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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[Music] [Laughter] [Music] [Laughter] [Music] This is This is number one right here. Yep. Perfect. [Music] [Music] [Music] Yep. Okay. Beautiful. [Music] This is going to drive me nuts. this week to try to win the PGA Championship. The crackle in the air is born of that hope. Major championship golf. That’s what frames It must have moved 14 up. Kevin, okay. Are you going to lay out for this s pretty much? Is that okay? Yeah. Yeah, that works. Good morning. High above Quail Hollow Club outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. The 107th playing of the PGA Championship. Beautiful day for golf as mother nature made herself known during the practice rounds. We’re on our featured hold coverage here on ESPN Plus. the 16th into the long par 317th over the water here at Quail Hollow, finishing with the signature par4 18th. Everybody’s chasing that waker trophy recent Grand Slam winner Rory Mroy making his way onto the golf course. He’s had a lot of success on this property. A four-time winner, the defending PGA champion, Xander Schoffley. and world number one, Scotty Sheffller, all teeing it up together for the first two rounds here at Quail Hollow. The Waker Trophy, it’s what everybody’s chasing this week at Quail Hollow Club. The best players in the world have come to North Carolina this week to try to win the PGA Championship. The crackle in the air is born of that hope. Major championship golf. That’s what frames this sport. All these players somewhere inside have laid out some scenario that ends with them holding the waker. In every generation, in every sport, a seductive possibility hangs out there. And you might win enough tournaments and enough of the right tournaments for people to still speak your name long after all memory of your actual self is turned to dust. They’re after a trophy and a claim and money, but really they’re after immortality. Welcome to the PGA Championship. ESPN Plus and the PGA of America welcome you to the first round of the 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North [Music] Carolina. As we welcome you to our featured whole coverage, Steven Watson alongside the legendary Jane Crafter. Ameilia Duran on course with us all morning. the signature 16 17 18 green mile finish. Should be a beautiful day for golf and a tough test to finish it. And do you want me to say a couple of little things and then go to the leaderboard? Okay, perfect. Yes, the green mile is uh just a massive test to finish your round at the Quail Hollow Club. Of course, some of these players, uh, it’s going to be, uh, they’re going to be making a turn, but it’s finally a beautiful day. Figure something out to say. Yeah. As we look at the most updated leaderboard for the field of 156 groups teeing off of the front and back, Ryan Fox, leader in the clubhouse at two under coming off of his win last week in Myrtle Beach. We’re going to see him shortly here on 16. Luke Donald at one, captain of team [Music] Europe. A look at our threemile finish here at Quail Hollow. The long par 4, the long par three, and quite a finish on 18 here, James. It certainly is. uh you’re going to have to golf your ball on these three holes. And as we know, it is called the green mile for a reason. It is a tough tough test. And uh it’s very very demanding uh finish to your round here at the Quail Hollow Club. And how demanding is it? As players navigate their way around the course this week, danger will be looming in the form of the Green Mile. The last three holes at Quail Hollow have been called a nightmare over the years. And here’s why. In the PGA Championship in 2017, there were more double bogeies or worse on these three holes than there were birdies or better. And of those 12 were triple or quadruple bogeies. That matches the number of triples or worse on the first 15 holes. A lot of danger comes from the water in play. Since the PGA Tour returned here in 2003, more than 1,800 golf balls have found the water on this stretch of holes. All that to say, in recent history, no finish in major golf has been more treacherous to navigate than this one. Not Wingfoot, Kiwa, or Carnasti. When it comes down to it, no one is safe walking the green mile. Decided to be a little slower there. Okay. Yeah, I’d say 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 bow gear 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, “Oh, that green mile keeps getting longer somehow.” Even in perfectly calm conditions, every single shot is a test. as we sit here on the green at 18. Beautiful day for golf. And joining us, third member of our crew, Amelia Duran, on site and on the ground for the Green Mile. And Amelia, as if this three holes weren’t tough enough, Mother Nature made it a little tougher this week. Um, it sure did. Mother Nature produced five inches of rain in the last week. It’s going to lengthen this already long golf course playing at 7600 yards. There’s going to be very little roll out on the fairway. That’s going to give an advantage to big hitters like a Rory Maroy, a Bryson Dashambo. Despite the rain, the greens have remained firm because of the subair system underneath. As a result, you’re going to be wanting to come into these greens with a high ball flight, which suits the game of world number one, Scotty Sheffller. One of the most difficult parts about this course today, especially in the morning wave, is going to be around the greens. You think about some of the bailouts on the green mile short right on 16 and 17. Those closely moan areas are soft and a little mushy right now. Once easy chips is now going to be very difficult. Hitting the middle of the green is going to be very important. If not, the players are going to endure a lot of stress coming down the stretch on the green mile. All right, great stuff, Amelia. And looks like the weather will finally cooperate for the players here in their opening round. Amelia is going to be on the course all day for us on the green mile. Jane, the first hole is the 16th. Yes, today playing 535 yds long dog leg to the right, par four with a fairway that slopes from right to left. So that’s always a little bit tricky. 311 to reach that bunker. Not very many players will be getting there today. And then it plays downhill to a green that’s guarded uh in on the left side and the back by the water. You can see the slopes. There’s a false front there at about eight paces. So imperative to land your ball over that false front and everything kind of slopes away to the water if you miss the green left. Tricky shots from that right hand bunker as well. Uh very very demanding uh mid to long iron for most of the players in the field today. I should say the hole today is located on the back left. Little bit of a plateau right there on the back left. So going to lengthen an already very long par four. I think that’s fine. Kevin, you can Yeah. move along there. Yeah. Yeah. And then we head right to the T- box. Yeah, he drove the green on 14. Okay. Yeah, perfect. Okay. Um, and do you have any idea how they’re going to be doing player introductions? will be Oh, we’re on 10. Yeah. Yeah. 30 in the middle of the round. Oh god, what am I talking about? Sorry. I’m so used to going to the first team. That’s all right. Yeah. All right. Yeah. No player intros. Even even easier. Thrown in the middle. Thrown in the deep end. Love that. Use the layout for Yeah. starter, Amelia. That was excellent. Oh, thank you. Couldn’t have done it better myself, mate. No, that was terrific. Hopefully uh it’s it’s good just as good when we’re live. Well, you know, it’ll be even better. Just wing it. I’ll come to you in a very similar fashion. I was just kind of going through it. Uh I’ll have a little more energy going into you. But yeah, mother nature kind of making her presence felt and stuff. Yep. Um so I don’t think from the green I can see their second shot. So after my on camera, I would just walk that way. [Music] They have A beautiful day for golf at the Quail Hollow Club just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. Welcome to the 107th PGA Championship. The second time this beautiful property has hosted this major championship and we are part of the featured holes coverage here on ESPN Plus. A look at the Green Mile finish 16 into the par 317 all over water. And then of course the signature finish here, the 18th hole. One of the toughest holes in golf. Everybody going for the W maker trophy. They’re going to have to conquer 18 to get there. The Grand Slam winner, Rory Mroy, on these hollowed grounds where he’s won four times. One of the favorites this week entering the PGA Championship, a past champion in this major. World number one Scotty Sheoffller and defending PGA champion Xander Schoffley teeing up alongside Mroy number one, two, and three in the world playing together on Thursday and Friday. Who will be holding up the W maker on Sunday? We’ll have to walk tall on the green mile to get there. The best players in the world have come to North Carolina this week to try to win the PGA Championship. The crackle in the air is born of that hope. Major championship golf. That’s what frames this sport. All these players somewhere inside have laid out some scenario that ends with them holding the waker. In every generation, in every sport, a seductive possibility hangs out there that you might win enough tournaments and enough of the right tournaments for people to still speak your name long after all memory of your actual self has turned to dust. They’re after a trophy and a claim and money, but really they’re after immortality. Welcome to the PGA Championship. ESPN Plus and the PGA of America welcome you to the first round of the 2025 PGA Championship at Well Hollow Club in Charlotte, North [Music] Carolina. Blue skies on this Thursday morning to open tournament play. And we’ve seen a lot of overcast and rain so far to start the week. Steven Watson alongside Jane Crafter with Amelia Duran on the course for our featured hold coverage here on ESPN Plus. And Jane, it’s great to see those blue skies and a major championship back here at Quail Hollow. Absolutely. I’m very excited to be here at the Quail Hollow Club for another major uh the PGA Championship. And as uh Wright Thompson said, a chance for immortality and uh who will be lifting that trophy? Uh you never know. It could be Jordan Smith to complete his career grand slam just like Rory did at the Masters. And uh I expect and I hope we’re going to have just as exciting an event as we had uh last April. The cream tends to rise to the crop at this major championship. Well, the early waves being made by Ryan Fox so far on the golf course. Teeing off on the back nine and he’s already at three under through five holes. Jane beginning with a birdie on 13. Indeed, the Burley New Zealander coming off a win last week at the opposite field event in Myrtle Beach. And look how those greens are just pure. Great putt there for Ryan Fox to get to two under path as he stands aboard the 14th. The drivable short par four here at Quill Hollow. Yes. 311 yds today. Pin tucked on the front left of the green. And look at this massive hit. Just curl back there to the edge of the green. That’s a mighty blow. And then this short one for a birdie. Get to three under par. What a great start for the New Zealander. Currently on the 15th hole. He’s on deck for our coverage to begin on our featured holes at three under through five. Alex Norin at two under through four. Scoring conditions we’re seeing early here, Jean. Yeah, absolutely perfect conditions. Obviously uh the course is wet but uh you know the longer hitters you’ve got John Ram, Jason Day, Minu Lee from Australia, some of the longer hitters uh in golf. Uh they are making hay while the sun shines. Well, it’s one of the biggest trophies in all of sport. One of the biggest layouts in PGA championship history at Quail Hollow and one of the most daunting finishes in all of golf. It’s the green mile 1617 and 18 here at Quail Hollow. The long par4, the 220 plus yd par three and the 18th hole uphill to finish with a stream running alongside the fairway and the green. As players navigate their way around the course this week, danger will be looming in the form of the green mile. The last three holes at Quail Hollow have been called a nightmare over the years. And here’s why. In the PGA Championship in 2017, there were more double bogeies or worse on these three holes than there were birdies or better. Of those, 12 or triple or quadruple bogeies. That matches the number of triples or worse on the first 15 holes. A lot of danger comes from the water in play on this finishing stretch. And since the PGA Tour returned here in 2003, more than 1,800 golf balls have found the water in this stretch of holes. All that to say, in recent history, no finish in major golf has been more treacherous to navigate than this one. Not Wingfoot, Kia, or Carnasti. When it comes down to it, no one is safe walking the Green Mile. 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 bow gear 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 and you got to go execute. Hit some golf shots. That’s for sure. [Applause] When people come off this golf course, the last thing they remember is the last three holes, and they think, “Oh, that green mile keeps getting longer somehow.” Even in perfectly calm conditions, every single shot is a test. [Music] It’s going to be a fun test for the best in the world to take on this finishing stretch here at Quail Hollow. J, it sure is. And uh you’re going to have to hit, as J Justin Thomas said, you’re going to have to buckle up and hit great golf shots coming down the stretch. A beautiful day for golf. It’s going to be a tough finish at the Green Mile as we welcome in Amelia Duran who’s going to be on the ground for us all week long on this featured hole stream. And Amelia, it’s already tough enough when you’re playing the Green Mile. And course conditions haven’t made it any easier for these players. The course conditions have made it so difficult. It’s going to be very exciting coming down the stretch. over five inches of rain in the last week. That has lengthened an already long quail hollow playing just over 7,600 yards. Not a lot of roll out in the fairway. That’s going to be an advantageous for big hitters like a Rory Maroy, a Bryson Dashambo. Despite the rain, the Greens have remained firm because of the subair system underneath. It’s going to be important for these players to come in with a high ball flight, which suits the game of world number one, Scotty Sheffler. One of the most challenging parts about the course today, especially for those teeing off in the morning before it’s dried out, will be around the greens. You think about common bailouts on the Green Mile, short right on 16 and 17. With these closely mowed areas being a little bit soft and mushy, it’s going to make it much more difficult to chip off of. Hitting the middle of the green is going to be important. If not, we’re going to see some stressful faces of some of these players coming through the green mile. All right, great stuff. It should be fun and Amelia will be there to document it all morning here on ESPN Plus. Jane, it begins with the 16. are looking forward to this 535 yds long dog leg right par four and you can see fairway bunker there at 311 even though this whole uh works from left to right the fairway slopes the other way and that makes it more demanding off the tea and the trouble continues as the players go downhill towards this back left hole location with water guarding uh both the left side and the back of the green the bail out well You might think a little bit short right, but as Amelia said, it the snow bug and chipping off these mushy uh fringes uh this week after all that rain. Hold today’s up on a little plateau on that back left of the green. And uh clearly you’ve got to hit two excellent golf shots here at the 16th hole, the beginning of the green mile. playing 23 yards longer than it did back in 2017 when the PGA Championship was last at Quail Hollow. It was birdied or better just 25 times, the fewest of any hole on course as our first group stands aboard at the 16th. It is the leader right now in Ryan Fox. And this is the Englishman John Perry who uh qualified here from the DP World Tour, a winner in recent months. 38-year-old Englishman making his PGA Championship debut. That’s pretty fun at age 38 to have finally made it. That’s a good looking T-shot there. A fade really is the ideal shot to hold this right to left fairway. More so in previous iterations because of the wetness of the fairways. Now this is the stocky figure of Ryan Fox whose dad played rugby for the All Blacks in New Zealand. That’s perfect. Making his sixth PGA Championship appearance. his best finish coming tied for 23rd back in 2023. He literally chipped his way into the field this week. He certainly did. A chip from the back of the green there at Myrtle Beach at the one flight Myrtle Beach Classic to win in a playoff. So it’s literally the the last man in the field because Alex Smallley made it in because Fagala was not able to continue his quest for a wom maker. And Justin Hicks, one of 20 PGA professionals that are teeing it up this week at the PGA Championship. And from the Stonebridge Country Club there in BOA, we’ve played an LPGA event there on his course. He has played on the PGA Tour, has Justin Hicks, but now after he retired, opted to become a PGA professional and uh help his members. It’s his first PGA championship. Special day, a special walk for Justin Hicks and our leader, Ryan Fox, as our first group starts walking the Green Mile. [Music] Look at the green mile by the numbers from 2017 when the PGA Championship was here Last 16th poll, a birdie percentage of just 5.4%, the lowest of the week. The 17th, 31 doubles or worse. All other part threes had just 22 combined. And then the 18th, the scoring average nearly a half a stroke above par, highest of the week. It’s quite a walk and a daunting finish. Jane, it certainly gets your attention as a player. It’s like, oh, if I can get through that. Sometimes when you start on number 10 and you play them as your se seventh, eighth, and ninth holes, they don’t seem as daunting, uh perhaps you’re a little bit more mentally fresh uh approaching them than you are at the end of a round, but still the numbers do not lie. And uh I think Justin Thomas’s quote was perfect. There’s no bailout. You have to just get up there and execute. You have to hit a golf shot. to the best of your ability. The T- shots for our first group on 16 of Perry Hicks and Fox. All three finding the fairway. Yeah, and you can see uh the length of Brian Fox makes a huge difference. Justin Hicks obviously not playing uh as much and uh lost a little distance as he’s gotten a little bit older. 284 off the tea and 255 left to uh a green that it’s a little bit of a peninsula green, isn’t it? Going to leave him 255 yds. And that’s a daunting shot. some kind of metallic uh wooden shaped club I would expect here at the 16th for Justin Hicks. And indeed as he pulls a head cover off and Amelia one of the longest par fours on this property getting even longer and somebody like Hicks is feeling that right now. Well, Hicks is a player that knows he’s going to have a lot of long clubs in and that’s what you why you practice those things coming into a tournament like this. What an opportunity for Justin Hicks to get to represent his golf club at Stonebridge and an opportunity to get to play with some of the best players in the world. 