Xander Schauffele Has Historic Start to PGA Championship
Xander Schauffele emerged as a frontrunner in the PGA Championship at Valhalla this year, alongside Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and Brooks Koepka, drawing significant attention as potential victors of the tournament. His opening round on Thursday morning was nothing short of historic, as Schauffele capitalized on the softened course conditions due to rain, delivering one…
Xander Schauffele emerged as a frontrunner in the PGA Championship at Valhalla this year, alongside Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and Brooks Koepka, drawing significant attention as potential victors of the tournament.
His opening round on Thursday morning was nothing short of historic, as Schauffele capitalized on the softened course conditions due to rain, delivering one of the finest performances in PGA major history.
With an outstanding 9-under 62, Schauffele seized the top spot on the leaderboard, making PGA Championship history with a record-setting score that also matched the lowest round ever recorded in any major tournament. The previous record for the PGA Championship was set a decade ago by Jose Maria Olazabal with a 63 at Valhalla.
Interestingly, Schauffele had previously equaled this mark at last year’s U.S. Open, sharing the honor with Rickie Fowler at Los Angeles Country Club, matching Branden Grace’s record from the 2017 Open at Royal Birkdale.
Entering the PGA Championship in strong form, Schauffele’s momentum was evident, having secured a second-place finish the previous week behind McIlroy, who staged a remarkable final round to claim victory at the Wells Fargo Championship.
Schauffele’s record-breaking round unfolded with an impressive 31 on his first nine holes, starting on Hole 10. He then heated up on the front nine, notching birdies on three out of four holes, sinking putts all within 10 feet of the pin.
His round concluded with a total of nine birdies, the final one clinched on the par-5 seventh hole. After reaching the green in two shots, Schauffele secured a two-putt finish, setting himself on course for his historic achievement.
As of the latest update, Tony Finau holds second place at 6-under through 16 holes, with McIlroy and Robert MacIntyre tied for third at 5-under. Notably, 48 golfers are yet to tee off, including Scheffler and Jon Rahm, promising further excitement and competition as the tournament progresses.