The late groups are finally on the course at Valhalla after a delayed start and if early indications hold, scores could go very low. The rain-soaked course if soft, leading to favorable scoring conditions. Phil Mickelson took advantage early on with two birdies in his first three holes. He now trails leader Rory McIlroy by just a shot.
PGA Championship leaderboard: Phil Mickelson making an early move
Following a long weather delay, the leaders are beginning to make their way around Valhalla. Rory McIlroy is in the lead, but Phil Mickelson is off to a quick start.
Mickelson is off to a terrific start. Mickelson found the center of the fairway on his opening tee shot and followed it up with a solid approach to the green. Mickelson has putted well thus far and he’ll need that to continue if he’s going to make a run. He couldn’t have started any better with the flatstick, drilling a 30-foot putt on No. 1 for an opening birdie. He moved into a tie for second place on No. 3 when he hit a pure iron into the par-3 then made the 10-foot putt for birdie. The early red numbers have him at 12-under.
McIlroy is yet to find a birdie, opening with back-to-back pars. He will likely need to find some red numbers if he’s going to stay in the lead. Low scores can be had, evidence by some of the early results. Ernie Els has gone low early, carding a 5-under 30 on the front nine. He started well off the lead, but is now just two back. If one of the players in the late groups can make a similar run, that could be enough to prevent McIlroy from his third straight win.
Here is a current look at the leaderboard with the leaders early in their round:
Place | Player | Score | Thru |
1 | Rory McIlroy | -13 | 2 |
T2 | Phil Mickelson | -12 | 3 |
T2 | Bernd Wiesberger | -12 | 2 |
T4 | Ernie Els | -11 | 11 |
T4 | Henrik Stenson | -11 | 4 |
T4 | Mikko Ilonen | -11 | 4 |
T4 | Rickie Fowler | -11 | 3 |
T8 | Jason Day | -10 | 4 |
T8 | Louis Oosthuizen | -10 | 4 |
T10 | Jim Furyk | -9 | 6 |
T10 | Graham DeLaet | -9 | 5 |
T10 | Ryan Palmer | -9 | 5 |
T10 | Jamie Donaldson | -9 | 5 |
T14 | Charl Schwartzel | -8 | 15 |
T14 | Alexander Levy | -8 | 11 |
T14 | Jimmy Walker | -8 | 10 |
T14 | Brooks Koepka | -8 | 8 |
T14 | Lee Westwood | -8 | 6 |
T14 | Hunter Mahan | -8 | 5 |
T14 | Steve Stricker | -8 | 5 |
T21 | Justin Rose | -7 | 12 |
T21 | Marc Warren | -7 | 8 |
T21 | Bill Haas | -7 | 8 |
T21 | Brandt Snedeker | -7 | 6 |
T21 | Joost Luiten | -7 | 6 |
T21 | Kevin Chappell | -7 | 6 |
T27 | Sergio Garcia | -6 | 9 |
T27 | Danny Willett | -6 | 6 |
T27 | Adam Scott | -6 | 5 |
T30 | Thorbjorn Olesen | -5 | F |
T30 | Jerry Kelly | -5 | 17 |
T30 | Kenny Perry | -5 | 16 |
T30 | Victor Dubuisson | -5 | 7 |
T34 | Cameron Tringale | -4 | F |
T34 | Jonas Blixt | -4 | 13 |
T34 | Ryan Moore | -4 | 9 |
T37 | Vijay Singh | -3 | F |
T37 | Hideki Matsuyama | -3 | F |
T37 | Richard Sterne | -3 | F |
T37 | Daniel Summerhays | -3 | 16 |
T37 | Nick Watney | -3 | 12 |
T42 | Koumei Oda | -2 | F |
T42 | Jason Bohn | -2 | F |
T42 | Brendon de Jonge | -2 | F |
T42 | Luke Donald | -2 | 16 |
T42 | Chris Wood | -2 | 15 |
T47 | Shane Lowry | -1 | F |
T47 | Robert Karlsson | -1 | F |
T47 | Graeme McDowell | -1 | F |
T47 | Marc Leishman | -1 | F |
T47 | Pat Perez | -1 | F |
T47 | Fabrizio Zanotti | -1 | F |
T47 | Matt Jones | -1 | F |
T47 | Scott Brown | -1 | F |
T47 | Geoff Ogilvy | -1 | F |
T47 | Brian Harman | -1 | 13 |
T57 | Brendan Steele | E | F |
T57 | Gonzalo Fdez-Castano | E | F |
T57 | Francesco Molinari | E | F |
T57 | Ian Poulter | E | F |
T57 | Edoardo Molinari | E | 17 |
T57 | Branden Grace | E | 17 |
T57 | Billy Horschel | E | 11 |
64 | Patrick Reed | 1 | 17 |
65 | J.B. Holmes | 2 | 15 |
T66 | Bubba Watson | 3 | F |
T66 | Chris Stroud | 3 | F |
T66 | Kevin Stadler | 3 | F |
69 | Shawn Stefani | 4 | F |
T70 | Freddie Jacobson | 5 | F |
T70 | Colin Montgomerie | 5 | F |
T70 | Zach Johnson | 5 | F |
73 | Brendon Todd | 9 | F |
74 | Rafael Cabrera-Bello | 10 | F |
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