(Photo credit score: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images)
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Four gamers from 4 continents with a complete of zero main championships share the lead halfway by the primary spherical of the PGA Championship.
Ryo Hisatsune of Japan poured in 5 of his seven birdies on the again 9 to affix South Africa’s Aldrich Potgieter, Germany’s Stephan Jaeger and Australia’s Min Woo Lee in a tie at 3-under-par 67 on Thursday at Aronimink Golf Club.
That quartet was an inch forward of 4 gamers within the clubhouse at 2-under 68: 2024 PGA champ Xander Schauffele, Sahith Theegala, Max Greyserman and England’s Daniel Brown.
A big tie at 1-under 69 included Jon Rahm of Spain, Australians Jason Day and Cameron Smith, three-time PGA champion Brooks Koepka and Jordan Spieth — who briefly held a share of the lead on his second 9 earlier than he chased birdies at Nos. 5-6 with bogeys at Nos. 7-8.
Hisatsune, 23, discovered 13 of 14 fairways in regulation however was undone by 4 bogeys. Potgieter, 21, scored equally nicely with six birdies on his card.
Jaeger birdied 4 of his first six holes to race in entrance; all 4 of these birdie putts got here from at the very least 13 toes away, together with 39 1/2 toes on No. 4 and 22 toes on No. 5.
A 36-year-old grinder and not using a top-20 end at a serious, Jaeger cooled off on the again 9 after capitalizing on mushy greens early within the morning after some in a single day rain.
‘It’s type of arduous since you type of put together for a sure golf course, and you do not know how a lot rain the golf course acquired, how mushy it’s,’ Jaeger mentioned. ‘So you type of inch your manner the primary couple holes with some wedges off fairways and see what the ball’s doing on the greens.
‘But it held up nice, truthfully. The golf course is in unbelievable form. Even with the rain, the greens have some bounce to them.’
Garrick Higgo of South Africa was lower than 60 seconds late to his tee time and incurred a two-stroke penalty on the primary gap. But he rebounded to attain a 1-under 69 — that means he’d be tied for the lead with out the penalty.
Higgo tried to plead his case within the scoring tent.
‘I used to be simply making an attempt to get proof. I really feel like all of you’ll have finished the identical,’ Higgo declared. ‘It’s type of — I used to be there on time, however the rule is, for those who’re one second late, you are late. So if you concentrate on it, I used to be there on time, if what I imply.’
Rahm, taking part in in a gaggle with Spieth and Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, holed out for eagle at No. 2 and chipped in for birdie on the par-3 eighth earlier than a closing birdie at No. 9.
McIlroy struggled along with his driver and turned in a 4-over 74. Bryson DeChambeau faltered on his approaches and with the flatstick, posting a 6-over 76 with no birdies till his ultimate gap.
Notable gamers with afternoon tee occasions embody World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa, J.J. Spaun, Justin Thomas, Cameron Young, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, Ireland’s Shane Lowry and Englishmen Tommy Fleetwood, Matt Fitzpatrick and Justin Rose.
–Adam Zielonka, Field Level Media