CHARLOTTE, North Carolina :Sunny skies and soggy conditions greeted the early starters as the PGA Championship got underway on Thursday at Quail Hollow Club where the high-profile group of Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele were about to begin.
Big hitters could have an early edge as intense rain earlier in the week has left fairways wet and, as a result, the par-71 layout that measures 7,626 yards is playing much longer, though conditions are expected to firm as the week goes on.
World number two McIlroy, who completed the career Grand Slam at last month’s Masters, will be the first from his high-profile group to tee off when he hits his opening shot from the par-five 10th hole at 8:22 a.m. ET (1222 GMT).
Scheffler has hit his stride right in time for the year’s second major having matched the PGA Tour 72-hole scoring record in his last start, while Schauffele is bidding to become the event’s first repeat winner since Brooks Koepka in 2019.
Justin Thomas, who won the first of his two PGA Championship titles when it was last held at Quail Hollow in 2017, and Jordan Spieth, making his ninth attempt at securing a career Grand Slam, are among the late starters.
Among the other notable players with late tee times are U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, 2025 Masters runner-up Justin Rose and world number four Collin Morikawa.
European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald had the honour of hitting the first shot of the tournament when he set off from the first tee in the company of Ireland’s Padraig Harrington and Germany’s Martin Kaymer.