255 yards. He’s got to be playing to this front number 225. The flag is all the way in the back left. I would expect a good amount of roll out coming in with this club. Yes, as you said before, Amelia, the subair system that’s underneath these greens, not too many golf clubs uh can afford a system like that that literally sucks all of the moisture out from underneath the grass on the greens. A little bit of extra dew on the ball for Hicks might make it squirt. So, I would air right. Low trajectory here. Could be a good looking shot if it skips the bunker. didn’t quite make the bunker and you could see definitely some moisture still on the fairway, especially on that left side where it drains. Amelia, it’s going to be so different come the weekend. These players are going to have to be very adaptable on the golf course. Saturday, Sunday, it will not stop that quickly in the closely mode areas. 224 yards for John Perry. This is drawing. Needs to be careful. Penalty area left. Got to settle. And the rough just holds it up. Holding his breath for sure there. Oh, that’s where the moisture can be helpful for the players today. Yeah, the rough is uh healthy, I would say, Amelia, wouldn’t you? Not super long, but very dense. Exactly. The moisture as well makes the rough thick. So that’s where healthy is a great descriptor. 217 for Fox. This whole location is sitting on a little mound. Don’t need to go at it. Be right. Holding a two shot lead. This is flared out to the right. It’s trying to draw though. This going to be good. Oh, not bad. Probably not as well as he might have liked. He probably hoping more for the center of the green, but that’s okay. Green in regulation on 16 is always good. Ryan Fox, a rich athletic background as you touched on a little bit earlier, the son of New Zealand all black legend Grant Fox. His grandfather MV Wallace was a professional cricketer as well. Oh yeah, I love my cricket. No one here will have any idea anything about cricket but uh yeah New Zealand has had uh wonderful cricket teams over the years and obviously the all blacks uh legendary in the world of rugby. Um Ryan could probably have played rugby himself by the look of that stature and but I tell you what he has applied his trade extremely well over in Europe on the DP world tour. has a house in London as well as in Auckland. And this was really his first year playing uh on the PGA Tour. And you know, by all accounts, he’s had, you know, some adapting sort of issues. You know, it’s not easy when you come over to a new country and you don’t know the courses, you don’t know the cities, all of that kind of thing. But, uh, I think last week was, uh, great vindication. making his 23rd start in a major. He’s made 16 cuts. Still looking for his first top 10. And he’s setting himself up nicely on his opening round at three under. Certainly is. Look at that. Tied for 16th best at the Open Championship in 2019. And his game is well suited for European conditions. And I think he’s he’s learning, you know, how to play different shots. Uh weather conditions usually a little bit better in the in the uh US compared to all over Europe and uh course conditions a whole lot better as well for the most part. So you’re telling me he’s probably one of the few that would like rain for all four days here. Yeah, wouldn’t mind it. I think he’s a pretty good mutter judging from uh how he played in Myrtle Beach. They had their share as well. Amelia. Uh it’ll be interesting to see how Justin Hicks plays this little pitch and run. Uh from that kind of mushy right hand area that we were talking about. We’re going to get a great look of just how difficult it’s going to be to make a confident chip shot. The closely moan areas just a little bit softer. I was stepping around just trying to get a feel. Usually it’s so tight. It’s actually a landing spot for a lot of players on this 16th hole when it’s firm. You just have to expect a little bit of a bigger divot, which these players aren’t used to. They usually pick them nice and clean. Really important just to trust your chip here. It’s going to have a little bit more roll out than normal just because you’re hitting from a softer surface to a firm green. Hicks making his eighth major appearance. He co-led through 18 holes at the 2008 US Open. That is so into the grain. tried to give Ryan Fox a good idea. It’s one of the slowest putts coming from the front of the green to the back on this golf course. Yeah. And uphill all the way, wasn’t it, to that whole location. So, I think he’d like a doover there. Speaking of doable, this shot can be doable for Perry. He’s on a pretty severe ups slope. The ball sitting down, not a ton though, to where you’re getting confusion on how this ball is going to react. The only challenge is if this comes off too hot, everything’s sloping away from him. He’s going to need to land this in between the front fringe and the flag. Yeah, that really flew on him, didn’t it? Good call there, Amelia. That’s going to leave him. It’s 40 ft or so for his path. You can see how steep how low how much lower his golf ball was below the surface of the green there. Judging from his walk up, he’s lucky it didn’t go in the water, frankly. Just a good look at some of the difficult chips that you’re going to have around the 16th green as he’s going to have about the exact same distance coming back for his putt as he had from the chip green side. So Ryan Fox steps up with a long birdie opportunity just over 54 ft. Fox has been putting well. Speed is going to be so critical here. It’s not going to break a whole lot. You got to hit it way harder than you think though. Yeah, not bad for speed there. Just broke off a little bit more than he thought. And just a little bit of a bone shaker there coming up for uh for Ryan there to stay at three under. He’d got to be loving his start. The 10th, 13th, and 14th. Look at some of the names on the leaderboard behind him. They’re lurking. Given how stressful a major championship can be, it’s quite an advantage when you’re off in the morning. You don’t have a whole lot of people falling. You can just ease those nerves a little bit more. I feel like that’s helped Fox so far today. Yeah, he’s happy. The crowds are all with number one, two, and three in the world right now, who will be up shortly on the green mile. Here’s Perry for his par. This putt will turn left and also be slow. He has some work to do with his bogey p. Yeah, not ideal there for John Perry. Just a poor shot with his second shot has set himself up with a very lengthy one now for a bogey and still has 5’8 in for Bogey. Hicks now Hicks got a good line read at this putt from Ryan Fox. This will turn to the right. Got to hit it. Well, even though he knew how slow it was, immediately just couldn’t get it there. Oh, it’s just so hard to hit it with enough pace, especially if you’ve been above the hole to start off your round. It’s extremely fast. The complete opposite of what we’ve seen below the hole in 16. So, it’s really hard to make that oncourse adjustment. We’re going to see that as the course dries out. Rory Murro yesterday said in the practice round he’s been hitting only downhill putts because that’s likely going to be the speed of the greens everywhere come the weekend. That’s a really good uh observation there, Amelia. And uh you know Rory knows a thing or two about this golf course, doesn’t he? His Harry steps up just a little right to left in this one. Important to hit a confident putt. This is a big bogey putt. just misses on the low side. And after a pretty decent T-shot, that is uh that is a punch in the tummy there. So Perry white knuckles his way through the opening hole of the green mile. Yeah. And this hole will send you off muttering. He really has been uh playing some good golf late. So that’s got to be very disappointing for John Perry. Hicks has just over 3 ft left for his bogey. And these greens, Amelia, sorry to interrupt. They’ve been resurfaced just a couple of years ago with Tiff Eagle Bermuda. And they are gorgeous surfaces to putt on, aren’t they? gorgeous is such a true statement. The way they roll are incredible. The way the subair is maintained, the firmness of the greens as well. So important to have good placement and making some par and bogey putts. We’re going to see a lot of that uh in the green mile. Now big putt coming up for Ryan. 3T 10 in for his par. Yeah, just sneaks it in the left side. Okay, as our leader, Ryan Fox, stays at three under. Back on the T- box at 16. Our next group making their way to the Green Mile. It’s Patrick Fishburn first to play. Yeah, a couple under right now for the young man from Utah. This is headed dangerously left. Not too bad first cut. There was the first cut. They can see the ball sitting down just a little bit, but all in all, not too bad a spot to approach from. Andre Chi, 24-year-old PGA assistant professional at Deepdale Golf Club in Manhasset, New York. His first career major appearance. Oh, there’s some beautiful golf courses in that part of the world. And Deep Dale, one of those excellent tracks. and Sheamus Power from Waterford in Ireland. Talk about a beautiful part of the world. Grew up playing junior tournaments with Rory Mroy and Shane Lowry. [Music] as Ryan Fox stands aboard the par three 17th. It was a huge save that Fox made on the last to maintain his bogey few rounds so far. One of the most successful parts of Justin Thomas’s game back in 2017 when the PJ championship was held. He did such a good job at managing the par fours and the par threes. Was the only player under par in that in the field. It’s really even more important on top of the five coming down on the left edge of tower for me is perfect and yeah 90 taking a deep breath today Amelia the hole is on the back left 30 on and just seven off the right so pretty much aim it at the TV tower the little bit of draw wouldn’t hurt TV tower is perfect I like a 210 shot to the 227 yd flag Fox really turning this over right into the heart of the green. Settle now. Might have landed it maybe five or six yards too far, but I think he’d take that shot any day. An exhale for Fox. He makes par on 16. Sits aboard on the 17. Heat. Heat. [Applause] the PGA of America and our more than 30,000 PGA of America golf professionals. We love this game. It’s the 107th PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. Look at the beautiful clubhouse on property. Second time this venue has hosted this PGA Championship. Justin Thomas, the winner in 2017. As we head out, second shots for our group on 16. Here’s Patrick Fishburn just finding the first cut on the left side. Yeah, not too bad of an angle from over here and a fairly flat lie. Sometimes you can get a ball that’s above your feet to a green that slopes from right to left. Makes it a little bit more challenging. I’ll tell you what, Jane, if I needed bodyguards, it would be Patrick Fishburn and Ryan Fox probably to be on my side. Amen to that. Absolutely. And you can see the flags just starting to flutter a little bit from right to left. Predominant wind this time of year is west southwest and that coming into off the right 236 in for Fishburn. Ideally wants to land it just in the front third of the green. Just kind of came out of that one. It wasn’t good contact. He’s going to have a similar chip to the one that Justin Hicks just attempted middle of the fairway. Here’s Sheamus Power and just 217 after a very nice drive. Perfect view. Wow, that’s shocking. And the first ball in the water on the green mile. Very surprising there. That was a extremely poor shot from a really good angle and a good lie. And now Andre Chi after a terrific T- shot. I mean, you couldn’t really walk up and place it any better unless you wanted to place it like another 30 yards closer like Rory Maroy probably will hit it. Making his PGA Championship debut, former D3 national champion at Methodist University 2022. Nice rhythm there from Andre. Oh, what a beautiful golf shot. Best we’ve seen so far at 16. Andre [Applause] Chi, he could make a few dollars selling that second shot. Fantastic. Monday qualified his way into the Valpar Championship earlier this year. Has to be a thrill. Absolutely. Yeah. There’s nothing like playing a major championship. It just gets your juices flowing. It’s not just like a regular event. Yeah. There’s just something special. Everything is sort of magnified. You know, the grand stands are bigger, the way the players are treated is bigger. It’s just it’s just a a massive experience and it just takes a while to kind of get your feet under you really during the week. So, I’m impressed. That was a lovely effort there from Andre. No matter how much you talk about it out loud of it just being another tournament, there’s no way inside your body it feels that way, Jane. No, it is not. I remember my first US Open was in Sacramento and my tea time was 3:33. I tell you what, in the afternoon by the time 8:30 came around, I could see every spike mark in the green. It’s like, “Oh, this is what it’s like to play in a major.” It was It was quite something. Beautiful look at the 17th second shot for Perry from just off the green. I don’t love chipping this. It’s very tight and everything is so quick. A putter to me feels easier, very important to make solid contact. That was a little nervy chip shot, wasn’t it there, Amelia? It’s starting to work out. It gets so quick coming down this hill. To me, that would have been a bad putt and it was a decent chip and has a pretty stressful par look now. Yeah, I think especially coming off a double bogey, I think I might have uh taken my putter out as well. And the fringes really are a beautiful grass. They’re they’ve been redone uh right before the President’s Cup that was played in 2022. They’re a Tacoma variation of Bermuda and it’s nice and tight. It kind of it’s a more of a vertical Bermuda and the bowl really sits up well. So when it’s dry, Amelia, I think it’s great to chip off, but as you said, when it’s a little mushy, that’s it’s a little iffy. Exactly. When it’s dry, it feels like the chips are teed up, which is very advantageous. There virtually no putts on this 17th green. That’s easy, except for maybe Ryan Fox. Back on 16. Sheamus after his drop. Lucky it didn’t trundle even further over the back. Justin Hicks lining up his [Music] butt. Coming back down the tier for Hicks. This is going to be very quick. The last 20 ft. Pace is so important. Oh, that’s a pretty darn good effort there. For the folks at home, you can see the changes in the slope because the way we’re looking at it, the grass looks a little bit darker. That means it’s coming down grain as the player would be looking at it. So, good call there. Very quick putt. On the T- box at 16, Alex Smallley is finding out yesterday he’d be playing in the PGA Championship. Sah Pigallo withdrawing due to a neck injury and Smallley gets into the field and he finds a fairway at 16. And who knows, John Daly was the last person in the field there way back at Crooked Stick and ended up hoisting the W maker. So great opportunity for Alex Fox for Birdie. [Music] Not quite as fast a putt as you might think from the back of the green as he was going a little bit uphill and slightly into the grain. Pretty good par. So Fox goes par par on his opening two holes of the green mile to stay three under the T- box at 16. Fresh off his win last week at the Philadelphia Cricket Club. It’s Sep Straka. He’s one of the unusual players. He’s opted not to try and get longer, but to try and become more accurate. And I tell you what, it is paying off for him, Steven. That’s for sure. Second in strokes gained. Approach to green from Straa. Here’s power from off the green. That was a good attempt at trying to save par. It’s so difficult. We talked about it this morning. Right where Perry missed it is a common bailout on 17. It’s still going to be very hard to try and make up and downs for par [Music] though. Yeah. The 17th plate is the the fifth hardest and the 16th plate is the uh third most difficult. So you’ve got a stretch of holes. You know, obviously we’ve talked about it at the beginning of the show. Third hardest, fifth hardest, the hardest. So, Patrick Fishburn has just over 21 ft for his par to stay at two under and one shot back of Brian Fox. And we’ve seen this putt coming up the hill break off to the right. Let’s see if Patrick can read it correctly. Oh, how did that not go in? That was a very good effort. The stretch of holes is already tough enough to not catch a break like that for Fishburn. He drops to one under as Justin Hicks makes his par at 17. Another look at Fishburn’s effort. Yeah, I would have expected that to just break a tad to the right and go in the center of the hole, but it kept its line. Played his college golf at BYU there in Utah. Andre Chi is Birdie just missing on the edge as well. That one broke off to the right. So I think that’s what Fishburn expected. So not the start that he would want. Our first group making their way to the final leg of the green mile at 18. 496 yd par4. All uphill. Slightly downhill off the tea though. And then you have to go uphill. Must avoid the bunker on the [Music] right. My apologies. Help it. Got the stream on the left side that runs the entire length of the fairway and covers the left side of the green as well. A backto-front green on 18. Plays nearly uphill the entire way. Ryan Fox on the final hole of his front nine. This group teeing off on 10 to start their day. The leader at three under. Get in the midway. Yelling for his ball to get in the fairway. Beautiful look at 18. The final chapter of the green mile. [Music] The 107th PGA Championship has Ryan Fox as the early leader. He just teed off on the 18th hole, the ninth hole of his opening round at three under. Captain Europe Luke Donald right behind him. A look at the 17th hole, the long par three. 