Scottie Scheffler had a strong start on the first day of the PGA Championship.
The world No. 1 has struggled all season with slow starts that kept him short of eight balls for the rest of the tournament, but that wasn’t the case for Aronimink.
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Scheffler shot a 67 in the first round, tied for seven batters, and took the lead at 3 under. He took advantage of a slightly easier front nine to get into a rhythm early and looked comfortable in the tricky conditions.
His driving accuracy has been an issue all year, but Scheffler continued to hit fairways all day long, which proved to be the key to his success in this setup, which features thick rough.
And shockingly, after 18 holes, Scheffler had accomplished something he had never accomplished before in a major championship.
Photo by Terrence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Scottie Scheffler becomes first major 18-hole leader
It seems unfathomable, but this is the first time in Scheffler’s career that he led a major championship after 18 holes. He has four major wins under his belt, but never entered Friday in such a favorable position.
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This is as crowded as the scoreboard. Seven players are tied for the lead, and T34 is just three strokes behind the leader. But Scheffler is one of the seven leaders, and this bodes well for the rest of the golf world.
Despite his late start, Schaeffler has finished runner-up in the past three tournaments. He stormed off Rory McIlroy at the Masters over the weekend, falling just short, and did the same to Matt Fitzpatrick at RBC Heritage, losing in a playoff.
So now that Scheffler doesn’t have a head start on this field, his recent form suggests he’ll run away with this tournament this weekend.
2026 PGA Championship leaderboard will be the first major championship
This is the most cohesive leaderboard in modern major championship history. That’s not an exaggeration.
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Through 18 holes, 48 players are within three strokes of the leader, Scheffler, the most players within three strokes after a major round in modern golf.
That means even players outside the cut line, like McIlroy, who hit four overs, are still within reach of the lead after the first day. Looking at the leaderboard, the Northern Irishman’s score looks much worse than it actually is.
If Scheffler continues to play like this, some separation may start to build, but everything is still in the balance after Thursday.
