Bryson DeChambeau main PGA Championship after ‘flawless’ first spherical

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Look who’s on the prime of the PGA Championship leaderboard.

Bryson DeChambeau, who’s disappeared from rivalry since he joined LIV Golf, charged to a one-shot lead at Oak Hill in Thursday’s opening spherical a sterling 4-under-par 66.

DeChambeau, who was among the many gamers within the morning wave of tee instances, leads Scottie Scheffler and Canadian Corey Conners, each of whom shot 67, by one shot and Keegan Bradley, one in all his enjoying companions for the primary two rounds, Viktor Hovland and Ryan Fox from New Zealand by two pictures after they posted 68s.

“It’s a unbelievable spherical of golf at Oak Hill, it’s a prestigious place, a really tough golf course,’’ DeChambeau stated afterward. “As I used to be taking a look at it all through the week, I’m like, ‘Man, I don’t know the way taking pictures underneath par is even potential out right here on among the golf holes.’ However fortunately, I used to be capable of play some actually good golf, hit a whole lot of fairways, did my job and made some putts.’’

Earlier than a tie for fifth at the latest LIV occasion, final week in Tulsa, DeChambeau’s finest end on the Saudi-backed tour was a tie for sixteenth among the many 5 tournaments he’s performed this 12 months.

He missed the reduce on the Masters final month.

“The feelings have positively fluctuated fairly excessive and fairly low, considering I’ve one thing and it fails and going backwards and forwards,’’ DeChambeau stated of his spotty kind. “It’s humbling. Golf and life all the time has a great way of kicking you in your you already know what if you find yourself in your excessive horse. It’s good to really feel this immediately.’’

Bradley afterward stated he was “completely satisfied’’ for DeChambeau.

“Geez, he performed nice,’’ Bradley, the 2011 PGA Championship winner, stated. “It seemed like Bryson to me. He hit the ball nice, putted nice, drove it very nice. It was good to see him. He was smashing drives once more, and he performed just about flawless golf.’’

Amongst some prime gamers who weren’t flawless on Thursday included world No. 1 and reigning Masters champion Jon Rahm, who shot a 6-over-par 76, reigning U.S. Open champion Matthew Fitzpatrick (76), two-time PGA winner Brooks Koepka (72), Jordan Spieth (73), Cam Smith (72), defending champion Justin Thomas (72), Rory McIlroy (71) and Collin Morikawa (71).