Jhonattan Vegas made headlines during the opening round of the PGA Championship. He followed that up with an impressive 7-under 64, which propelled him to the top of the leaderboard. The Venezuelan golfer, who played for the University of Florida last year, began the tournament with an impressive performance. At the same time, many highly ranked players struggled to dominate the game.
That first round held a little surprise, though! Not a single one of the top 10 players in the world rankings was able to finish the first day of competition in the top 10. This unexpected twist of fate led to a charged and competitive environment, with numerous contenders competing to lock in their title as championship state champion.
Vegas showcased his skills with seven birdies throughout the round but narrowly missed a 10-foot par putt on his final hole that could have extended his lead. His performance set a pretty high bar for the others to clear.
“I did a good job battling and keeping a level head out there during a day which there was definitely some challenging aspects to the course,” said Scottie Scheffler, who encountered difficulties during his round.
In a commendable showing, Luke Donald, the 47-year-old Ryder Cup captain for Europe, stood out as the only player to complete the round without a bogey. He shot a final round 67, an impressive feat from the crafty veteran and a testament to the ability this guy has on a tough test.
Alex Smalley, who finished as the first alternate, generated a lot of buzz as well. He learned only 15 hours before teeing off that he would be in the field. He shocked the field and a whole bunch of other onlookers by rolling in a 70-foot eagle putt on his way to a score of 67. Ryan Fox, pictured above, earned his spot by winning the Myrtle Beach Classic. He shot a bogey-free 67, a sign of just how strong the field was.
Both Stephan Jaeger and Aaron Rai celebrated their first PGA Tour victories last year. Now, they’ve become the third of that initial group to shoot a 67. From their performances it was clear that they were prepared to play at elite levels day in and day out.
Not every participant experienced success on the course. Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele quickly ran into challenging conditions with mud balls on their tee shots. This battle proved costly on the notoriously difficult 16th hole, with both players making double bogey on that hole.
Jordan Spieth had to be pretty disappointed after hitting more water than a hurricane on his way to a 74. Now his performance this year has forced him to wait until next year to continue his pursuit for the career Grand Slam. He’ll get that chance at Aronimink.
Rory McIlroy had a tough time on his opening round. He barely made one birdie on his last 12 holes and came in with a 3-over 74. On the other hand, look at U.S. captain Keegan Bradley, who finished day one three shots back of Vegas.
Davis shot 66 to cap a stellar debut with the top finish among rookies. Reflecting on his strategy, he stated, “It’s just constantly trying to go back to things that have worked, trying to keep the head in a place where you’re not feeling like you’re banging your head against the wall all the time.”
Ryan Gerard, the 23-year-old PGA Tour rookie, started his opening round as well as possible. He faltered on his last two holes with bogeys, closing in 67. His dominant edge on his challengers proved an impressive fore glimpse further on in this elite big showpiece.
As the tournament progresses into the next rounds, we’re excited to see if Vegas can maintain his lead. Yet he is still contending with the most accomplished of corporate competitors, as well as a host of ambitious newcomers.
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