. Normally you see it from afar. Might have gotten a decent kick. It looks like it kicked back inside the rope line. No, Victor. Well goodness that is not an area that anybody was practicing from on Tuesday, Wednesday and some on Monday. So, take me into the mind of Gary Woodland, who’s seen Bryson end up one side. He’s seen Victor end up the other side. I think the two golf balls have to be at least 140 yards apart. So, I think Gary’s thinking, you know, there’s quite a ways in the middle of those two. Let’s just head down in the middle. I think Gary’s going to take it down the left side and curve it slightly to the right. Yeah, that’ll work. That’s what he did yesterday. Right down the middle. Splits the pair of them. Yeah, I could split it. Okay, so our regimental golf on 18, left and right and left and right continues when we come back on day one of the PGA. [Music] The adventures on 18 continue. Windham Clark playing his fourth. A little unlucky there. Took a big hop on him. I read an article earlier this week suggesting that what would happen if they moved the green to the left hand side of the stream? Would it make it harder? I think it’s hard enough. Yeah, I think it’s plenty hard. I mean, what we’re trying to do to people here, the whole point of the article was to do with changing the angle because right now you don’t really need to get too close to the stream. The angle doesn’t really change. Fourth shot for Tom Kim making a mess of this hole. Please give a warm Windom Clark. There’s being announced onto the green. Okay, Bryson just assessing the situation, waiting for the green to clear. Windham Clark playing his fifth. That was a really, really well read pot. Not the greatest of finishes. Goes from red numbers to plus one. However, it could have been a lot worse. Here’s the T-shots of Bryson and of Victor and of Gary Woodland on 18. And that’s a fair distance into the right hand side for Bryson. Victor just 275 and Gary Woodland strikes at 325 and has just 173 left. Hideki [Applause] Every player in the field will get the chance to play the green mile as holes 70 and nine and 16 17 and 18 on Thursday and Friday. Top 70 and ties with no 10shot rule applied will make the weekend. It’s been quite the adventure for Tom Kim. Right now, the cut line would be at plus one. Wow, that’s a disappointing finish for Tom. Double bogey on the 18th. Bogey on the 16th. Green Mile strikes again. Three pars on his back nine. The lefty Brian Harmon. Major winner like everybody else has struggled with the pace on these putts on this hole. Back to 18. Victor. Yeah, that’s from 214 yds. He’s able to take sight relief from that temporary immovable obstruction. Still a long way after only 275 off the tea. It’s a good lie in the bunker. And now Bryson. Little bit of good fortune where this one ended up. Yeah. And those trees should not be an issue for him. So he seemed left to that with his body, club face fairly square to that target from left to right. Just not enough on it. Sounded slightly heavy. Too much grass first. Just after 700 p.m. local time and breeze getting up. Let’s check out the lie that he had. I’m going to take another look at his shot. Well, that would explain it. That is really deep and sitting pretty. splitting the two of them. Yeah, nicely in the middle of the fairway. Candace 173 for Gary. [Music] Fantastic. Isn’t that a nice swing that he’s got? Oh, that was lovely. Smooth, not rushed. When he’s playing well, everything um is easy to watch, meaning his arms and his body look like they’re always working together. 14 ft for Justin Rose for his birdie and 16 coming off a birdie on the 15th. This would be two in a row. Oh, how Some things are just hard to explain. He says, “I don’t know. I that that can’t possibly have not have gone in. Gravity should be the same for everybody, right? Okay. Justin ponders and moves on. Brian Harmon tries to get his par. Nearly two years since he won at Hoy Lake Royal Liverpool. Very steady that week. Let’s go back to 18. We saw Bryson’s lie for his second shot. He got it to here. TV does a good job of flattening surfaces. That is a perfect angle to show you the undulations and the topography involved in this game of golf. Yeah, he looks like he’s going to hit a running shot up there. Little loft right in the beginning and then letting it run back to that whole location. Just checked a little bit too quickly. Be a tester for Bryson to stay in red numbers. Post a round of 70 one under. Yeah, that shot will disappoint him. He’d like to get that far closer than he did, as we all would, but with his skill level, he probably should have from that spot. Yeah, especially with him being one under for the green miles so far, having got the birdie in the park and the way he did it as well after his T-shot on 16, which was miles down the hill. Yeah, this is a little tricky because he’s gonna have to really throw this close to almost back to the whole location, carry it up and over that slope. It would be very difficult to try to carry this short and run it up there from this lie. Best finish in a major was tied second in this tournament two years ago. That’s just what he’s done. Thrown it well up there. Beautiful. It’ll do nicely. [Applause] Please welcome to the green from Texas, President Dambo. That’s Don Newer, one of our PGA professionals on our national board of directors. They have the honor of those introductions and announcing on the first T and the 10th T. And I kind of like the fact there’s no microphone involved. I’m not talking Ivor Robson, the legendary starter at the Open Championship for so many years. Oh, hold on a minute. Here we have uh Intruders. He’s coming for a peak. Go a bit further south in here and it’s ducks replaced by alligators and all sorts. Remember at Kio Island they were just poised around the par three 17th 16th 17th. Off they pop. This is a big pup for Bryson. Bryson second to Xander Schoffley in last year’s PGA Championship. Then went on to win the open US Open. tracking that line with his eyes prior to hitting a golf ball. Visualize it going in, but that’ll hurt. Drop shots at the last and a level par round of 71. And Bryson taps in, but again, all caused by the T-OT. Well, it’s going to have to get a good kick or it’ll be in that little lower area there. Justin playing with Brian Harmon and Cam Smith who’s struggling at plus five. And the best putters out there for a round of 68. overestimated that break. 2 under 69 for Victor. tied for 20th behind 10 players at three under including the US RDER Cup captain Keegan Bradley. Bryson Tabson frustrated at finishing for a bogey. Three birdies in the back now. Two bogeies though to the earlier bogey. And I got him. work to do tomorrow. This group will be out early tomorrow as Gary finishes with a lovely birdie which he could sell for a lot of money come Sunday. Woodland the best of that bunch. We shall return and see the rest of the group’s home on day one of the 107th PGA. [Music] Yeah, we got