227 yds all over water. The T- box was moved when the 16th hole green was put more towards the water. So, a slightly different angle. Um, but nevertheless, a very, very difficult par three. You got the pin today tucked in the back left of the green on a little plateau. Um, the bail out is to the right obviously, but that’s no bargain to chip from there to a green that runs away all the way down to the water on that back left part of the green. So very very difficult, treacherous par three requires a near perfect T-ot. We’ll see what Patrick Fishburn can do. Sitting at one under, plays slightly downhill. That’s the only benefit. Breeze coming just a tad from the players right and slightly into their face. You can see he’s aiming at the right edge, thinking of a draw. trying to work his ball left. Yeah, it is not coming back. It’s a pretty popular bail out. And as we saw from John Perry’s chip a little bit earlier, that is not an easy one. Sheamus Power next to play in his third PGA Championship. And after A very poor approach on the previous hole. This is not the kind of par three you’d be looking you’d be wanting to to hit another long iron. It’s 197 yds to the front. Players be looking at probably around 210 would be ideal spot to land this. flirting on the left side. It’s got to settle. The ref catches it on the back side. A little better contact than the previous one. Breathing a tad. Sigh of relief seeing his ball on dry land. it. Even for PGA Tour professionals, when you hit a shot like that that comes out of left field, it it does shake you. It’s nice to get back up there and hit another good solid shot right after it over on 16. Look at the approach shots from Straa, Smallley, and McGrevy. Couple of decent ones and uh be a tricky one there for Max McGrevy down there in John Perry land right next to the water in the thick rough. Not much green to work with. So that is definitely going to be a challenge here at the long par four. Yeah, we saw Perry catch a flyer with his sends it way over the pin about the same distance coming back on 16. very much lie dependent here. It looks like he’s in the uh thicker part of the rough. There’s a whole strip that’s a little bit shorter in length, but where Max is is some of the thicker stuff. It’s mowed. I think it was uh on Tuesday at about 2 and 3/4 in, but obviously with the rain and now the sunshine, it’s going to get a little bit little bit longer, a little bit thicker as the week goes on. McGrevy earning a special invite into the field this week. He goes high with it. Great touch. Yeah, the Greens are starting to roll out a little bit more than they have in obviously in practice rounds. some terrible conditions. Some of the players were attempting to play in and practice in earlier in the week. It was not an ideal leadup, was it, for a lot of the players, Steven? But it’s draining pretty well. Beautiful property out of bladed grass out of place here at Quail Hollow. And there’s a really good view of how steep that bank is. coming up from the water. Alex Smallley, the 28-year-old from Rochester, New York, making his third PGA Championship appearance. Second shot from Ryan Fox at 18. Trying to hit a cut coming out of the rough. doing a nice job at that. That is the only way to get the ball to sit softly on this green. Oh, and a little bit unlucky there, Amelia. Lena right into the ridge that guards kind of the center part of the green and separates the top tier from the lower level. Comes back a little bit, which he probably didn’t expect coming out of the rough. Here’s the punt from Smallley. Yeah, the Duke graduate. It’s a very lengthy one here. It’s all about the speed. Can he get the right pace? We’ve seen so many people come up short from there. One of our feature groups here on ESPN Plus making their way to the Green Mile. It’s Ricky Fowler first to play on 16. A beauty from Fowler. Center cut. Sebstraka. Long birdie look. He learned a thing or two, didn’t he? Good touch there. It will be interesting for us getting an opportunity to watch all these guys play the 16th. How many of them bail out on the right and don’t realize just how slow that that putt is working up the hill? Absolutely. It’s a very small area where the hole is located. Uh you’ve got to be got to have great nerve and and a good yardage to be so precise to get it on that top level. I would expect we’d see a lot of players come up short and perhaps a little bit to the right. Max McGrevy trying to get up and down from the rough on the left to stay at one under. It’s a good view of uh the back of his shoes at how wet the grass still is in the fairways and the rough. 5′ 7 in left for McGrevy. Misses on the edge. A little bit of a tug there. disappointed because it was a lovely chip shot. Brings him back to even par. Playing alongside Ricky Fowler. Three-time PGA champion Brooks Kempka making his 13th career appearance in this major championship. normally likes to play a power fade. And that is an excellent shot there from Brooks. Alex Smallley. Smallley able to make his bar there. He’s in his Duke blue today. Well, he’s got a Carolina blue shirt on, but he’s got the Duke blue hat on. I don’t think that was by design. No, probably not. A serious rivalry. And now Substraa, easy work for his four at 16. Yeah, it’s got to feel good anytime. He can make a tap in on this hole. Feel. Yeah, I would be smiling as well. Third member of our featured group, Shane Lowry. So all three in this group, Lowry, Fowler, and Keepa in the fairway at 16. A beautiful day at Quail Hollow. featured whole coverage here on ESPN Plus of the PGA Championship. Here’s Patrick Fishburn for far downhill all the way. Never really scared the hole though, Patrick. It wasn’t uh your best effort. 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. Over on 18, the leader, Ryan Fox. This is for Birdie. Excellent shot for Fox. Actually should have gone on the top tier with how good it was. Just rolled back. This is into the green. Jane Fox is going to be one of the few players that is going to make his way through the green mile even par. Yeah, I think he’d be he’d be pretty happy with that. It was well judged for pace. just broke off a tad at the end. That is job well done. Shane Lowry from the fairway at 16. Well, he battled it out with Sep Striker last Sunday, didn’t he, Steven? Not quite the right club there, Shane. One more. Bogeies down the stretch for Lowry to watch the truest championship slip out of his fingertips. His two runner-up finishes at signature events on the PGA Tour this year. The other coming at AT&T Pebble Beach Pro where he finished runner up to his good pal Rory Mroy. That’s right. And now making his way into the top 10 in the World Golf rankings. That’s tremendous for the burly Irishman. Lowry has made the cut at the PGA Championship every year since 2017. Brooks Kepka his approach. Oh, this is going to have to get down. Oh, it takes a big kick down there into that primary rough. It’s unusual. Normally Brooks plays that power fade. As I said, it’s a little bit of a double cross there for for Brooks. right now. Ricky Fowler making his 16th consecutive start at this major championship dating back to 2010. He was a special invitation as well alongside his caddy Ricky Romano and they’re trying to figure out exactly how this is going to play. Will this be the week for He has 13 career top 10s at majors. The most of any golfer without a win in the field. Ryan Fox to make his par at 18 and to remain bogey free on this backside. Excellent ball striking and speed control from Ryan Fox. 434 for Fox on the green mile. You take that, Jane. Absolutely. Great start to the championship for Ryan. The leader unfased by the toughest three-hole stretch you see on the PGA Tour and in major championship history. One of them. Here’s Fowler’s second. Finally settled on a club and has judged that one very, very well. So many things to factor in the breeze, the downhill, but he did a very, very good job of that. Here’s Alex Smallley at the 17th. So trying to bring this one in from right to left. And that’s the spot you need to land it just over that little ridge. Excellent. See if he can take advantage of this opportunity he was given. Sah Fagala had to withdraw with a neck injury. Steven the group making their way to the green mile. Tommy Fleetwood who’s a co-leader right now at three under. Phil Mickelson, PGA champion, playing alongside another PGA champion, Jason Day. And you have to think that uh as good a player as Tommy Fleetwood is that his time is drawing near as well. I’m not sure it’ll be this week. I just don’t think he hits it quite far enough and his putting needs to tidy up a little bit more. And the PGA Championship is the only major he has not podium. He did finish tied for fifth at Southern Hills in 2022. He’s a gritty competitor. He’s won many, many times on the DP World Tour over in Europe and has yet to break through here in the US. Good ball striker. Thanks. Twirl of the club for Fleetwood. We know where that’s headed. Ideal. Had a chance to chat to Phil Mickelson’s caddy yesterday here on the 17th uh the 16th green, John Yabra. John used to caddy quite a lot on the LPGA tour and he’s really enjoying his time over there on Liv says his man is uh in pretty decent form as he proved a few years ago. You can never count fill out winner at Kioa at 50 years old. One of the great stories of this PGA Championship, making his 32nd career start in this event. That’s tied for the fifth most all time. Yeah. 15th on the live standings at the moment. So, he’s had some pretty decent tournaments and one of the nicest guys you’d hope to meet, Jason Day. I’m not biased at all, but uh he’s gone back to his old coach Colin Swatton, which uh I think is a really good move. Came over the top of that one a little bit and it’s not fading. That’s not where you want to be approaching the 16th green from. Yeah, he leaves himself an uphill second shot. ball above his feet. A very scary green. Here’s Brooks Keepka. Oh, that’s pretty nice touch there from Brooks. Brooks Keepka. Scaring the edge. Shane Lowry electing putter from off the green. Still came up quite a bit short. It’s going to be a tester now for a para for [Music] Shane. He’s been in really good form lately. Just uh a few missed shots coming down the stretch last week at the Philadelphia Cricket Club and cost him that championship. Now, beautiful shot from Fowler. See if he can see if we can see the first birdie of the day, Steven to get back to even par. That one just worked just a little bit to the right as we had expected. So, Fowler taps in. [Applause] Here’s McGrevy on the right side of 17. Yeah, this is he’s going to have to open the face quite a bit. Working back towards the cup. Oh, get in. Oh, goodness me. What a beautifully played shot. You could see how wide open he had that face. He just slid the club right underneath it. And even though it was still, you could still see the water coming right by that drain area is very, very wet, very mushy off a down slope. That’s just a brilliant, brilliant shot. Just adds another challenge out here. Oh, like they need another one. Lowry. He’s going to give one back. Yeah, misjudged obviously. Uh his approach shot. Need a at least one more club, possibly two, and has paid the price for that misjudgment. Just inside ride as Lowry makes his bogey on 16. That is not the start he wanted. Alex Smallley for birdie. Alex Smallley throws a circle on his scorecard at 17. A tremendous birdie there. Beautiful approach. Very, very well done. Now two under par. 33 the last four holes. Brooks Kempka made his par over at 16. Tapped it in. Now here’s Fishburn. [Applause] Just about 4 feet just inside right nice and firm. pulled it. After scaring the edge with his chip, he walks away with a bogey. So, we see a birdie, we see a bogey. We’re going to see it all today on the green mile here at Quail Hollow. [Music] co-leader Tommy Fleetwood with his second shot on 16. Amelia Duran walking alongside this group. 215 yards for Fleetwood coming off a heater. His third birdie in a row on the 15th. This is a whole location though where you do not want to get greedy. finish on the right side towards the center of the green on 16 is a great number. Fleetwood strength of his is his irons. That’s 215 left. [Music] Yeah, that’s a terrific shot there from Tommy. I love the way he grips down on the club about about an inch or so. really controls his ball flight well. Excellent play on the T- box at 18. Alex Smalling. And it’s a daunting T-shot, isn’t it, Steven? You’ve got to fit it in between the water and the bunker. Oh, he just carried that edge of the edge of the water just enough. Good look at still how soft some of these fairways are with getting nearly 5 ines of rain over the last week here in Charlotte. Brooks Kempka on 17. Brooks has fallen to 354th in the world playing on live. It’s 12th so far this year in the standings. This one’s working its way to the right. Stay on the green. Okay, that’s not bad. Ball trying to hold up on that first cut. Very popular collection area on the right side. Very much [Music] so. Let’s see if they’ve picked the correct club here. It’s not easy. It does play downhill. Obviously, you need to land at at least 197 is the front of the green. I’d say 210 212 would be a good landing area. Downhill. Flags not doing much at the moment. Coming off of bogey. Yeah, another misjudgment. He needed at least another, I’d say, six or seven yards of carry. Yeah, back to back holes. Shane’s left himself in the front part of the green. A look at the beauty here at Quail Hollow Club. Opening round coverage of the PGA Championship continues. [Music] The 107th PGA Championship being played at Well, Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. Luke Donald at three under through 10 holes. Ryan Fox and Tommy Fleetwood all tie to top this leaderboard. Look at the two RDER Cup captains in the top four on the leaderboard. PGA of America would be pretty happy with that as we look at Jason Day now with an uphiller. Should work from left to right here for birdie. I know you’d be happy to see this one going. Ah, no. I’m an objective observer. You can take pride. It wasn’t up to his normal standard. He’s normally a much better lag putter than that. Saw him with a couple of incredible lag putts a decade ago at Whistling Straits in route to his PGA championship. Yes. Uh that was a great battle with Jordan Speedied him the career grand slam. He if he’d have made that won that championship, he would have uh had all four. One of the iconic images of that finish is the lag that he had on 17 and Jordan’s feet giving him a big thumbs up. A great that was a great duel and great sportsmanship. How about this one Amelia for Tommy? It was a disciplined shot to be right of this flag uphill breaking to the right trying to come back left at the hole for the solo lead. Yeah, it’s a part of the game that if he can master or right now he’s been struggling a little bit on the greens, but not so far today. So perhaps things are turning a corner for Tommy Fleetwood. It’s so frustrating. I could imagine being such a good iron player and not being able to capitalize. It’s hard to keep your spirits up. Well, we’ve seen that with Scotty Sheffler. Just his historic ball striking numbers. And when he just can putt around average, even just below average, he can wins. For all these players, putting can get so mental. Mickelson for Paul. Not a whole lot of break in this one for Mickelson. Oh, it’s fun to see Phil back with his well, I would call it an 8802 style putter, the blade putter. He’s uh been such a good putter over the years with that style putter. similar to the one that Ben Cshaw used to use. And couldn’t ask for someone to be a much better putter than Gentle Ben as Jason Day lines up his putt on 16. Our next group on the T-Box, here’s Matthew Fitzpatrick. Down, down, down. And that’s missed the fairway to the left. Off to a three under start on his opening nine. Alex Smallley his approach at the 18th. Terrific T-shot down the center left. hole today. Located in the back part of the green as well. Set. Oh, a little bit of a nervy pull there from Alex Smallley. Your eyes take you to the stream that runs alongside that fairway and green. Here’s Jason Day for Paul. A little too firm on that line, Jason. That’s disappointing. Over his career, he has just been so solid on the greens. Wasn’t up to his normal standard. Tommy Feedwood inside two feet. He makes his four to stay at three under the number of names crowding that leaderboard. How about Keegan Bradley and Luke Donald? The duel before the duel. That’s right. Yeah, you wouldn’t have expected that Luke Donald would be up there, but I tell you what, he’s got such a great short game. He’s an excellent putter. Here’s Ricky Fowler at 17. Keep on trembling. Keep going. Nicely judged coming down the hill and Brooks Kepka. See if he learns something from Ricky from just a few feet away. But this one putter in hand. Pretty smart I think for Brooks. Yeah, beautifully done. Shane Lowry from the front of the green looking through that middle spine here at 17. Yeah, there’s really no hole location on this green that’s easy. It’s a very demanding green. Tom Fazio has done a really good job of not only is it the water that is intimidating, but it’s the green complex itself that’s difficult. The original architect back in 1961 was George Cobb Arnold Palmer in the mid to late 80s. touched it up a little bit, but mostly any alterations, renovations have been done by great Tom Fazio. Just kind of dabbled with it and moved a few holes around over the years. But it’s a beautiful golf course and then the aronomy is excellent. The grass surfaces are beautiful. We just need mother nature to kind of dry things out and I think we’re in for a treat for the rest of the way. Makes his par. Quail Hollow Club hosting its second PGA Championship. Also hosted the 2022 President’s Cup and a regular stop on the PGA Tour since 2003. There have been some great champions here over the years. Back in the day it hosted the Keer Open. We had Tom Weissoff, the late great Tom Weissoff winning three times. But this course tends to produce really good winners. The odd, you know, one that just sort of pops up from nowhere like Derek Ernst, few other players that you wouldn’t have expected, but then again, it’s had Rory Mroy win four times on this course. Keepa makes par keeps him at even par on the day. Opening with the bogey settling in since then. Alex Molly backside of 18 and right on the penalty area red line. Good morning from Oklahoma. He’s got a little work to do there for his part. Austria, [Applause] Tommy Flewood on the box at 17. This T-shot on 17 requires a lot of thought. 