American Olympic gold medalist Xander Schauffele of San Diego, California had a round to remember at the 2024 PGA Championship on Thursday. Schauffele shot a score of nine-under-par 62 and now has a three-stroke-lead over his three nearest competitors.
This is in fact the second time that Schauffele posted a score of nine-under-par 62 at a major tournament. He and Rickie Fowler of Murrieta, California accomplished the feat at the 2023 United States Open. The only other golfer to shoot -9 at a major was Branden Grace of Pretoria, South Africa in the third round of the 2017 British Open.
On Thursday in the first round. Schauffele did not have a single bogey and had nine birdies along the way. He birdied the second, fourth, fifth, seventh, 11th, 13th, 15th, 16th, and 18th holes.
Thew three golfers in contention are Americans Tony Finau of Salt Lake City, Utah, Sahith Theegala of Orange, California, and Mark Hubbard of Denver, Colorado. They are all in second place at -6.
Schauffele is the world number three and had the definite edge over the two golfers who are ahead of him in the world rankings. However, it should be noted that world number one Scottie Scheffler of Ridgewood, New Jersey and world number two Rory McIlroy of Holywood, Northern Ireland are lurking. Scheffler is in 12th place at -4, and McIlroy is in fifth place at -5.
The biggest question with McIlroy at the moment will be his head space. According to Golf Digest, McIlroy filed for divorce with his wife Erica this week after seven years of marriage.
