Charlotte, NC – The strongest field of the elders gave way to some surprises on Thursday in the PGA championship, starting with Jhonattan Vegas charging the lead with a 7 -under 64 and the 10 best players in the world anywhere among the 10 best in Quail Hollow.
A long day full of sun and mud balls He ended with Las Vegas in the penultimate group playing the best golf that almost no one saw.
A briefly energized crowd had gone mostly when Vegas made way until the end with five birdies in his last six holes, ending with an 18 feet foot in number 8 and a 25 -foot foot in the sturdy sturdy.
It was the best Las Vegas score in 45 rounds playing the elders. The Venezuelan has never ended in the Top 20 in a specialization and had not qualified for this in three years.
He had a two -shooting advantage over Ryan Gerard, the rookie from the PGA Tour who grew up in North Carolina and was the only other player who reached 7 under the Bogeys in his last two holes. He joined at age 66 by Cam Davis of Australia.
The largest crowds belonged to the first three in the world, and was not as inspiring as four of the last five races that have combined to win.
The champion of the teachers Rory Mcilroy did not birdie in his last 12 holes and had nothing to say about that after a 3 out of 74 sent it directly to the range.
Scottie Scheffler and the PGA defender champion, Xander Schauffele, had a lot to say about mud balls in Tee’s shots, particularly in Hole 16 who sent both of them to double Bogey. Scheffler at least directed two shots from the Green, one for Birdie, one for Eagle, and ended with an iron 6 of 215 yards at 3 feet at number 9 that sent it to a 69.
“I did a good job fighting and maintaining a head level for a day, which were definitely some challenging aspects in the course,” Scheffler said. “I did a good job by publishing a number on a day when I didn’t have my best things.”
For the first time in at least 30 years, the 10 best scores after the opening round of an important one did not include anyone from the top 10 in the world ranking.
In their places were Las Vegas, who only returned in order last year When he won in Minnesotaand a large number of other surprises.
Alex Smalley, The first alternative Who learned about 15 hours before he left that he had a place in the country who described by winning the Myrtle Beach ClassicIt was also at 67.
They joined a large group that included Luke Donald, the 47 -year -old Ryder Cup captain for Europe, who was the only player without a ghost in his letter. The American captain, Keegan Bradley, was another shot behind.
“It is always fun, Bogey free in an important championship in a course that you would not have thought it would be ideal for me,” said Donald, who is only in the field due to a tradition of PGA in America to invite the active captains of the Ryder Cup.
Taking into account the champions that the elders have produced in recent years, this classification table looked more like the Myrtle Beach classic. None of the eight best players have won a specialty, nor have they seriously held.
Gerard looked comfortable playing a local crowd. He made a hard pair in the robust ninth hole, then ran four straight birdies in the nine years, and was 7 years under the round after running a 60 -feet foot for Eagle in the torque 5 15.
Davis had seven birdies and a 10 -foot putt was lost by little in his last hole for leadership. It is not bad for someone who recently finished a section of five consecutive lost cuts and has not had a Top 10 since the beginning of February.
“He is constantly trying to return to the things that have worked, trying to keep his head in a place where you do not feel that you are hitting your head against the wall all the time,” Davis said. “It is letting it come organically: good processes, good routines, all those small percentages add to good golf eventually.”
The others of 67 were Stephan Jaeger and Aaron Rai, who became winners of PGA Tour for the first time last year.
Scheffler at 69 had the best score of any person in the world’s top 10.
Mcilroy, four times winner at Quail Hollow, entered this PGA championship believing that Thrill-A-Hole Masters Title last month that the Grand Slam race gave him would be the highlight of his career regardless of what he does from here.
A careless round, particularly out of the shirt, was not going to change that. It was no less surprising to see him fight in Quail Hollow, publishing his highest round from a 76 in the second round of the Wells Fargo championship in 2018.
Shauffele finished with a 72 in his attempt to go to his back in the PGA championship.
Jordan Spieth will probably have to wait until next year in Aronyink to try the Grand Slam of his career. The three times older champion, without the Wanamaker trophy for his important collection, ran for three consecutive bogeys in the early nine and fired 76.
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