227 yards. Very important to feel confident about your number. I like a 210 shot. Much impact with the wind out there at the moment. It doesn’t look like the flags are moving much. Yeah, there’s very little breeze. Gently from right to left. The green also pitches from right to left. You want to try and hit it right center and see if it can catch the forward slope. There’s a tendency for the ball to kick straight left. Then you got to putt up and over a tier. Starting right and drawing just bounds over the back. It’s in the primary rough. Just carried it probably what six yards or so too far. Amelia And we’ll get back to Amelia on that in a moment as we look at Alex Smallley now for his part. Oh, that’s a heck of a save. What an up and down on 18. Alex Smallley gets through the green mile on a picture perfect day for golf at Quail Hollow Club. [Music] and Matthew Fitzpatrick here at the 16th with Fairway Medal from the primary rough here for his second shot trying to run it up. Oh, look at this effort. That is extremely well done from that position. Just stay there now. Just pass flag high. Great shot there from the US Open champion. Second shot from John Rahm in the fairway on 16. It’s nice to see the burly Spaniard back on our TV screens here at this major championship, the PGA. And this shot has him muttering a little bit. He didn’t expect that ball flight. I think he was trying to work it in from right to left. Brooks Kempka here in 18. Driving hasn’t been his strength of game on the live tour so far this year. could be inside the penalty area. Minwi, welcome to the green mile. Yeah, young Aussie from Western Australia. All right, that was not his best. Goodness me. going to have to figure out what happened there. Minwood, brother of LPGA star Mile Lee, won his first career PGA Tour title at the 2025 Texas Children’s Houston Open, making him and his older sister Mi only the third pair of siblings to win on the PGA and LPGA tour. That was a wonderful victory for him. Now Rasmus Hoyard, one of the twins, Nikolai and Rasmus. We’ll see both of them here on featured holds coverage. Yeah, they played in the Zurich team event together. Did very well. Second place finish for them. Mhm. Could uh definitely be RDER Cup teammates, I think. first pair of brothers to win back-to-back events on the DP World Tour. Cory Connors. This one heading down the right side. See if it catches the fairway. Not the longest off the tea, but pretty darn straight as Cory Connor’s one of the best ball strikers. Next Bay, the PGA Championship returns to Aronomic Golf Club in New Town Square, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia. To register for tickets, visit pja championship.com/register. Registration closes soon. It’s a beautiful golf course. Great old style course there in Pennsylvania in the Philly area. We’re on the 17th green. Ameilia with this group of Lowry Fowler or Fleetwood Mickelson and Day. But Tommy Fleetwood got very fortunate. This ball stayed on the back surface just off the putting green. We will not be seeing that this afternoon or the weekend. Now has a pretty favorable chip. It’s relatively flat. Breaking to the right though. You want to make sure when you’re chipping that you play more break than usual. If you miss this on the low side to the right, it’s just going to run off and make for a stressful par. He kind of got right underneath that one, didn’t he? Yeah, just a bit of a tentative stroke. Little del right at impact. And that’s going to leave that awkward length. You’re going to have to be really good at your 3, four, all the way up to 10 footers at this major championship. Ball way above the feet of Brooks Kempka with his second on 18. And Brooks has dealt with so many injuries in his really short career. He hasn’t played. He’s not that old yet, but boy, he’s had his share of injuries. And look at this ball now coming back off the green off that false front. Phil Mickelson on 17. And Mickelson is going to give Jason Day a very good idea of this speed. It’s going to be quick coming down the tier, the last 25 ft. John Rom on 16 coming across. Traditionally a very slow putt for John Rom. Perfect line. Just didn’t quite get it there with the pace. Scotty Sheffller gave John Rom a great compliment uh earlier this week saying he plays like every single shot is important. Yeah, he really does. He plays with great passion. Came over from Spain, played for Arizona State University. Really didn’t speak a whole lot of English. Learned it while he was at college and uh he was a superstar in the college ranks and then certainly has played great golf from there on. All right, we will see what Jason learned from Shane with this long putt. Perfect view from the putt for Jason Day near 16 green. Really got to make sure you judge this pace correctly. It’s not easy. These long putts are no cinch. So, our group lines up their next putts. We head to 18. Ricky Fowler from the fairway. A nice T- shot for Ricky right from the center of the fairway to this back hole location. Oh, hang on. Hang on. And the rough just holds it up next to the bridge. Fitzpatrick for the birdie and lead. And I tell you what, it looked like he gave that a good wrap. Still couldn’t get it to the hole. Uphill all the way. Here, Tommy Flewood on 17. left to right break in this one. And the next goodness Lowry left side of the fairway on 18. It’s a pretty darn good angle to play from here at the 18th. Uphill all the way. 184. See if he can judge this one better than the last two iron shots. Shane Lowry almost chars it. I would say yes would be the answer to that question. Well judged, Jane. Normal service restored. That’s more like we’re used to seeing him strike the ball and playing such steady golf all year long. Maybe that’s the shot that brings him back. Here’s Phil. Oh, didn’t that have a lot of break? That is not how he wanted to start his opening nine. Three over par now for Phil. Ricky catching a break. It’s rough just off the green. Kind of pops it out of that thick lie. Trying to get it to run out. Just uphill all the way. It just dug in and said, “Nope, not going anywhere.” John Ron. Confident putt. Yeah, for Ron. Good pace on that one. Jason Day. We saw him miss a short one on the previous hole. That’s better. Jason Day with a good two punt effort to make his three on 17. Matthew Fitzpatrick for par and nicely done. Keeps him at three under and a share for the lead. Leaderboard is crowded this morning. The opening round of the PGA Championship. [Music] Shane Lowry on the 18th for Birdie. And what a way to cap off the green mile to try and work your way back into this golf tournament. And next on the T- box, number one, two, and three in the world. Here’s Scotty Sheffler. Good looking T-shot there from the world number one. Just made it up there on the top level. That’ll be a great view down to the 16th green. Rory Mroy, four time winner at Quail Hollow. Oh no. That is headed left. We will have to see where that one ended up, but that had some right to left on it, that’s for sure. And defending PGA champion Xander Schoffley. Right at the bunker with a just falling to the left. Excellent T-shot there for Xander. So Xander and Scotty in the middle of the fairway. Here’s Tommy Fleetwood for Bogey. Has gone to the mallet putter from more of the blade ping style putter that he used to use. But that is uh an unfortunate bogey. there. Wasn’t that much that that difficult to chip from the back of the green. Drops him to two under. Still just one shot off the lead. Great crowds out here at Quail Hollow for this championship. And ideal weather, Steven. Finally, the crowds can walk around without a rain jacket or an umbrella. They weren’t even allowed on the premises on Monday. The weather was so bad they didn’t want to be here on Tuesday. John Rom on 17th Debox has not been playing that well in the majors in the last couple of years. He’s looking to rectify that this week, that’s for sure. Off to a terrific start. Two under. Yeah, just one top 10 in four major starts. missed the cut last year at the PGA. Yeah, [Music] he’s been playing very well. Has yet to win on the LIB tour this year, but he’s been playing extremely solid golf. Huygard for birdie and the solo lead. No one has really been able to get one in just tight to this whole location today. It’s a tricky one. Carrie H, chief championships officer of the PGA of America, does a fantastic job in setting up the golf courses for PGA Championships. And uh he’s got a great canvas to work with this week, that’s for sure. 16th hole through the early groups playing against the toughest hole at Quail Hollow. 10 pars, six bogeies, two doubles so far. Minu Lee with about six or seven feet left for his part. See if he can read it correctly. Oh man, everything just seems to drift to the right. Perhaps a lack of pace. So Lynwood gives one back. Head back over to 16. This is where Rory Mroyy’s T-shot leaves him. And that is a dramatic sloping hill on the left side. And that is thick rough that has not been touched by anyone this week. No. And it’s very tufty as well. You can see there where Harry Diamond standing. I don’t think there’s any way that he can attempt to go for the green or should go to the go for the green from down there. Raasmus Hygard gets his par to go. Stays at three under in a share of the lead. I think the smart play for Rory would probably be just to try and get it toward the front of the green from there if he can. Here’s Mroy. Jane, you called it. Just a hack out here for Maroy. Got to get it down there, but you want to play smart, too. Rely on that third shot. Were you able to uh get a glimpse of the lie? Doesn’t look great. It is not great. The ball is sitting well down and very above his feet. So, this is not a shot that you want to try and pull off. Hit a great one down there. Just give yourself a good yardage for your third. Looks like he has a wedge in hand. Yeah, couldn’t even keep his footing there, Alio within that penalty area. Mroy slipping on the hillside on 16. Second look. Yeah, keep an eye on his right foot. Boy, I tell you what, that took an effort to even make contact and he could not get it out of the rough. Wow. You don’t see the look on Rory Mroyy’s face on this property like that very often. Here’s Fitzpatrick on 17 coming up then down the hill. Another difficult putt to judge. All of these hole locations on the green mile are in the back portions of the greens and they have we’ve been seeing some really not very good efforts at judging the distance correctly from long distance. It has been problematic for sure. John Rom for birdie on 17. Another good aggressive putt. Oh, a little unlucky there. It spun out. Maybe a whisker less pace. It might have gone in, but he’s definitely got some confidence rolling on the greens. World number one, Scotty Sheffler from 212 yds. This is left. Needs to get lucky. Oh my goodness. Jumps into the water as well. Wow. Welcome to the green mile number one and two. It holds no prisoners. Here’s Mroy with his third. Can get it a little further down there, but still a difficult shot above his feet in this thick rough. Pretty solid contact. Can’t get it to draw though. Mroy shaking his head as he walks up the 16th. Well, you never know in golf, do you? You can give the championship to someone as good as him right at the beginning, but you have to play the game. Got hit every shot. Now Shoffley. 209 for Shaley. Also a very aggressive line and drawing. Same line as Scotty. And he flies it into the water as well. Goodness me. We’re seeing a complete meltdown here of the world number one, two, and three. Steven. Wow. I am shocked. The look on all three of their faces tell the story. Here’s Fitzpatrick as he drips it [Applause] in. Nicely done there from the Englishman. He’s trying to find some form. Has not been playing that well of late. He’s kind of dropped off since his victory in the US Open. John Ram unlucky break. It lived out for his birdie as this left for par. Fortunately going back uphill shouldn’t present him with too many problems. Just don’t play it outside the hole. Okay, nice. Nicely done. Stays at two under for his opening run. Tommy Flitwood from the fairway at 18. went down after that one. Good looking shot. It’s the correct distance. Tries to get up on that top level, but didn’t quite make it. Raasmus Huygar steps aboard on 17. Right ball flight. Let’s see if he’s judged the distance well. Ah, pretty darn good there. Yeah, really well done and judged by Hoygard. Really coming into his own this season. Well, the top 10 from the DP World Tour get their PGA Tour playing privileges and many of those players who’ve come over like Matthew Pavon, like Rasmus, Hoygard, Nikolai, they’ve really performed very, very well with that opportunity. There’s somebody who’s thrived on the DP World Tour Fleetwood leaves birdie punt a little short on the left side. Cory Connors next to play on 17. was hoping for more of a right to left shot. It’s kind of hung out there a tad and catches that slope and that is down there in that very very soggy area right there by that drain. He might get a a drop from casual water. We’ll see. Rory Mroy the right side of this 16 green hitting his fourth. Mroy should expect a lot of roll out coming out of the rough coming up a slope here. This sounded a little heavy. Yeah, not his best effort there, Amelia, but has a chance to save bogey. Boy, if he could get away with uh just a bogey here, that would be a bonus. Matthew Fitzpatrick T-shot on the finishing hole and he overcooked it through the hillside off the volunteer. He’s got a pretty decent lie. The ball will be well below his feet but it’s safe. She found it safely and Sheffller and Schoffley both forced to drop on 16 as they assess their shots. Here’s Minwa. He’s pulled this one a little bit. Settle unlikely to stop. And it went in the water. This is the green mile, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to your nightmare. And Amelia, it looks like a decent lie that he’s dropped it in. He’s got that sand wedge face laid wide open. A decent lie for Xander Schoffley. His caddy, Austin Kaiser, said both Xander and Sheffller had to deal with some mud on their approach shot into 16. That’s why they missed a left cuz I was very surprised by that. They don’t miss it over here. Yeah. And as the course starts to dry out a little bit more, we may see that more more often. When the course is really really wet and there’s still a lot of moisture on the top of the fairways, it kind of gets the mud to release. But then when it dries out, that’s when you start to find those mud balls. It can be very easy for players to start to get frustrated. Everyone’s going to deal with it. You just have to stay patient. Something Sheffller’s really good at. And that just came off hot. Yeah, Amelia, we’ve seen a lot of those types of shots from that rough on the left side of 16. You just have to hit it just perfect on the front of the green and you’re already tentative because you miss it on the left side. So easy to compensate long. Yeah, very much so. Because the last thing you want to do is dump it right in front of you. You want to at least get it on the green. But we saw John Perry earlier in the day do the same thing. Kind of got a flyer to 18. John Rom should set up well for John. Loves to play hard fade. That is not fading. Oh, how lucky was that? Living on the edge literally. So, world number one, two, and three trying to avoid a big number here on 16. Well, Scotty Sheffller’s going to give Xander Schoffley a good idea of this speed. Anytime you have to hit a putt into the green, give it a little more acceleration, you can either have a quicker tempo or just lengthen your back swing. It’s whatever you feel most comfortable with. You just have to make sure regardless of the strategy you go with that the stroke isn’t jerky. And Scotty’s been using kind of a modified claw grip on his shorter ones, but a normal kind of grip on the longer ones. It’s just so hard to judge. It’s so hard to make yourself hit it. Especially with Sheffller being a die-speed putter. It’s just going to be really hard for him to get it up that slope. is 16. The largest putting surface on the golf course, over 7,800 square feet. That’d be a good size house. There are plenty of houses on property that probably fit that square footage. Yes. Beautiful. It’s a gorgeous, gorgeous place. A little bit easier putt for Xander being a tad closer. It It’s a little easier. What gives Schoffley the advantage is the fact that he’s just seen Scotty Shuffler leave it about 6 7 ft short. I would expect him to get this closer to whole high tap in par. You get a bonus if you make it. Really just trying to walk away with not a big number on this one. 39 ft 2 in for Schoffley. And he can’t get it there either. Goodness me. And work left to do for a double bogey for Xander and Scotty and Rory as well. I mean, I’m I’m absolutely shocked at the way these players have played this hole. Obviously, as you said, Amelia, the the mud bowls make a difference, but I wonder if they were aware that there was mud under the bowl because usually if it’s mud sort of on one side or the other, you can kind of allow for it. Yeah, Sheffller was looking on the right side of his golf ball and Caddy of Xander Schoffley, Austin Kaiser, seemed pretty frustrated. So, certainly noticed the mud on his ball. I wonder if the mud was on a particular side that would have errored the ball to go to the right and they expected it to go right and it didn’t. That’s where it can can create confusion. Now Maroy breaking a little right at the hole and Mroy can’t get it to go. He expects that to drip to the right as well. Boy, he has been putting so much better this year. than he has in previous years. He’s on track to have his best strokes gain putting season that he’s ever had. And a double there for Rory. Scotty Sheffller can say the same, James with his putting. He’s having both of them are having excellent seasons. Here’s Fitzpatrick on 18 from high on the hill. Not sure if that just stayed out of the bunker. Scotty Sheffler for double bogey. I would go on a limb to say that world’s number one, two, and three have never made a double or worse all in the same hole. I know. I I was thinking the same thing. Um, I’m just shocked. And Sheffller goes eagle double. Oh, well, he could have gone para and been the same. Oh gosh. Oh, it’s never a dull moment on these three holes. And uh they are fun holes for us to have as featured holes this week. On the weekend, we’ll have 14, the driver bullp, 15 and 16. Now Xander at his double. Xander got a perfect line on this putt from Scotty Sheffller. And this is what’s really important. Players, all the best in the world are going to make mistakes or have this kind of adversity. It’s how they handle themselves after the adversity is how they’re going to score well with maybe their B or C game or a couple of unlucky breaks. All done. Shley gets it to go as world number one, two, and three. Humbled on 16. All three make double bogeies. Raasmus Holy Birdie slides by the cup on 17. And that part of the green really uh works its way towards the back of the green. It’s a tough one. John Rom left side of the fairway. See if he can make the most of that. Good break off the tea. Yeah, lovely shot. John sets himself up for another birdie opportunity. Max Graaserman three under. He’s going to scoot one up there into that front bunker. It’s not a bad effort from where he was. And Jay, when we walk this course, it’s not a bad leave to be in that bunker here. No, that’s not the worst the worst place at all. So, the best players in the world make double. We’ll see what they do on 17 at the PGA Championship. Extensive coverage of the PGA Championship on ESPN Plus. multiple streams to follow your favorite featured groups or featured holes, which is where we are. The Green Mile, where Rory Mroy, Xander Schoffley, and Scotty Sheffller all just made a double bogey on the par4 16th hole. Rahm Kentley, and Fitzpatrick on 18. And over on 17 on the green, here’s Rasmus Huygar. playing alongside Minu Lee and Cory Connors as three ft left for Paul. He makes a three on 17. Happily makes his way to the T- box on 18 with a clean card so far and a share for the lead. Captain America Keegan Bradley with his name at top the leaderboard here in early action of the PGA Championship enters the green mile. Looked like he came out of that one just a little bit working to the right. Yeah, might have gone into that right hand fairway bunker. Be lie dependent. Scotty Sheffller from 227. This is a five iron. Didn’t look real happy with the strike there, Amelia. Better to miss it on on the short side than long. We’ll just have to rely on a speed control there. So that 16th hole left. Sheffller even. Mroy at plus one and Shuffley at two over. The wind still looks to be fairly negligible. It’s started to pick up a little bit behind the players. There are some wispier flags that are blowing from right to left. Overall though, it’s been calm, which should help these players. Already a hard green to hit. Yeah, we’re looking at the flags that are on the marquee right above them there. What’s difficult about this shot 20 paces on it starts to pitch towards the back of the green. However, if you hit it right there, it can shoot over. But these players are just in between clubs and we’ve just got a gust of wind as well to add to the complication. Also a five iron for Maroy. Looks like a good ball shape. That’s about as good as you could do really. Just stayed