The 2026 PGA Championship kicks off at Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania, where the first round unfolded on Thursday amid challenging winds and a demanding layout. Defending champion Scottie Scheffler shares the top spot in a seven-way tie at 3-under par as he eyes back-to-back major triumphs.
Day 1 Leaderboard
Seven golfers lead at 3-under 67:
- Scottie Scheffler (-3)
- Aldrich Potgieter (-3)
- Stephan Jaeger (-3)
- Min Woo Lee (-3)
- Ryo Hisatsune (-3)
- Martin Kaymer (-3)
- Alex Smalley (-3)
Another group of seven players sits tied at 2-under par.
Key Highlights from Round 1
Aronimink hosts the PGA Championship for the first time since 1962. Competitors faced tricky conditions, including gusty winds, testing their precision throughout the day.
Scheffler navigated the hazards with five birdies and two bogeys for his 67. As a Dallas Cowboys supporter, he endured some jeers from local Philadelphia Eagles fans. This marks the first occasion Scheffler co-leads after an opening round in a major.
Patrick Reed carded a flawless 2-under 68, the only bogey-free round of the day.
Jon Rahm sits at 1-under after draining an eagle on the second hole, earning shot-of-the-day honors.
Rory McIlroy’s Struggles
Recent Masters winner Rory McIlroy languishes near the bottom with a 4-over 74, capped by four consecutive bogeys on the front nine—a career first. He pinpointed driver woes as the culprit.
McIlroy offered a blunt self-assessment: “S–t.”
“I’m just not driving the ball well enough,” McIlroy stated. “It’s been a problem all year for the most part. Like, I miss it right, and then I want to try to correct it. And then I’ll overdo it, and I’ll miss it left. It’s a little bit of back and forth that way. So that’s pretty frustrating, especially when like I pride myself on driving the ball well. I just need to try to figure it out. I honestly thought I’d figured it out. Coming in here, I hit it well on Sunday at Quail Hollow, and then hit it good at home on Monday. Then even—obviously I had to curtail the practice round Tuesday, but hit it decent yesterday. Just sort of, once I get under the gun, it just seems like it starts to go a little bit wayward on me.”
McIlroy faces an uphill battle to advance past the cut on Friday, while Scheffler aims to build on his strong start toward another PGA title.
