Luke Donald brought a pashooter to a firearm show and proved quite brilliantly that there is more than one way to kill a quail. As it is deliciously unexpected.
There is a good chance that he will soon back down to the standard, but four under peer, he has already dropped many putts and jaws in the PGA championship.
Do not forget, it is a beast of 7,626 yards of a course. A bomber track. And let’s not forget that Donald is 47 years old, failed to cut a cup in 2025, and even in his best many years ago now, he was a short striker.
But he reversed our sense of logic by reaching the n ° 1 of the world in 2011 and 2012, and he did it again here. As always, the cunning in the short term and a putter heated with white were at the heart of this one, with a round without Bogey of 67 his lower the opening day of a major for 21 years.
To reflect, the old boy was only given a place in this area on the basis of his European Captain of the Ryder Cup, and will start his second seven -fire loop away from Rory McILroy, on three, and three in front of Scottie Scheffler. Only Ryan Gerard of the early wave was better placed after 66.
With Bryson Dechambeau among the subsequent beginners, there was still a lot of scope for muscle and raw strength to win the day at Quail Hollow. But Donald’s position was just as encouraging and well deserved as McILroy’s first major major part was disappointing.
Luke Donald shone in the first round of the American PGA championship on Thursday and fired -4
Captain of Europe Ryder Cup, Donald, pulled his lowest score on the first day of a major for 21 years
However, Rory McILroy endured a lamentable day and was far from the pace after ending at +3
For an illustration of the appearance of Donald’s day, consider this: he only reached nine green regulations and did not drop a single blow. His touch around those who put surfaces were Golden and his game with the blade even clearer.
This meant the Holing by putts from a 30 -foot handset on the first three holes, and he made another backup from 10 feet at the last, after visiting a Greenside bunker. Between the two, there were four birdies and a single trip beyond 300 meters.
The Europeans whom he came to monitor, included McILroy, would do well to reverse the dynamics and to appreciate an alternative approach to a sport in Thrall to lie down from the tee. When many big names, Xander Schauffele and Scheffler among them, rage against the decision not to authorize the favorite lies after the recent storms, Donald continued to compile a higher score.
Naturally, he was as shocked as anyone, especially having missed the cuts in 12 of his last 20 tournaments and in the five he disputed this year.
“Someone just told me it was the first lowest round in a major that I have had since 2004 or something,” he said. ‘So you know, of course, I tend with all the missed cuts entering this week …
“But no, it was a pleasant surprise. I am very happy.
As a oddity, its US Ryder Cup counterpart, Keegan Bradley, ended near three under the peer, although it was the world n ° 19, therefore 852 levels higher than Donald. Alex Smalley, from the United States, joining Donald on four under the United States, which only made the first alternative on Wednesday evening, and Ryan Fox, whose qualification was obtained on weekends. It was this kind of ranking halfway through the day.
For the first beginners, the challenge came from the navigation of a course which had been soaked under five inches of rain last week. These storms gave way to a beautiful sun, but left a little juicy in its wake and its muddy balls in the fairway. The decision against the favorite lies would be under fire.
McILroy’s round was full of mistakes and he could not save his shape of masters
Ryan Gerard, who plays the tournament for the first time, is the first leader on -6
For McILroy, everything blame for his 74 should get closer to his home. Having started his tour on the 10th hole per-crest with an 11 feet for birdie, he made a royal spoiling of his turn. During his first nine holes, he struck only one fairway, with failures on the left both frequent and expensive.
A low point was a sliced sipstick at four feet in the 14th rolling and another horror followed the 16th monstrously long, where he slipped on his second deeply rough stroke and advanced the ball at only 30 meters. There is a double Bogey, which was the same number recorded by the other components of a golden group with Scheffler and champion in title Schauffele.
The problems encountered by this last pair in this hole were seated at the root of the “mud” row. The two men had pulled left in the water from the middle of the fairway and lean that he would have avoided if they had been allowed to clean and move.
Scheffler, who recovered in two under 69 under the mass after having reached the highest than two, said: “I understand how a golf purist would be” Oh, play it as he is “. But I do not think they understand what it is to work all your life to learn to hit a golf ball and to control it and to strike shots and to control the distance, and suddenly due to a decision of rules which is completely removed by chance.
“I want the purest and the fairest test in the golf course, and in my opinion maybe the ball should have been played. It cost me two shots on a hole.
Schauffele, who carded a 72, said: “ I wouldn’t want to go to the locker room because I am sure that many guys are not super satisfied with the conditions there. I have the impression that the grass is so good, there is no real advantage to clean your ball in the fairway. It fears that you are a little 50/50 once you have hit the fairway.
It was fiery. For his part, McILroy, who only pulled two birdies all day, opted against the written media.
As always, we are waiting for the day he and Scheffler have an appropriate duel with the other. Maybe the second round will offer better.
Donald would undoubtedly be satisfied with the same thing.