right there in the back fringe. It’s pretty good effort. Such a difficult green complex, Amelia. It really is just I’m very shocked at how softly Maroyy’s ball landed still went over the green. You land it short of the hill and you got a long putt or you land it closer to hole high and then are going to have to deal with a chip. Schoffley the only player with a top 10 finish in each of his last five major starts. Shoffley’s going with a sixiron. This is out to the right. Tried to bring it in from right to left and maximize that sixiron, but good news is he’s up on the high point there, those two little low areas. So, won’t be quite as difficult to chip. Matthew Fitzpatrick Greenside bunker on 18. Green pitches away from him here. He’s going to have to be very precise. That’s well done. Sets himself up for a par opportunity. Here’s Max Grezerman at the 16th. It obviously wasn’t the best of lies. It’s kind of an awkward awkward shot right there up against the face. John Rom trying to cap off the green mile with a birdie. Another one that just drifted off that he did not expect. A 4-34 for Rom. Can’t really complain about that. Although he had his chances. He hit some beautiful approaches here on the green mile, but couldn’t really capitalize to the T- box. It’s a daunting T-shot. trying to work it from left to right was Hoyard trying to get into that little peninsula of fairway and does a good job of it. Back on the green Fitzpatrick. A little work left for Par. Normally one of the best putters on the PGA Tour. Can’t get that one to go down. Let that one slip away. I saw him out on the practice rounds standing on the side of the 17th trying to get a little extra work done around that particular green. So he finishes his first nine at two under Razerman from just off the green. See if he can knock this one in. Max Grazerman jars it. I had a feeling. That’s easy to It’s easy to say after the fact, isn’t it, Stephen? Oh, that’s a great I don’t know. Just standing over it, he looked like he was going to make it. Well done, young man. Smile on your face. Coming off an eagle was pretty handy. Yeah, of featured groups here on ESPN Plus. And one of those little chipins would be pretty handy for Rory Mroy just from that back edge. Well, it’s definitely a chip inable for Maroy as I like to say just off the green. Xander Schoffley is going to go first in a similar position to some players we’ve seen in this morning coverage. Front right portion. He has a wedge in hand. A little bit drier are these closely moan areas. So, I like the decision a little bit better now. Still really important to make sure you have good contact. Figure out where you want to land it. It is going to be quick coming down this slope. Ameilia, we’ve got a great view from the drone shot flying over the water looking back towards Xander. And being up on that little bit of a null, I think helps this decision and makes this shot a little bit easier. Shoffley. Now that second bounce, it really grabbed. I think he was expecting it to kind of scoot on a little bit more there. He has some more work to do. Oh, it just shows you that these three holes that we have covered today are just so demanding whether it’s for your seventh, eighth, or ninth hole or your last three holes of the day. Just got to hit such good shots. There’s no faking it on this on these holes. And you might think it’s an advantage to play it as your front nine, but man, as you make the turn after it, Yeah. can have you wishing it was your back nine. The lie doesn’t look bad, Amelia, but I doubt you were able to get a chance to get over there. But from our view, it doesn’t look doesn’t look too bad. No, I I can see it. The line for Maroy is fine. Sheffller is going to go first. This is a common spot. We’ve seen a lot of players just being in between clubs, not able to get it all the way onto that back tier. Sheffller traditionally an excellent lag putter. Halfway between this putt, it’s going to start to pick up speed and move to the left as he crosses that spine that separates the green. She from 64 1/2 ft away. Oh, it’s a beautiful effort. to 16 Keegan Bradley. That’s 200 yd from the fairway bunker. It’s very much lie dependent. He got it out of there pretty well. Well, that’s not the worst spot to be. Mroy. Let’s see what he can do with this chip. Mroy [Applause] was chip in a ball, but he didn’t quite do it. Saw the golf ball that Reeds roars and we almost heard him in the grand stands at 17. Mroy makes his three, bounces back after his double. Stays at one over. It’s been an adventurous front nine for Mroy. Just wonder coming back to another major after that excitement at the masters, how hard it is to just kind of g yourself up and just get yourself right into that mindset. I had a chance to talk to him briefly while he was signing autographs for kids after his practice round yesterday and I just said to him briefly, “Is it still surreal to sign Augusta National flags? People wanting your autograph on that.” He looks at me, he goes, “Yep.” Yeah. With a big smirk on his face. He’s still in disbelief at what he accomplished. Shuffley gets his two putt to go. Oh, well done Xander. That’s a clutch putt. It’s the last thing you need is to go to three over par. That’s hard to come back from. Two. Yep. He gives Austin Kaiser a little bit of a fist bump. He knows how big that was. There’s plenty of holes left in the championship. Just peg them back one by one now. Sheffller. Still need to give this one all the attention. Not too much though. Coming back up the hill. Take those sixes. Cut them in half. Number one, two, and three make threes on 17. [Applause] There’s Smiles again for the best in the world. Here’s Rasmus Hoygard. Fairway on 18 after a beautiful T-shot uphill all the way to this back level. Hoygard is absolutely dialed in right now. Gorgeous iron shot. Sam Burns finding himself with the share of the lead. It’s his T-shot on 16 trying to give it all he’s got just leaking off to the right. As I say that Ryan Fox makes birdie. So he’s actually now the solo leader at four under. Keegan Bradley his third shot. There’s still a little bit of work to do left for Captain America. A crowded leaderboard. The opening round of the PGA Championship. A beautiful day outside of Charlotte. [Music] at the 18th. Scotty Sheffller fresh off a par on 17. It should set up well for his ball flight. He likes to move it left to right and this would appear to be ideal. Excellent. Not much run still on these fairways. Of course, this one does play downhill from the T- box. I wouldn’t expect a lot of roll. Should leave him about 190 yards left. How important for Mroy to get a good one and put that visual of the T-shot on 16 out of his head. Pull the win. Pull the win. Oh no. Asking for some help. And Mroy might need it. He’s going to have to get lucky. There is a thick cut of rough right there guarding the stream that runs alongside this hazard on the left. It’s a tiny little creek, but many positioned. So many times people managed to find it. Xander using the right hand side of the T- box working now with Chris Como on his swing. Definitely got himself in better positions at the top to be able to release the club through the ball. Trying to work that from left to right. Beautifully done. He’s really improved his driving, his added distance in the last couple of years. 335 yd drive for Xander Schoffley at the 18. Raasmus Hygar for the birdie to join Ryan Fox at four under. Clearly did not expect that to break that much. It’s getting warm outside as it heads towards 11:00 a.m. local time here in Charlotte. Expecting temperatures to head to the upper 80s. Hygiard clean front nine starting on the 10th T. Here’s Graser. I’ve seen a lot of players try and start it at the right edge of the green looking for a draw. Some of them get it. That had a tad more draw. That would have hit the down slope and gotten up much closer to the flag. Keegan Bradley for par 16. Yeah, beautifully done there, Keegan. Right in the heart for the captain, man. Look at the leaderboard. European captain, the American captain up there in the top three. You can fly 190 yards through there. I mean, are you okay with like like a flighted hit draw like turned in between those? Yeah. People are kind of in the way a little bit. I can move them. Do you see that or do you see something like kind of puffed up and cut? I don’t really see it puffed up. What’s our number? It is 96 226. I mean, we’re okay with it in the rough there. I mean, if we hit it 85 to 90 yards there, short right. We’re just pitching across 185 to 190. I’m seeing this with like a sixiron. Yeah. To hit that window, that’s the one that’s going to fly in our window. If I’m top holding something, it’s got to be like a five. I don’t love that as much. I just love listening to the player and Caddy try and figure out exactly how they want to play the shot. So many variables. That gets the distance I want. They’re going to have to go. They’re going to have to go. I am. I am. I am. Denny McCarthy and his caddy Derek Smith working through this second shot at 16. Just take a step back. It’s coming right over your head right there. Tell Tell all these people just left in the tree. Yeah. Stay back. Move back. It’s coming right over your head. What an intimidating approach these players have. Their second shot at 16. Well, when you’re down there, you don’t really have a a visual of the green either. You’re just sort of aiming it at a at a point and trusting your trusting your visuals. Denny more famous for his putting ability, but his ball striking is really improving. Coming off a birdie at 15. See if he can execute. [Music] didn’t quite get it to fly. Yeah. To 18. One of our feature groups here on our extensive coverage of ESPN Plus opening round of the PGA Championship features Scotty Shuffler, Rory Mroy, and Xander Schoffler. mid 90s right now. Gotti Sheffller will be first. 189 yards. Lie looks clean. I studied the golf ball. This whole location on the right suits Sheffller’s eye. Likes to move the ball from left to right back into the wind as well. With Sheffller’s ball flight, he should be able to stop this hole high on that back shelf and get it to land softly. 189 yards left for Sheffler. Probably carried it a tad further than he wanted, but it’s still on the back level. Okay, Sam Burns middle of the fairway on 16, sitting at three under as he finds a new spot on 16. That’ll be a fun one, James. Yes. Sliding all the way down. Another shot for Maroy where he’s trying to swing like a baseball bat. Really important to keep your balance here. Error on the right side. This creek goes all the way up behind the green to the left. Oh, he was lucky he didn’t go in the water off the T- box. What a shot. Oh wow. Seldom few recover like Rory. Oh just takes us on a roller coaster, doesn’t he? Reminds me of Augusta in the last day. Some inexplicable shots and then some shots that are just stunning. Let’s have another look at this. Important to maintain good balance here. He’s strong enough in his upper body and his legs to dig that one out of that very thick rough. Not let it get away from him to the left. Well done, Xander Shoffley from the left fairway. Huge T- shot for Xander. Not much left. Well done. Hold high on the left side for the defending PGA champion Max Graaserman at 17. Putting from just off the green riding down this ridge. Yeah. And downhill all the way. You can’t be scared of it. You know it’s going to keep tracking, but it was a little tentative. The hard part about those long downhill putts, you you get a bit tentative and then you leave yourself another downhiller where if you’d been three or four feet past, it would have been a much easier second putt. A little bit of a tip for the folks at home who are watching. Don’t be afraid of those long downhillers. Get them up. Get them past the hole. At least then you can see how it breaks. There’s a beautiful look at the stream that runs alongside 18 here at Quail Hollow. Now, it’s a great uh a great final hole, isn’t it, for a championship. So much can happen. As you hear them introduce world number one, two, and three, walking up to the green, we head back over to 16. Here is Denny McCarthy in that right bunker. A lot of it is lie dependent, but he should be able to get this one kind of to release. Hit a low shot. Yeah. to carry it a little bit further. That’s a hard one because of where that hole is located. You don’t want to land it too far past the hole. Fraser men for par. We haven’t seen a lot of putts made. on this particular hole so far today. There’s a reason why the green mile is called the green mile. It’s just plain difficult. Third hardest hole was the 16th at the previous PGA Championship and the 17th was the fifth hardest hole. So, of course, 18 was number one. That’s right. Burns on that back right rough back here at 16 trying to get it to trundle out. Just did not want to on the 18th. Scotty Sheffller for birdie. And this one’s got to settle and the whole group is just sort of languishing at the moment and it’s not much uh excitement. There’s not many good things happening. Perhaps if Rory and Xander can make these putts, we get a little bit more energy for them to play their back nine, which will be the front side at Qua Holla. Keegan Bradley at 17. We’ve seen a lot of that so far today, haven’t we, Stephen? Yeah. players get they want to start it at that right edge and then they want to turn it and then they don’t quite get that not quite not quite game enough to release it all the way through the left side of that 17 green slopes right to the water the read on this one Amelia little outside to the right it will snap at the hole not many people have been able to leave their ball whole high on this screen. Gosh, just just took a little turn to the right. Holy cow. Xander makes his par. This has kind of flown under the radar as the defending champion so far this week, but [Music] uh sure he’s enjoying being back here at Quail Hollow. His second the last couple of times the tournament was played here. So he knows this course well. Looking to become the only player in the last 60 years to win his first three majors in a five-star span. H that would be quite something. Now the recent Grand Slam winner Mro for birdie and his did not break. It’s a four for Mroy as well. All right, new side. Turn the page. And that’s what really separates these players is they can respond from a double that quickly. Especially Rory. He knows all about doubles. He had a few, didn’t he, at the Masters? Four of them. But no, you’re right. Uh, you know, players at this level, such strong mental games, and he’s been working with uh Bob Rutella, a famed sport psychologist, for a good number of years now. He knows how to turn the page. Put that out of his mind as Scotty goes for this pass saver. That’s a big improvement in Scotty Sheffer’s game of those whole out putts. I mean, he he was succeeding despite not being a good putter, but now he’s ranked 25th strokes gained putting on the PGA and he’s never been inside the top 50 in previous years. Now, this man can putt as Sam Burns rolls it in. He and Scotty Sheffller are are good mates. And Scotty has said many times, I would love to be able to putt as well as Sam Burns. A look at the lake that sits on the green mile 16, 17, and 18 as our featured hole coverage continues. [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 Jr.com. And don’t you just love to see the family out there watching some of the best players in the world? Look at this little guy on the left. I saw a couple yesterday. I was walking back from the merchandise tent and one of two little guys, they were probably four years old, said, “Daddy, I’ve walked enough.” And I said, “No.” I said, “Come on. If you’re going to be a professional golfer, you have to have strong legs.” They were adorable. Was dad making him wear pants as well? No. No. They were in shorts. Not like Scotty Sheffler. He wanted to wear pants just like the pros. Bradley nice up there at 17. Yeah, that’s a pretty good leave there on the 18th. This is Nikolai Hoygard, twin brother of Raasmus, who just finished the green mile moments ago. They’re just trying to get it back out onto the fairway. Yeah, it’s a tiny little creek, but I tell you what, it catches a lot of golf balls. And even if you’re one side of the other, it’s very awkward. How about this from Tony Fen now? He’s up to his ankles in the water. Just trying to He flipped the rock. Forget about the socks or the shoes. It’s about saving strokes out here, Jane. I think I might have taken my shoes and socks off personally, but you’re going to have to walk another nine in those. Well, if he’s truly standing on a rock, it has to be just as slippery as if he was going barefoot. Maybe he doesn’t know what’s in that stream or what. You don’t want to cut yourself on something. Try a left-handed shot. I don’t know. Oh, I remember seeing a video of John Ram hitting a shot just standing to the left side of the ball, turning the club upside down, and kind of hacking at it, and it got on the green. I mean, Tony’s a heck of an athlete, so I don’t doubt that he can maneuver something. You don’t feel conf If you’re going to just try to hit it right at the green, then I’d probably rather just pitch it out. The front right bunker is not going to hit 160, right? Yeah. 60 front or the back right bunker. That’s probably harder. So, he now has 182 yards to the field. Now, see if he can keep his balance. just completely unfaced being ankle high in the water. But his caddy’s telling him where he should hit it. I’m like, I’d be hoping I could hit it. Hoping I don’t get hurt. Exactly. seems a little more unsure of his stance now. It’s one thing to take a little half swing, another thing to take a completely full swing. Yeah, he’s starting to reconsider. I don’t want to try to swing too hard. That’s right. You don’t want to swing too hard at it. here. We saw Rory lose his footing. Yeah, that’s right. On an awkward shot there on the 16th. The ball just ended up right in front of him. So, just get it on the fairway, Tony. There you go. That’s the smart play. Not like his caddy is telling him, “Oh, we don’t want to leave it in the right bunker.” I mean, you’d be thankful to get it to the right bunker. Marker Bennick and Tony Fen now work through that. And now we’ll see what type of mess uh those shoes make over the next couple of strides. Here’s Keegan Bradley for Paul. Oh, well done, Keegan. Nephew of the great Hall of Famer Pat Bradley. the pleasure of playing with Pat many, many years. One of the best competitors you’ve ever come across. And I think Keegan uh is cut from the same cloth. Big influence on his life and his golf life. Indeed. Pat’s very proud. Oh, what a heck of a shot. Max [Applause] Grazeman Razerman setting himself up on the final hole of this nine beautifully. Yeah, good to see the players protecting their eyes. A lot of players wearing sunglasses, some all the time, some just between shots. Sam Burns 17. Good strong striker of the golf ball as Sam. Good solid golf swing. He’s represented his country many times and looking to do that again, but he’s going to have to start playing a little bit better. That was not quite it. has missed the cut at the PG championship each of the last two years. Best finish tied for 20th in 2022. Fivetime winner on tour playing alongside Ashe Batia and Denny McCarthy. Ash came out as a professional right from high school. Did not go to college. He’s got to weigh about 120 lbs. Ringing wet. Born in LA, but considers Wake Forest, North Carolina, about 20 minutes north of Raleigh his home. His parents moved there in 2012. A beautiful part of the world. That’s a great shot. Chases past the cup. Look how firmly that bounced. A calls Quail Hollow one of his favorite golf courses. And Feno, who’s normally squeaky clean, is just probably squeaky right now at 18. I think that was pretty good decision. Come back a little bit. That’s trying. He’ll have that for par. McCarthy, final member of this group on 17. Jenny from the state of Maryland, lives around the Washington DC area. Many players would love to have Denny McCarthy’s putting stroke. Oh, unlucky he just got a right hand bounce instead of a left hand kick. And now he’s going to have to use all that short game prowess. Wasn’t far off being a good one. Yeah, that collection area uh very damp after 5 in of rain over the last week. We’ll see how that dries out throughout the day here on our featured holes. Keegan Bradley at 18 sitting at three under, one shot off the lead. Yeah, that’s excellent, Keegan. And kind of an interesting grouping here on the T- box at 18, Jane. He’s playing alongside Andrew Novak and Maverick McNeely, who just so happened to be right outside the top six in Ryder Cup points. Wonder how that happened. Wonder if Captain Keegan set that one up. Put a little word in with the PGA of America. Beautiful day at Quail Hollow. [Music] on the 18th green. And what a four this would be for Tony Fen now. This would be all American four, wouldn’t it? Wouldn’t put it past him. He’s soaking wet and he almost drifted in. Fenol makes a five with his feet in the stream on his second shot. Max Graserman for birdie and Razerman working his way up the leaderboard on 17. Sam Burns from the bunker. A long way to go. It’s about pinn sitting in the back middle today. Justin Lowour, one of those sitting at three under, joins us on the green mile with his second at 16. Yeah, for the first cut of rough there on the left hand side trying to sling something in from right to left. Stay there. That’s okay. That’s not the worst spot to be. Scotty Sheffller and Xander Schoffley would have taken those. Well, we saw Rory Mroy almost chip it in from where Arsha is, but I think he will be wait to see what Denny McCarthy decides to do on the right side. We go to the T- box on 16 where one of our co-leaders, Luke Donald, is on the box. Amelia’s with them. Well, I spoke with Luke Donald earlier this week. He said, “I’m mainly focused on Ryder Cup captain.” and he didn’t give himself enough credit. Currently leading by one. That right bunker not in play for Donald. 