NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
The Leaderboard at the PGA Championship in 2025 is a head-crasher for some, but Quail Hollow Club’s challenge could be perfectly summarized by a hole The three best golfers in the world, all struggling with during Thursday’s opening round.
Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlory and Xander Schauffele are ranked one to three in the official world gap, and they all ended with a double bogey on par-4, 535-yard 16 hole in their opening rounds.
Their problems with the hole were on full view as a highlighted group at the start of the tournament, and McIlroy fired his tee shot to the left, which is an area to be avoided due to water. The rough caught his ball, but an awkward lie does not allow him to get the ball more than 20 meters into the fairway.
CLICK HERE for more sports cover at Foxnews.com
Scottie Scheffler Tees out on the third hole during the first round of the PGA Championship Golf Tournament at Quail Hollow. (Aaron Doster/Imag images)
From there, McIlroy’s approach missed the green to the right, and the rear left pin did not make it easy to keep it close to walking away with a bogey. He had a 12-foot putt to go away with a five, but he missed and made double instead.
Scheffler and Schauffele had better luck from the tee, but they both struggled to find the green in regulation. With water around it, they both found the bottom with their approach shoots that went too far.
Golfer hunter Mahan suggests PGA Championship -Scourse Shares with Kardashians
Both players fell into the penalty area to continue the hole, and again the location was treacherous for all golfers and made it difficult to get it close. Scheffler had 52 meters to map a bogey, but he hit a seven-foot to make a double. Then, the Schaffele To-Putter from approx. 34 meters.
Scheffler managed better than McIlroy and SchaUffele and finished his opening round tied to 19. At 2 under. Schauffele went into the clubhouse on 1-over after 18 holes, while McIlroy, winner of Masters in April, was 3-over after shot a 74.
Rory McIlroy responds to his putt to the fourth hole during the first round of the PGA Championship Golf Tournament at Quail Hollow. (Jim Dedmon/Imag- Pictures)
After his round, Scheffler told journalists that the dreaded “Mud Ball” was the cause of his 16th hollow accident.
“It’s one of the offers where it’s frustrating to hit the ball in the middle of the fairway and get mud on it and have no idea where it wants to go,” he told journalists. “I understand that it is part of the game, but there is nothing more frustrating for a player.
“You spend your whole life trying to learn how to control a golf ball, and because of a rules of rules, you suddenly have no absolute control over where that golf ball is going. But I don’t make the rules. I just have to tackle the consequences of these rules.”
The three were not the only top golfers who struggled to find out Quail Hollow on Thursday. Bryson DeChambeau (1-over), Max Homa (2-over), Jordan Spieth (3-over) and Brooks Koepka (4-over) fought everyone to find a groove. Phil Mickelson even mapped an 8-over 79, which will be almost impossible to get down before the clip Friday.
Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele. (IMagn)
Not everyone had the same experience. American Ryan Gerard led most of the day after shooting a 5-under 66. Australian Cam Davis matched him and went into the clubhouse with the same score, though he could have led to 6-Under, if not for a bogey on the last hole.
