PITTSFORD, N.Y. — One drive was so errant that it plunked a fellow competitor on the next tee box, but most of Bryson DeChambeau’s other shots went right where he wanted.
DeChambeau shot a 4-under-par 66 to capture the lead midway through the first round of the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club on Thursday.
Scottie Scheffler and Corey Conners of Canada shared the lead at 3-under 67 before DeChambeau eked past them. Keegan Bradley, playing with Scheffler, turned in a 2-under 68, tied with New Zealand’s Ryan Fox and Norway’s Viktor Hovland.
DeChambeau started his round on the back nine and was 1 under when he reached the par-4 17th hole. His drive took a right turn and reached the 18th tee box, bouncing off Kenny Pigman, one of 20 PGA teaching professionals in the field.
The 2020 U.S. Open champion made bogey but responded with birdies at Nos. 18, 1 and 4. He and Bradley moved to 4 under when they each birdied the par-4 sixth, but Bradley bogeyed two of his last three holes to drop back.
DeChambeau — now with LIV Golf and slimmed down after a muscle-building phase — did what he does best, leading the field in driving distance at an average of 347 yards.
Scheffler, the 2022 Masters champion and World No. 2, notched the first bogey-free round at a major of his young but bright career. He sank 15-footers for birdie at the par-4 14th and the par-3 fifth holes. Scheffler stuck his approach shot at his penultimate hole 3 feet from the cup and tapped in for his third birdie of the day.
“This place is pretty tough,” Scheffler said. “I came into (Thursday’s) round just trying to play solid golf. I kept the course in front of me for the most part and hit some really good tee shots on the important holes. Then I had some nice saves as well.”
Conners poured in six birdies, three on the front nine and three on the back. His 30-foot putt at the par-3 15th briefly gave him sole possession of the lead at 4 under before he bogeyed his next hole.
Fox has not competed since the Masters more than a month ago, but he had some good reasons. After withdrawing from the RBC Heritage the week after the Masters, the 36-year-old was diagnosed with pneumonia.
“Took me two weeks at home to get over that, and just after that happened our second daughter was born, little Margot,” Fox said on the ESPN broadcast. “… I spent most of my time being Dad and not a whole lot of time on the golf course. So I worked pretty hard the first three days (of practice rounds) to try to find something, and pretty happy to find something today.”
Tee times were pushed back by one hour and 50 minutes due to an early morning frost delay.
Kazuki Higa, a 28-year-old from Japan, began his day on the back nine and birdied Nos. 11-14 to separate from the pack early. His morning lead was short-lived, as he carded a double bogey followed by three bogeys to finish at 2-over 72.
Some of best golfers in the world played in the morning wave and struggled in the cool conditions. Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland was 3 over through nine holes before rallying to card a 1-over 71. Collin Morikawa also shot 71, defending champion Justin Thomas signed for a 72 and Cameron Smith of Australia shot 72.
World No. 1 Jon Rahm of Spain posted a surprising 6-over 76. After opening with a birdie at No. 10, he overshot some greens and bogeyed five times in a six-hole stretch from No. 16 to No. 3. He added a two-putt double bogey at the seventh on his way in.
Several notable players with late-afternoon tee times were just beginning their rounds, including Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, Adam Scott of Australia, Max Homa, Tony Finau, Xander Schauffele, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Cantlay and Phil Mickelson.
–By Adam Zielonka, Field Level Media