319 to get in it. He can take it down the left side. That didn’t curve very much. Our graphic said 12 ft. That’s uh pretty good. Pretty darn straight. He’s not that long, but he’s very accurate. Reminding us why he was once the number one player in the world. Mhm. Terrific short game. Denny McCarthy. No surprise he’s going to go putter here. Yeah, and I think that’s a wise move. It’s so wet around that drain. He’s going to have to uh negotiate those couple of sprinkler heads. He’s going to aim just to the left of those. Goes uphill and then starts to go downhill. See if he’s given it enough oomph. We’ve seen a lot of people leave it short. on 17. And if this man’s leaving it short, you know, it’s just a tough read. Yeah, exactly. It’s so uh daunting looking all the way downhill towards the water. You go, “Oh, I don’t want to hit it too hard.” And as I said previously, the smart thing to do is really to get it past the hole. Just a beautiful view. Look at those uh corporate mares, grandstands along here. It’s a perfect spot to watch golf. Look straight across at people coming up 15 as well. Mhm. Here’s Ash Beta. Just kind of stabs it. Must not have had a terribly good lie. Just tried to pop it out of there and let it run, but it’s back uphill and that made it a little bit more awkward. Keegan Bradley second at the 18th. Hold on. Hold on. Clinging on. I think it might still be up. Might be in Ricky Fowler’s divot over there. Right next to the bridge. And you see it just holding up next to the hazard line. Maverick McNeely fifth PGA Championship appearance ranked 12th in the world right now the Stanford product and he’s been playing some excellent golf. What a beautiful shot thanks to shots like that. Fantastic showing Captain Keegan a thing or two. Hands his club to his younger brother Scout on the bag for him as always. They’re named after classic American cars. The Maverick, the Scout, Dakota, I think is another one of his brothers. That’s uh pretty nifty. Here’s Lauer off the green. It’s been very difficult for the players to really get it sort of dead to the hole. Most of them have left themselves a little bit of work for either their pars or even their bogeies. Yeah, that’s what McCarthy has in front of them for his par on 17. Well, if you ever wanted to emulate a putting stroke, the folks at home, watch this man with that 10finger grip and then goes down to the reverse overlap. That’s all shoulders. Look how far that went past the hole. He can’t believe it. I like that reverse overlap grip. It’s the one I’ve always used throughout my career. It kind of makes your your hands feel pretty unified. But there’s so many different grips now than there were, you know, back when I was playing on two of and different lengths. left hand low. Yes, you’ve got the long uh kind of broomstick putter that players can still use as long as they don’t anchor it uh next to their body like Ace is using. And you’ve even got, you know, sort of a modified claw where the right hand uh is almost like a paintbrush. So, there’s no real stigma to using a funky grip. now. Yeah, perhaps there might have been 20, 30 years ago. It’s whatever works. Amen. Let’s get it in the hole. Trying to do that for his part on 17 to stay it even. Nicely done. Yeah, fine stroke there from the young man. Little bit of a bumpy start, but even path. His sister played college golf at Queens University in Charlotte. Here’s Keegan from just off the green at 18. Nicely played, Captain Keegan. Yeah, you can see the breeze starting to pick up a little bit as the day wears on. Howard to stand three under. He makes his three. [Applause] Denny McCarthy with the comebacker. Never a doubt. No, that’s auto. Auto automatic for Denny. He gives one back. Yeah, he still can’t believe that he left that one so far short off the green. And Sam Burns hunts the back of the cup as well as they head their final hole in the nine. And the weather really heating up here in Charlotte. Cooler at the beginning of the week. Pretty much rained all day Monday. There were no spectators allowed. Not even too many players ventured out. And then of course some storms on Tuesday. A little bit of drizzle, rain in the morning yesterday. And now it’s gorgeous. Going to be a steamy one for the rest of the week. It’s a beautiful look at the 16th. It’s fantastic, isn’t it? Skinny, long. I love the drone views from over the lake. There you see Andrew Novak picking up his first PGA Tour win in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans alongside Ben Griffin. Yeah, and then was a little unlucky to lose in a playoff to Justin Thomas at the RBC Heritage. He played some great golf that week from Raleigh, North Carolina. Played at Wford College about an hour and a half away from Charlotte. Luke Donald 16. 231 yards for Donald. Want to hit more of a 210 shot. This is down the right center portion of the green. Oh, got a nice kick, Amelia. It sure did. One of the closest shots we’ve seen today on this one. I’ve always uh loved Luke Donald’s rhythm. It’s just sort of flows beautifully. Here’s Keegan. Well done from Bradley who stays at three under. I wonder if he wins this championship and is up there in the standings and automatically gets in if he’ll be a playing captain. He said he will not pick himself. There you go. But if he is one of the top six, he’s one of the top six. That’s right. Why not? He earned it. That’s when you hope you have wonderful vice captains to uh take on that responsibility. There’s another young man that has a lot of skill, especially with this club. Five top 10 on the PGA Tour this season. I know. And and flies himself from tournament to tournament. You have to with a name like Maverick. Yes, absolutely. Top Gun right at the T- box on 16. That’s David Puj from Spain. Applies his trade on the live golf tour. Making his second PGA Championship appearance. 23-year-old. That’s a lot of talent. Yeah. Played at Arizona State. Was the first college player to sign a contract with live golf. And number seven in their rankings so far this year. So definitely a standout. Look at the beauty at the green mile. [Music] Next May, the PGA Championship returns to Aronomic Golf Club in New Town Square, PA, outside of Philadelphia. To register for tickets, visit pga championship.com/register. Registration closes soon. Just saw a great PGA Tour event at Philadelphia Qriket Club. Ronic getting the PGA Championship next year. Some great golf in the Philadelphia area. Absolutely. And some fabulous golf courses and terrific sports fans. You see Luke Donald sitting at four under as he comes into the green mine. There a couple of previous PGA championship champions in this group with Martin Kimmer there in the uh the black shirt and Padrick Harrington. And you can see where that hole is located. It’s almost up on a like a little crown. And people have been having such a difficult time reading these putts and getting them close. See what Patty can do. Still sorry Amelia. Go ahead. Well, exactly what you were saying, Jane. Look at those practice swings from Harrington. Just hard to get yourself to hit it hard enough. You really have to trust it. This will turn a little right as it goes up this slope. That’s one of the better ones that we’ve seen. still winning on the Champions Tour, keeping himself good shape, loves the game, loves practicing, loves really helping anyone who needs help. He’s become great follow on social media. He really has, hasn’t he? Improving your game. Yeah, it’s a fun group featuring a couple of PGA champions in Harrington in 2008, Martin Kimer 2010 at Whistland Straits, and couple of European Rder Cup captains as well. and Harrington and Donald. That’s right. Here’s Kimer. Also coming up the slope for Kimer. This turns slightly left at the hole. I always found on those long putts if you just kind of soften your grip a little bit, Amelia, and just sort of let the putter swing a little bit more rather than try and be all arms. Got to give it almost a little bit more wrist. And I noticed that’s what Kimera did there. He did a good job of it. Yeah, it definitely allows for a little bit more hit when you have to stroke putts that are into the grain. Luke Donald an opportunity here, rare one on 16 to be able to separate himself from those leaders all at four under. Playing a lot of breakout to the right now. Donald for birdie to get to five under. He’s always worn the visor. used to have that little kind of curlyish blonde hair. Now he’s Now he’s the silver fox as uh Luke Donald. Oh, he had it online, too. I can’t believe it. It’s been a similar look we’ve seen on this 16th green. Just plays a lot slower than these guys think. Well, it’s neat to see him playing well. Harrington. How she’s been using that two ball putter for as long as I can remember. Amelia, it’s worked for him. It sure has, hasn’t it? Feel like every golfer has used that putter at some point in their life. That’s right. So, Harrington makes a four to begin the green mile. Low at the 17th. Oh dear. That’s got to get down. Another ball donated to the lake that sits on the green mile. An unnamed lake that doesn’t need a name. It’s just water filled with a lot of golf balls. I bet the divers have uh have a really good time. Pro shop probably buys them and sells them back to the poor unsuspecting members. No, just kidding. This is RP Taylor, PJ golf instructor for Virginia Beach National Golf Club, making his first career major appearance. Okay, it’s four over par then and on dry land. Kind of a home game for Taylor. 35-year-old from Asheville, North Carolina. Played at NC State. And a bit of a home game for this man, Ash Batia. Not too far of a drive from Wake Forest area. It’s a pretty part of the world. I lived uh in Pinehurst for about 12 years early on in my career. And tell you what, as a young professional, you couldn’t have asked for a better spot. And uh eternally grateful to the Bell family there at Pine Needles. Great little Donald Ross course. And of course, all of the courses in that area were fun to play. Dial in those wedges, those golf courses. Indeed. Beta ready now? Well, you thought so. Not quite. Caddyy Brian Dillies. Catty quite a bit on the LPGA tour initially, but uh he’s found some great bags on the PGA. Now heading for Arshape. won his first PGA Tour title, the 2023 Barracuda turned pro at 17 years old. Batillaa come back a little bit. Yeah. No, it’s a good good shot. It’s a fine line. you don’t have a whole lot of area that you can land it. If you’re short, it’s going to come back at you. It’s probably about just five yards or so that you’d love to land the ball. It’s such a you know, when you think about golf, it’s such an imprecise game, isn’t it? You you just it’s your best guess. And the fact that so many of these great players can judge distance as well as they can is always fun to see how good they are. Solo leader Alex Norin enters the green mile at five under. And how many times does he pop up in a first round of a major? He loves the big the big moment. Predominantly plays that left to right. Look at that 70 ft of curve for the 42year-old from Stockholm played at Oklahoma State. Two-time all-American there and the LSU product Sam Burns. That’s right. Still makes his home in Louisiana, doesn’t he? Does Samur I always marvel what it would have been like as a Swede to come to Oklahoma. or a Spaniard to come to Phoenix. You know, it takes takes a lot of guts for those uh international players to come over to the States and play college golf. Yeah, beautiful shot, Sam. Striking the ball very well so far this morning. Guys attacking this 18th pin. I think the wind’s starting to pick up a little bit and it seems to be helping them get down there reasonably far. It’s more daunting off the fairway. Oh, I mean off the tea box when you’re looking down. It doesn’t look like it’s a very big fairway. And it’s a fairly generous hole location today. if they start to put the flag a little bit closer to the edge on the left side and bring that lake uh the the creek into play. That’s when you uh have to start really being courageous to attack the flags. Justin Lowour at the 17. Had a drop after finding the leak. Yeah, the drop area just on the very far forward left tee. Oh no. Carried that about five steps too far as well. Pooj from the right bunker on 16. And you might think that’s a great spot to bail out, but it’s a very, very difficult shot to where that hole is located. It’s very difficult to get that ball all the way to the whole location from that bunker. How about this shot? It’s pretty scene, isn’t it? It’s a good spot to be watching golf in that upper deck. groups are allowing the T-shots to be played through. Yeah, it’s a long walk. A little bit of a backup we’ve started to see here on this closing stretch at the Green Mile. Indeed, it’s a long walk around the lake. Tenny McCarthy uh in a very popular spot so far today right along the bridge that takes you to the green on the left side just about hole high seen Ricky Fowler and Keegan Bradley from a similar position Arthury with a good lie. It’s his fourth shot. He has an excellent short game, so I expect this one to be pretty close. Currently in the top 50 in the world rankings. Thank you, Denny, for making me look good. No, that was well played. makes up for the shot that found the water on his approach. So, we’ll have that for bogey. Luke Donald 17. Amelia with this group. Donald made a motion with his hands like he wants to hit a left to right shot. Hitting a shot shape away from the trouble. That right fringe now that it’s dry, not too bad of a chip. Really important to be smart on this one. If you land this anywhere closer to that flag, 227 yards, it can skip over the green. It’s firm enough now coming into the afternoon where it could skip into the water behind the green. This is high trajectory ball flight towards the right center. Wow. And it’s definitely getting faster on that backside, Amelia. And it’s even slightly into the breeze as we look at the flag from the back of the green is kind of blowing into them. I mean, you’ve got to be you got to be so precise. That’s like hitting a springboard, wasn’t it? Martin Kimer next to play. Of course, Kyra won the US Open at Pinehurst back in 2014, so he knows how to play majors. Not playing as well, applying his trade also on Lu Golf. The birdie putt for Ashe Batia at 18. and a yes put a circle on it. That’s a a rare commodity to finish up the green mile with the birdie. Well done. One under for Batia in the closing stretch. Boug misses the edge on 16. See if we can see another birdie. No, too far left. Seen a couple of players miss it on that side from that same angle. It’s after a beautiful approach. A little disappointing to walk off. That’s a bogey for him. drops him back to one under as he plays the green mile at two over. He’s not the only one. One of the great tests in golf here the closing stretch at Quail Hollow. [Music] [Music] Second shot for Alex Norin and share of the lead coming off of back-to- back birdies. He has seven birdies on his day. That’s some impressive golf. See the breeze starting to pick up into the players on 16 and 17 and helping on 18. Lower from the backside of 17. A that was well played. Well done, Justin. That’s a good up and down from back there. Updated leaderboard. Ryan Fox. We saw our first group on our featured hold coverage this morning. Alex Norin in the green mile as we speak along with Luke Donald and JT Poston at four under who’s going to be making his way to 16 here shortly. Make those birdies now as the Green Mile is playing as tough as advertised here at Quail Hollow Club. One of the toughest threehole stretches in all of golf. Nico Veria and Rasmus Huygar sitting at two under. Scotty Sheffler at one under working his way back after making double on the 16th. Sheffller Mroy and Schoffley played the green mile at two over par. Andrew Novak, who is trying to impress captain Keegan Bradley. He’s just outside the automatic picks at the moment for the RDER Cup, has won under. Podrick Harrington shows everybody how it’s done from that spot. Well done, Padrick. [Music] his 26th PGA Championship appearance. Kimer from just off the green just trying to pop it out of there and let it run downhill towards the hole. Although still back into the breeze. It didn’t run as much as he might have liked. I remember when he won at Pinehurst at the US Open. Boy, he puted from off the edges of those greens like a madman. I mean, every time he missed a green, he just puted it up there dead to the hole. It was very impressive on those kind of upturned saucer like greens. He just made it look easy. Yeah. Two time major winner. other win coming the 2010 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits where he beat Bubba Watson in a three-hole aggregate playoff. That was famously when Dustin Johnson grounded his club in the lease bunker on 18. Oh, I remember that well. And Kimer came away as the champion. And I think the wind is definitely going to be a factor on these two holes as we go in towards the afternoon with the afternoon wave of players going to be looking up at the leaderboard going up. Seems to be playing easy. Ryan Fox the New Zealander just continuing his good form from the win. Taylor Moore takes a swing at 17. Very neat player, Taylor Moore. Good solid golf swing. 