Reigning Olympic chanp Xander Schauffele created golfing history on the opening day of the 106th PGA Championship at Valhalla in Louisville, Kentucky
The World No. 3 came to Valhalla Golf Club after leading heading into the final round of last week’s Wells Fargo Championship but found himself playing second fiddle to World No. 2 Rory McIlroy.
Though as we know two days are never the same in golf and the 30-year-old Schauffele brilliantly snatching nine birdies to shoot a bogey-free 9-under 62, which set a new Valhalla course record and is the lowest score in PGA Championship history.
Schauffele also shot 62 in the opening round of last year’s U.S. Open at the Los Angeles Country Club to thus become the first golfer to shoot two rounds of 62 in major championships.
A MAJORS FIRST FOR @XSchauffele ….
The reigning @OlympicGolf gold medal becomes a first in the history of men’s majors to post two 6⃣2⃣s with his sensational 9-under showing day one 1⃣0⃣6⃣th @PGAChampionship
Read: https://t.co/aB9GPMCfpY
PGA
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— Golf & Science News (@TOURMISS) May 16, 2024
“It feels great,” Schauffele said. “It’s just day one but if someone had said I was going to shoot nine under I would certainly have taken it.
“I’ve been playing some really good golf, having a lot of close calls, so me and my team say why not keep chugging along?
“I’m very happy with the way I played but I can’t really think much more about it, just got to go and tee it up again tomorrow.”
The combination of elite driving, precise iron play and confident putting made Schauffele’s round look effortless. Starting on the 10th hole he made an easy par to start before rolling off five birdies over the next eight holes before making the turn. Birdie at No. 3 was from inside 3 feet, he rolled one in from 13 feet on 13, from 16 feet on 15 and from inside 8 feet on the 16th hole.
Schauffele closed his first nine holes with an up and down birdie on the par-5 18th.
It was more of the same on the last nine holes for the man searching for his first major championship. Schauffele birdied 2, 4 and 5 to get to 8 under on the day. Then on the par-5 seventh hole, he two-putted from inside 60 feet to get to the record-setting number.
