Charlotte, NC – The strongest field of the majors gave way to a few surprises on Thursday in the PGA championship, starting with Jhonattan Vegas in charge in the head with a 7 -mine of 64 and the 10 best players in the world nowhere among the 10 best hollow quail.
A long day of sun and mud balls ended with Vegas in the penultimate group playing the best golf that no one saw.
A briefly energized crowd was mainly gone when Vegas made his way until the arrival with five birdies over his last six holes, ending with an 18 feet on n ° 8 and a 25 feet on the ninth accident.
It was the best score of Vegas in 45 rounds playing the majors. The Venezuelan has never finished in the Top 20 in a major and has not qualified for it for three years.
He had an advance of two strokes on Ryan Gerard, the recruit of the PGA Tour which grew up in North Carolina and was the only other player to reach 7 sous to Bogeys on his last two holes. He was joined at 66 by Cam Davis of Australia.
The biggest crowd belonged to the first three in the world, and it was not as inspiring as four of the last five majors they have combined to win.
The champion of masters, Rory McILroy, did not sort out on his last 12 holes and had nothing to say on this subject after a 3 against 74 sent him directly to the range.
Scottie Scheffler and the defending champion of the PGA, Xander Schauffele, had a lot to say about the mud balls on the TEE shots, in particular on the 16th hole which sent the two to Double Bogey. Scheffler at least broken two blows from Green – one for Birdie, one for Eagle – and he finished with an iron at 6 of 215 yards at 3 feet on n ° 9 which sent him to a 69.
“I did a good job to fight and keep a level there for a day, which certainly had difficult aspects during the course,” said Scheffler. “I did a good job by publishing a number one day when I didn’t have my best things.”
For the first time in at least 30 years, the 10 best scores after the first round of a major have included no one in the top 10 in the world ranking.
In their place, Vegas, who recovered his game in order only last year when he won in Minnesota, and a host of other surprises.
Alex Smalley, the first alternative that discovered about 15 hours before leaving that he had a place on the ground, rolled in a 70-foot eagle putt on a 67. Ryan Fox in New Zealand, who qualified by winning the Myrtle Beach Classic, was also 67 years old.
They were joined by a large group which included Luke Donald, the 47 -year -old Ryder Cup captain for Europe who was the only player without Bogey on his card. The American captain, Keegan Bradley, was another blow behind.
“It’s always fun, without Bogey in a major championship on a course that you would not have thought would be ideal for me,” said Donald, who is only on the ground because of a PGA of America tradition to invite the active captains of the Ryder Cup.
Given the champions that the majors have produced in recent years, this classification was more closely like the Myrtle Beach Classic. None of the eight best players won a major, and they never seriously contented themselves with.
Gerard looked comfortable to play in front of a crowd at home. He made a hard peer on the ninth rugged hole, then fled four consecutive stews on the nine rear, and was 7 under the turn after launching a 60 feet for Eagle on the 15th par-5.
Davis had seven birdies and little lacked a 10 -foot putt on his last hole for the head. Not bad for someone who recently ended five consecutive missed cuts and has not had a top 10 since early February.
“He is constantly trying to go back to things that have worked, trying to keep your head in a place where you don’t feel like you are cognizing your head against the wall,” said Davis. “This leaves him organically – good processes, good routines, all these little ones are finally added to a good golf course.”
The others at 67 were Stephan Jaeger and Aaron Rai, who both became the first winners of the PGA Tour last year.
Scheffler at 69 years old was the best score of anyone in the top 10 in the world.
Jordan Spieth will probably have to wait until next year in Aronimirk to try the big career chelem. The triple major champion, without only the Wanamaker trophy for its main collection, fought with three consecutive Bogeys early in the nine rear and pulled 76.