31-year-old University of Arkansas product playing in his third PGA championship. Finished tied for 12th at Valhalla last year. His lone PGA Tour win coming at the 2023 Valpa. Now here is David Puj. Was hoping for more right to left than that but that is not a good shot. Plays on the same team as Sergio Garcia over there on loop. The third member of this group is John Summers. And happy birthday. Celebrating his 34th birthday today during the opening round. Playing in his third career major, three straight PGA championships. He’s a PGA head professional in Southern Hills Plantation Club in Brooksville, Florida. Happy birthday. How about a hole in one for your birthday? Now hold your line. Not quite the right club there, John. Maybe needed one more. Playing in his third career and consecutive PGA Championship. What a way to celebrate 34. JT Poston next to play at the Green Mile. Don’t think he has enough firepower to reach that fairway bunker. That’s about 311 off the T. We’ll have to wait and see. There’s a really good view of how this green sets up. It’s almost like three little quadrants, three sections. McDonald for birdie to get into a share of the lead. Oh, hit it. He makes his three at 17. Alex Norin, co-leader. Amelia with him. Norin spending a couple of extra moments here trying to find this read. It feels like it’s going to break to the right. Sometimes it does and other times it stays out left. That’s a tough one to read, that’s for sure. toughest hole on property this 16th hole at Quail Hollow Club. Really surprising from what what we’ve seen. Kurt Kittyama. [Applause] looks a little disgruntled as he walks off the green. Yeah, it’s a difficult stretch, no doubt. It’s fun for us to watch, but it’s a bit agonizing for some of the players. So Norin gives his lead away as he makes a bogey at the 16th. That’s what can happen here at the green mile. [Music] [Applause] [Applause] the green mile. We’ve seen four birdies and five balls in the water. That tells the story of one of the toughest stretches in all of golf. Well, it certainly does. And I’m not really surprised. It is very demanding. And now the breeze is picking up as well. And you can see the slope. And the challenge for the players is to figure out where to land it because if you land it on that down slope, it’s going to going to go right through the back of the green. Now we saw where this young Spaniard David Puj hit his T-shot. Not the best trying to get it to run downhill and has done a terrific job. And well playing by [Applause] Pooj. Back on 16. This is Tom Johnson, PGA director of instruction at Metal Club in Fairfax, California, making his debut in a major championship. Just barely hung on. It’s going to be an interesting stance, that’s for sure. He’s played in 33 PGA Tour events. Mhm. Full time in 2007, made 14 cuts. was teammates with Luke Donald and Northwestern. Very prestigious university, the Chicago area. All right, JT, show us what you have from just short of that bunker on the right. 217 yds for Poston. Taking it up the right side, trying to hit a draw. Okay, that’s not bad from over there. Players allowed to use distance measuring devices this week at the PGA Championship as long as the slope feature is turned off. They’re on 17. Hurt Kittyama earned a special invite this week. Finished in a tie for fourth in 2023 at the BGA championship. A stocky folk Xander Schoffley gave him the nickname Quadzilla. He has some thighs. the quadfather. Also a player who can do well on some very hard golf courses, winning at Bay Hill a couple of years ago. Got to make sure you land this in the front middle portion. Looks like he kind of wiped across that one a little bit. Amelia, easy to start to flare it. If you get a little tentative on 17, you’re not going to hit the green. Absolutely. So, you’ve got to be in complete control of your golf swing and your ball flight, especially from 227. They have marked off two T’s up there. The one in front could also be used depending on how the PGA committee or Kerry H decides to play it. Now, Norin, I love those rehearsals from Norin. So different from his actual swing. Norin taking it down the right side. And what makes this even more impressive for Alex Noran, this is just the second event he’s played in this year. He made his debut at the truest championship last week. He’s been dealing with multiple injuries, namely with his neck. Been sidelined from tournament play since early October. withdrew from the century and dealt with more injuries and finally making his tour debut last week. Sometimes you just have to take the time off and just get get healthy again. That’s hard to do as a competitor. Luke Donald stands at the 18th T. One shot off the lead. Now he’s aiming a little bit further right than some of the players that are longer hitters, but he’s pulled this one. This could be trouble. Oh, just managed to sneak it over that creek. Okay. Yeah, he knows he got away with one, I think. there. Caddyy looked a bit dubious. Luke’s like, “Ah, I knew I had it.” Martin Kimer next to play. There’s one of the prettiest swings in golf. Martin Kyr when he was in his prime just seemed like it was effortless. Should be okay. Johnson from just off the green at 16. One of 20 PGA professionals in the field this week. It looks like a bit of an awkward stance having to kind of play it from the back foot. Pop it up there to another PGA professional, John Summers. And it’s wonderful to see the top 20 from PGA Club Professionals Championship. Get in. Oh yes, a birdie. Well, we were hoping for a hole in one for the birthday boy, but I think a birdie on 17 will will do. Bravo. Yeah, baby. 34 feels good. That’s awesome. Yeah, it’s just fantastic that the top 20 get their spot in the field this week and they do so much great work for all of us golfers around the country. Well done, David. Makes his [Music] pun on the green at 16. It’s great to see JT making an early charge here. He’s made 13 of 14 cuts this season. Very consistent, but none of them have been a top 10. Needs to continue this consistency to try and stay in contention. Difficult putt here into the green. I think Amelia, if anyone can judge it, JT is a pretty good one. He has lovely touch uh around the greens. just such a natural looking putter, isn’t he? He really is. And really the the players that have great short game. They do look natural like they’ve just been playing short game and putting contest their whole life as a kid. There’s not a lot of tension going on for Poston. No, he looks very relaxed in the dress. He’s quite upright with his stance and uh yeah, encourage the kids to just have lots of putting chipping competitions when you’re young. It just uh I I can’t say enough about that. Poston from Hickory, North Carolina, about an hour away from Quail Hollow Club up in the hills, college golf in Western Carolina University. And here’s Rio Hisatsune earning a special invite into the field. And what a promising player on the PGA Tour. And this is something interesting. And if you’ve if you’re unfamiliar with hisune, his caddy gives him a sip of water before every shot he hits. Part of his routine. I asked Hitsune at the Houston Open the backstory. He did it once when he was a little nervous and then has just kept on doing it. You know, whatever works, if it works, I know uh area on the LPGA likes to smile before she hits every shot. And uh I think little Nasahhata jumps up and down after before she hits every shot. So, everyone’s routine is a little different. That’s right. Whatever work for you, it’s perfectly fine. Yeah. 22-year-old sitting at two under he makes a par at 16. Yeah. Steady front nine. Little bit more up and down on the back. Tom Johnson has a long way in for his P. Got some pretty good looks from Hits of Sunsune and JT Poston on the speed of this putt coming up the tier. Very hard to get this one close to the flag with how tucked it is. Well, it wasn’t bad for speed, but he didn’t quite have the line read correctly. successful golf career for Tom Johnson. Played on the nationwide tour for a couple of years in the mid 2000s. 33 PGA Tour events. Was fulltime in the 2007 season. His best finish on tour, tied for 18th at the 2007 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. That’s right. back in the the days. So, they named it after a lot of those great performers. Bob Hope, Andy Williams, Sammy Davis Jr., Greater Hartford Open. That was uh quite the era, wasn’t it? Jackie Gleason. I’m dating myself now. But it’s so special after all he’s done in the game. This is his first major appearance. That’s That’s brilliant. Alex Norin from just off the green at 17. And I think a smart play opting for the putter, but he didn’t quite give it enough wedies up and over that hill. It’s just so mushy down there. It’s hard to have the nerve to hit a chip shot from there. Captain Luke Donald at the 18th. Yeah. Ball a little bit above his feet. Kind of a lengthy one coming in for Luke. Of course, captain of the most recent RDER Cup victory for Europe. And now at Beth Paige Black, the Americans want revenge. His best finish tied for third at the 2006 PGA Championship. And here’s a look at the average scoring on the Green Mile right now. Nearly a half a stroke overpar on 16. 3.3 overpar on 17 and 4.25 on 18. So yeah, almost uh almost a third of a stroke or just over a third of a stroke on 17. 18 still playing difficult even though it’s a little bit downwind, but it’s still no bargain. Eight balls in the water. Martin Kimer finding the right bunker at 18. Oh goodness. And still in the right bunker. Just popped over. Oh, it did. Okay. I saw another ball there. I thought it’d come back to him. Beg you pardon. Sir, sir. Now, when you miss the fairway over here on the right, not only are you blocked out, this is Bud Collie in the right rough at 16. Might have a little bit of tree trouble there. I think he’s going to have to keep it low, but he cannot see the green from this point. Poston just made his par at 16. See what Collie can do from over here. He doesn’t seem too anxious about it. I’d be running up there trying to figure out where the heck it went. Timer with his third. I didn’t quite get it up onto that top level where the hole is located. So, that’ll leave a little bit more of a challenging putt. Seeing the flag sticks, the wind is starting to go at Hollow. Davis Thompson in the middle of the fairway at 16. This is the back nine for this group of players that teed off early on the first TE. Thompson, a winner of the 2024 John Deere Classic for his first PGA Tour win. The third member of this group is Nikico Echavaria making his PGA championship debut. He’s two under. Young man from Colombia, South America, [Applause] played his college golf alongside Taylor Moore, who just worked through the green mile. And you said that was Arkansas, correct? Razerbacks Columbia to Arkansas. I just I just get tickled thinking about it. Oh, Norin just missing on the edge. Well, it’s good to see him back healthy again. It’s no fun playing with injury and neck injuries, anything in the upper back. You You can’t play golf if you have an injured neck. That’s for sure. Luke Donald, greenside bunker at 18. Well, he’s going to have to use all of his skill to get this one close. Green slopes away from that bunker all the way down to the hole and not much room. Post him at 17. Ameilia, this is really where the teeth of the golf course shows. Coming down the stretch just under 230 yds this out to the right for Poston. Oh, catching a great slope there on the right. Oh, that’s well done. Like you said, he uh has made 13 out of 14 cuts, but nothing stellar. His putting just hasn’t been quite up to snuff. Timer lags it up on 18. Here’s next. And he hit it exactly where he was aimed. Amelia, not a bad leave. Trying to get that same slope as Poston. Just couldn’t quite get it. Just missed that spot by a few yards. Just needed to whisk more right to left. 17th on a beautiful day at PGA. [Music] Luke Donald on the 18th to stay at four under. Yes, captain. Well done. was always his strength of game and he’s always pretty much used a very similar shaped putter to the one he’s using a little mallet with a couple little flanges there. A fourunder round to begin the PGA Championship for former number one player in the world Luke Donald. He’s like how did I do that? Why do I not do that every week? First tea time of the day. He opened the PGA Championship and he shakes hands as a co-leader. That was a nice honor. The the PGA of America giving Luke Donald that honor is the captain of Europe. Of course, the Ryder Cup run by the PGA of America for those at home who didn’t know. Martin Kimer finishes his day with a 78 seven over and Padre Harrington a 74 excuse me 73 to open for Harrington. Couple of past champions and RDER Cup captains kicking us off at the PGA Championship. Luke Donald four under 67 round first to play. He’s played 13 events so far this year and uh three top 25s, one second place finish and he’s ranked just barely outside the top 50 in the world at 51 working down the hill for birdie. That had promise, just needed a little bit more pace. It might have held its line. But uh I don’t think you’d ever complain about a par here at the 17th. That’s so difficult. He taps it in. Stay at 200. I beg you pardon. That was a 16. Puj at the 18th. That’s nice. Way right. [Music] It’s up in the gallery, I think. Bud Collie. His best finish at a PGA championship came here at Quail Hollow in 2017. His best friends with fellow Alabama alum Justin Thomas who held the Waker Trophy that week. Oh, come on. That’s unlucky. That was a good effort. [Applause] You think right there, oh, it’s got to go in. No. 270. It’s a cruel game to 17 from off the green. Hisune Rio [Applause] Hisatsune. Ah, what a brilliant, brilliant putt. Very impressive young man. Yeah, smart play using putter from off the green. Just kind of gets it in motion. takes the break for the back of the green just perfectly. Well done. Just the third birdie we’ve seen at 17 today belongs to the 22-year-old from Japan. Look at that steady front nine and then boom, four birdies in the last half a dozen holes vaultting up the leaderboard. the knocking on the door. Tied for fourth at the Valpar. Tied for fifth at the Bolero Texas Open. And now Poston JT Poston almost goodness answers. Yeah, normally an excellent putter. He’s just hasn’t been up to his normal form so far this season. I think that’s keeping him out of top 10s. You know, when you’re used to not relying on your putter, but you’re used to being a great putter. Can be so frustrating. He’s found something this week, though. Here’s the shot that Pooj has, his second after flaring it way right. He’s going to just try and escape back to the fairway. He puts it right in the bunker. He didn’t really have much there. Those trees are pretty tall and pretty thick. I wonder why you were coming over here now. I see why. Yeah, just watch your back. Harris English next to play on the green mile. Here’s his second shot. It’s a blind one. You’re doing your best not to over hook this into the water. Oh, that’s brilliantly done from that lie and that stance. That’s a good effort. Third from Puj from that bunker at 18. Going to need a golf shot here and poo over towards the gallery in the cart path. that surrounds 18. And he’s going to need that ball to check up. The backto- front green is not just on the green here, Jame. It’s not probably settle into that crack. No. Oh boy. Ah, there we go. Finally settled. So, he’ll be able to take nearest point of relief, which will be on the right side there of the cart path, but a bit of an adventure for the young Spaniard at the moment. Sitting at two under coming into this 18th hole. That was a pretty poor drive off the tea there for David Pu. Next group on the T- box at 16, Robert McIntyre playing alongside the leader and Steven Joerger. But it’s going to be Big Bob McIntyre first to play at three under three or three reaches. not reach it when it’s going to be close and it’s flicking between it’s looking a tad sunburned I think today is southwest young man from Scotland from Oand correct home of some pretty pretty delicious whiskey he does not have whiskey on his mind right now playing this hole we’ll see how he finishes Is it McIntyre? Always a big swing. Yeah, that’s absolutely perfect. McIntyre coming off of birdies at 14 and 15. And so is Steven Joerger to move himself into a solo lead at five under. That should be okay. Left center. Yep. Yeah, that’s perfect. It’s actually good angle to attack this green. Nicoia at the 17th. And he takes dead aim at the flag stick. Oh, and landed it in a perfect spot. The best we’ve seen today. Brilliant. Nicoia, [Applause] enjoy that long walk with the putter, Alex Norin. Kittyama actually on the tea. That one goes out to the right finding the pine straw and Harris English over at 16. Trying to play a little chip and run. Catches the edge of the cup. Flirting with it. He wanted to have a dead center hit there. Carried it just a little bit further than he really needed to as English just catches the edge. We’re going to take a step aside at the green mile. [Music] And now here’s Alex Norin sitting at three under on the T at 18. Right in the center cut of this final fairway. Harris English just skirted past the edge of this cup with his chip as this comebacker for par to stay at one under. English 9 f’ 7 in left for the Georgia Bulldog and he stays on that same side. He’s going to give one back to start off the green mile and move to even par. and Puj watching his round get away from him on the final hole of the day. Oh boy. Kind of reminds me of the little cartoon that we started off with as alligators and all sorts of uh obstacles and everything in the way on the green mile. And David Puj is uh he did not want to be in the middle of that. Now, this is no bargain either from this right hand bunker. Not much green to work with as he flips it up. Not a bad effort. He’s got an uphill putt now. Should have that for six. I ran out of fingers, toes there. And this is the drive for Kittyama. He was able to punch out of the pine straw as we head back to the birthday boy. He didn’t quite have the line on that one. John Summers turning 34 today. His third career major appearance. All of them coming at the PGA Championship. Yeah. And a shout out, I’m sure, for all of his members at Southern Hills Plantation Club there in Brooksville, Florida. All the members have got to be very, very proud of the 20 professionals, PGA professionals at the representing them in this field. It’s uh not easy to spend time working on your own game while you’re helping your members and working on their games and their champ their little tournaments all over the place. So well done Taylor Moore. A long look at bar at 18. Yeah, this particular green sort of higher in the back unlike 17. So that one just broke off to the right with the slope. Two overpower for Taylor. 73 after bogeying the final hole of the day. Solo leader Steven Joerger sitting on the left side of the fairway at 16. A great look at the approach shot downhill. He is in position A. He gets a full look at what’s in front of him. It is a terrific angle. If you could start it at the PGA at the TV tower and the 16. Let’s let the wind bring it left. That’s a pretty darn good effort. could have done with maybe another five or six yards of carry, but that is uh not bad. Center of the green you take every day regardless of where the flag is really. right now. Robert McIntyre. Couple of emotional wins on the PGA Tour. The RBC Canadian Open with his father Douggee on the bag and then the Scottish Open in 2024 native country. How cool with those two victories, especially the one with his dad on the back in Canada. It’s another very nicely played shot. You get a nice read from Steven Joerger here at 16. And we head back to the 18th where David Puja is just ready for it to be over. Phew. The double. That was one of the more adventurous doubles we’ve seen. He saw a lot. It’s getting warm out there. Collie and Etchavaria. Waiting to see who’s going to play first. Holly has a hard look. probably another one of the great stories on the PGA Tour. Returning to professional golf last year after a serious car accident in June of 2018. Six broken ribs, fractured left leg, collapsed right lung, had some more issues, had to get surgery, and took three years to get back on tour. It’s just inspirational tale of perseverance and determination. It’s not just a golf injury. It’s just a horrible calamity that happened to Bud. I know all of his PGA family were reaching out to him, wishing him well. Now at Chavaria, something didn’t quite look right. This is the best shot we’ve seen all day, isn’t it, Steven? Without question. On 17. This would be the fourth birdie today. And Nico finishes it off. Well done. [Applause] Moves him to three under. Two shots off the lead. It’s a great looking card except for that double on the par 31 13th. 4t 5 in for Etcha Maria. The only inside 10 ft so far today. Alex Norin with his second at the 18th. Oh, how good is that? Oh, terrific shot. And Alex Noran an opportunity to get to four under and finish off the green mile. [Applause] JT Poston on the TE at the 18th. That right bunker 296 to get in it. Very narrow fairway. Right. This is headed to the right. Needs to sit down. Not sure if it made the bunker or not. We’ll have to wait and see as we head back up to the 16th. Luis Scott, Bobby McIntyre, Duran on course, Jane Crafter, Steven Watson here with you at Quail Hollow for the PGA Championship. We’ve seen this part be so so slow uphill for the first part and kind of flattens out, but just difficult to judge. Haven’t seen very many putts get past the hole so far yet. Stephen playing a lot more uphill than these guys recognize. Moments before his putt, Steven Joerger in a similar position. Mhm. It’s definitely a common thread. Steven had a brilliant career on the corn ferry tour before he joined the PGA tour. Harris English at the 17th. And another one heading to the right. winner of the Farmers Insurance Open for his fifth career victory on the tour as he makes his way up 17. And now Joerger lining up his par putt at 16. And this is no gimme either. You’ve got to be very precise. We’ve seen a lot of putts kind of drift to the right from this position. Keep it inside the hole and inside left. Stay in the solo lead. Ah, no problem for him. Well done. As you can see, hails from Germany. He’s been over here a long time playing golf. Lots of birdies on the scorecard for Steven so far today. Moved to the US as an exchange student in the summer of 2006. He was 17 years old, barely spoke English. Here’s McInty. makes his par on 16. Alex Norin for his birdie to get to 400. That was a little bit of a wishy-washy effort there. Alex lacked a little bit of uh authority. playing in just his second event this season. An opening round 68 for the Sweet. Couple bogeies there on the first two holes of the Green Mile. Kirk Kittyama to finish his day. Well done. Las Vegas resident winner at Bay Hill for his long PGA tour win. It’s a pretty darn good place to win at Anie’s Annie’s place. I got to meet the great man once upon a time back in Australia. I was playing in the Victorian Open that was a men’s event and they invited two amateurs, women amateurs from each state and Arnold was the special invitee and I was hitting four irons on the driving range warming up and he came over and put his arm on my shoulder and said, “Hey, how’s it going, little lady?” And I’m like, “Oh, please. Why couldn’t I have a wedge in my hand?” [Laughter] He was lovely fellow. Never heard somebody say a bad word about honor. No, I don’t think there’s any bad words to say. The T-shots on 18 from Poston Isatsune and Johnson. Poston’s going to lead us off from the right rough. Ameilia, not a great lie. 218 yards. Ball above his feet. 191 to the front. That’s where he’s looking. They landed right in between those two greenside bunkers and bounded into the second one. Tried to hack at it where with the hybrid. He’s giving it the hairy eyeball there, wondering where on earth did that end up. I hope it’s an okay lie. Johnson’s played really solid today. Tom Johnson, director of instruction at Meadow Club. Three over par. Had a great chip on the last hole. Just wouldn’t wasn’t able to convert the par. 208 to the flag sitting on that back shelf. Body language says he likes it. Seemed like pretty good contact. Oh, great shot, Tom. Way to go. That sound you hear all his members back home cheering for him. Super effort. Fist pump with his caddy and a smile as he walks up the final hole. And Hatsune the last to play for this group from the fairway. It’s Atsune who had an unlikely birdie on the 17th. A great opportunity to hit another one close on 18. Just 198. So wind starting to help a little bit on this hole. It has and moving to the right which is where ball is headed. Yeah. Right next to his playing partner Poston in that bunker. Back over at 16. Here’s Caner. Oh boy. Club is out of the hands. And that’s what he thinks of that. Club might be in that pond shortly. The green mile will beat you up, Jane. Yes, it will. You got to have such mental fortitude, discipline, trust, trust in your golf swing. Harris English flipping a wedge from just off the green at 17. That was a tough lie from the back part of that swale. Nikicoa, it’s close as day. I doubt you could draw it up a whole lot better than that shot. Excellent. Thank you. English is long putt for P. Came back from hip surgery few years ago and was able to break through and win again on the PGA tour. Billy Horchel is undergoing hip surgery or has just come from hip surgery, not able to play this week. So there’s I think 98 of the top 100 players in the World Golf rankings are in the field. So it’s a great great field this week here at the PGA Championship. Always is. It is. But we wish Billy well if he happens to be watching. Hope you’re back. He’s a big fan of the ESPN Plus streams. No doubt. Michael Kim for par to stay at one over. Nicely done. Yeah, good pace. I like to see players putting those downhill putts where they just drip in the front. Look at his scorecard. Able to fight back after making double on 10. One more hole for his day and you head back to 18th. Couple of bunker shots await. Amelia with these shortsided bunker shots. Important for JT Poston to use the bounce to generate some kind of spin. It is a good lie and he’s hitting back into the wind which will help him spin the ball. The bunkers are also more compact from the rain this past week. We completely decelerated on that one. Looked like a shot where he was trying to let gravity come through and the follow through. It is downhill towards the flag was just tentative there. Yeah, I think I’d be a fan of a little bit shorter back swing and a little more acceleration to try and generate some spin. Amelia, we’ll see what see what can be done with the next shot. I agree, Jane. I feel like if you’re trying to get a little more speed on it, there’s less guessing that can go on. For Rio hits atune, he saw the complications that can happen on this bunker shot. A player with excellent short game. Yeah, that’s uh pretty textbook there. Isatsune will have that short putt to stay at three under in his opening round. I always found those short bunker shots a lot more fun, a lot easier than the long bunker shots. Um I don’t know about you, Amelia, when you were playing some of your best golf, did you enjoy like the the little splash bunker shots more? Oh, I loved a good short-sided bunker shot where I could put a lot of spin on it. The most challenging ones for me were the long shots because I found it very difficult to have enough confidence to carry something a lot further. Yeah, I think you’re right. And I think that’s sometimes the difference between men’s games and women’s games. The men seem to be able to generate a little bit more club head speed and make those long bunker shots look a little bit more effortless. I always found them more challenging and sometimes I like to use like a gap wedge. Exactly. I loved taking a 50 or a 54 degree and keeping the club face square and just running it up there. Yeah. Millia, what does Poston have in front of him with this putt? Well, it’s a big par putt, especially with the round that Poston has going. This is going to turn a little to the left. Definitely need to play this outside the hole. It’s a pretty flat putt, so I definitely think he can be aggressive with it. Poston to stay at four under. One shot off the lead. Oh, not that aggressive. Oh my goodness. Oh, that’s that awkward length again. And he’s got a thinker coming back. Saw that for cancer and here he is. He’s probably going to end up making a birdie. No, that’s not a bad play from there, though. We’ve seen how difficult that particular bunker shot is, uh, that particular pitch shot is from the side of that green. Based on his reaction, he didn’t think he was so lucky on the backside with that rough, but it held up his golf ball. Now he better apologize to his iron there. Now, how about Tom? Let’s see if he can Tom Johnson. Let’s see if he can make a birdie. Well, given the 18th plate as the hardest hole at the PJ Championship back in 2017, this would be one special birdie to finish off the green mile. Should be fairly quick. Oh, he’d love that one. We’ll tap that in for par. Opening round 74 for Tom Johnson, PGA director of instruction, Meadow Club in Fairfax, California. Awesome. He had an entertaining scorecard. A little bit of a sprinkle of both birdies and bogeies. And what’s running through your mind if you’re JT Poston right now, Jim? Well, please God, get this in the hole. Um, yeah, you’re wishing you hadn’t been quite so aggressive, but you just got to focus. And really, Amelia, don’t you just have to think of how many I’ve holed in my career? 100%. You just have to pick that start line and hit the same putt that you’ve been trying to hit on every single one. 4T 5 in for Poston. He makes his bogey. So drops him to three under. 68 opening round for JT Poston. Yeah. And I think you’d have to be well pleased with that. We’re up about an hour away from this golf course. Well, it’s sip of water and a putt to try and finish his day. Should be pretty straightforward. Not a lot in this one. Turning a special invite into the field this week. And Rio Hisatsune three under in his opening round. Here’s cancer. This fauxpaw. It’s a bogey for Larry Caner. [Applause] Big exhale. See a lot of that on the green mile. Robert McIntyre at 17. Looks like he’s setting up for a fade from right to left for the lefty. Good looking shape. Good looking shot. [Applause] Well done, Robert. Breathe a sigh of relief there. Beauty from the lefty. And now the leader, Steven Joerger. He’s trying to get that ball to come in from the right as well. Oh, he didn’t need much more. Maybe another yard. at the 18th. The second from Etcharia, just finds the first cut. The lake at the green mile. Beautiful day for golf at Quill Hollow. [Music] At no point in no time did I ever say I want to be on a tour. I don’t want to be a tour pro. I want to be At no point in no time did I ever say I want to be on the 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 want to go to a golf course every day of 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 it very straight. I’m putting well, I’m hitting my irons well. I think you get the Carolina peeps on board with the block party and we’re going to be good. Oh, it’ll certainly be a block party this week. If you remember any of that 2023 PGA Championship at Oakill, you probably remember that block party and of course the memorable ace on Sunday. Michael Black, one of the 20 PGA professionals in the field here this week getting set to get his first round underway. Pleasure to have your company this afternoon on our featured holes coverage here on ESPN Plus. M Patel tagging in alongside major champion, current International Team President’s Cup captain Jeff Oggov and our wonderful crew with you as well. And Jeff, the buildup to this week. There’s been a lot of talk about our featured homes, the famed Green Mile here at the end of Quail Hollow Club certainly living up to the moniker. It’s giving guys fits today. Yeah, it’s living up to its uh its moniker as you say. It’s probably the toughest three stretch holes, three stretches of holes on tour. Um they happen to be the last three holes of the course as well. And it’s uh they’ve been finding them tough this morning. That definitely has been tough. The 16th hole, the hardest on the golf course, 18th, the third toughest. And those are sandwiched around the long par three 17th. This man’s made a bunch of birdies today. Steven Joerger, the co-leader here for the outright lead. really fast fast putts you get here from the middle of the green on 17. It’s it’s not only one of the hardest greens to hit on tour. It’s just it’s a really slloppy fast green as well. Take a three and get out of there if you can. Scotsman here. McIntyre. Well, if there’s a disappointing par on 17, it’s that one. Uh, you don’t get many green light putts, but um, you’ll take three every time. So, Bob McIntyre wrapping up the nice opening round. Remains three under as Joerger cleans up for par. And no trouble there for Steven Joerger. Man out of Germany. and got his maiden PGA Tour victory at long last season and to make birdies and bunches. You see all the circles on the scorecard right there. He’ll head to the last with a share of the lead at 500 Paul as we go back to the team. Larry Caner dry land. So, he’s happy with that. What makes it so hard is you can’t bail it out to the right on 17. You really have to try to take the green on. It’s a very difficult pitch from right of the green up on the 18th green. Birdie effort does not go down. Orno Etchavaria, one of the players I’ll be watching pretty closely over the next year and a half. Potential President’s Cup player. Yeah, no doubt about it. Been playing well. Got the win last fall. Already a runnerup finish in a playoff earlier this year. Though the green mile always is difficult, but just how difficult has it been today. More golf balls have gone swimming that have created circles. Yeah, it’s an incredible stretch. I mean, we saw the number one and two and three player golfer golfers in the world this morning all make six double bogeies on the 16th hole. You don’t see that every day, so it must be a tough stretch of holes. That’s one that you’ll have to conquer if you want to win the 107th PGA Championship. Bud Collie here, finishing up round one. Collie, a remarkable comeback story, suffered a horrific car accident, a long lengthy process back to professional golf. had a great finish in his backyard at the players championship earlier this year and despite the opening 74. Just great to see Bud back out and playing and we know he’s got work ahead of him tomorrow. One of the good guys out on tour and yeah, it looks like the green mile bit him a little bit there too. Buggy buggy double finish it looked like for Bud. Um but yeah, great to see him back out there. One of one of the locker rooms good guys. Thanks, Thompson. A tough day as well to minimize the damage at the end, [Applause] the look of exhaustion. He looks a bit beaten up, doesn’t he? That’s a That’s a tough way to bring your round in with these three holes. Neta Maria in with a par. Some of those morning groups wrapping up round one on what’s been an interesting day here at Quail Hollow Club. There are some low rounds out there. Rain the story for much of the week. Almost 5 in of rain following over the last 10 days, but the grounds crew here has this place in tiptop shape. So five under leads the way here on Thursday afternoon in Charlotte. Ryan Gerard who played collegially at the University of North Carolina and Steven Joerger five in the red and Jerger is headed to the 18th T long hitter a little bit of a backup so he is waiting there but as we scroll down further here Jeeoff there are birdies to be had out there for the guys that are striking it well. Yeah, I mean it’s not the leaderboard. We do so much talk before these tournaments and we talk about the favorites all the time and but uh not the leaderboard we would have predicted, but Thursday the PGA often does that. Throws up uh some interesting leaderboards, which is good, which is great for these guys who aren’t used to being in the in the mix at the major championship to get themselves up there on the leaderboard after day one. Tough golf course. They’ve had a strange preparation with all the rain we had on Monday and Tuesday. Uh and they’re just probably happy to get going and be playing in the sunshine. Sun finally out and shining. Evaded any raindrops yesterday on Wednesday, golf course drying up some, but Thursday, Friday looking pretty good right now. Going to be hot and humid here in the heart of Charlotte. So, plenty players wrapping up round one as some of the afternoon groups get onto the golf course. Harris English playing into the 18th. Be a good golf course for Harry, I would think. hits it pretty long off the tea. Very high ball. High ball flight. That’s a great shot into 18. Very hard to hold hit it pin high on 18. Always a little level, little ridge in the middle of the green. Tough to get it back there alongside the Belgian Thomas Dietri. What a beautiful golf swing. Thomas has first ever player from Belgium to win on the PGA Tour earlier this year. 24 under out in the desert of Phoenix. And to your point, not always easy to attack that whole location. He did so beautifully. See this the stand with the white bit on it? The stand furthest right that you can see with the roof. The roof bit. Yeah. I’m liking see the next stand. Yeah. The gap, the walkway. The walkway between. Yeah. Perfect. Such a tough T-shot. 18 is really what makes the hole so difficult. Water on the left obviously all the way up the hole and that right bunker which seems like a good place to aim it is a spot you don’t want to hit it either. So it’s just it asks a question and you got to come up with a good answer. Did it be being a left-hander make this hole any harder or easier? Um probably easier in modern day golf. I think moving a fading your driver these days seems to be the sort of what