Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy and Henrik Stenson are among several Europeans leading a charge at Valhalla
Official live leaderboard
Westwood blazes the trail as Tiger toils
The Joy of Six: great PGA Championship wins
An amusing book about comically bad golf
7.39pm ET
Wood reaches the final green - well, his final green, at 9 - in regulation, but doesnt really give himself chance for the birdie that would tie the lead. He settles for a par, and a stunning five-under 66. And there was us thinking he was simply an Open specialist. So with that, a busy, brilliant and low-scoring opening day at Valhalla comes to an end. Not long until the leaders are out, so get some sleep while you can, and join us tomorrow!
-6: Westwood, Chappell, Palmer
-5: Furyk, E Molinari, Stenson, McIlroy, Wood
-4: Ilonen, Kelly
-3: Luiten, Poulter, Wiesberger, Lowry, Willett, Stefani, Jones, Noh, Holmes
7.27pm ET
Daniel Summerhays and Geoff Ogilvy apart, Chris Wood is the only player still out on the course in red figures. With Summerhays and Ogilvy both at -2, a couple of holes from home having just completed the 7th, Wood is certainly the only man with a chance of bothering the leaders. He remains at -5 having parred the 8th. Another one of those up 9, and hell be signing for a highly impressive 66.
7.21pm ET
Kellys second to 9 falls off the back of the green, but he manages to get up and down for a final par, his chip back up going close. Having come back in 32, hes putting his name to a 67, joining Mikko Ilonen on the -4 mark in the clubhouse. Magnificent round by the veteran American.
7.17pm ET
Chris Wood belts his second onto the front of the par-five 7th, but only 50 feet from the flag. He rolls his eagle putt close, and makes off with a birdie. he joins the group at -5, with two holes still to play! Luke Donalds round ends in miserable fashion, however, with bogey up the last. Hes -1, a 70 which fell to pieces over the closing five holes. Such a shame for a player who has struggled in the majors over the past year.
7.09pm ET
Bogey for Kelly at the par-three 8th, as he puts his tee shot short and right, from where he fails to get up and down. Hes back to -4. Jamie Donaldson of Wales finished with birdie at 18 to card a fantastic two-under 69. And Luke Donald has steadied the ship somewhat after that double at 15 with a pair of pars at 16 and 17. If he can make it up 18 without further tumult, hell be happy enough with a 69, though it was looking very promising when he reached -5 after 13.
6.59pm ET
Nope, its not over yet! Heres Jerry Kelly, the 47-year-old journeyman from Wisconsin. His best year came back in 2007 with top-ten finishes at the Masters and US Open. Is another high finish, or something even better, coming his way? Hes just birdied 7. Its his fourth since the turn, and hes -5, one shot off the lead with two holes still to play! Meanwhile Rorys been talking to Sky about his 66:
Things like 10 happen. I was really annoyed to bogey the next hole, not to shake it off. So to birdie 12, I thought come on, that was better, and it sort of kick started things. My response after three-putting on 11 was really good and shows where I am mentally with my game.
6.48pm ET
McIlroys long eagle rake - probably more of a 35-footer, in truth, turns away to the right just at the last. Thats a final birdie for a superlative round of 66, which saw five shots picked up in the last seven holes. Astonishing stuff under any circumstances, but something else considering hed dropped three strokes in two holes after the turn, spectacularly so, when it looked like the wheels were about to come clanking off. Hes -5, and still the hottest of hot favourites for this title. Sheer brilliance. Pars for Kaymer and Bubba, who are both -1 and despite not playing terribly, dont seem quite as relevant right now. But tomorrows another day, and these chappies are the marquee group on Friday afternoon. Make sure you join us for that one, wont you? Not that todays action is over yet ...
-6: Westwood (F), Chappell (F), Palmer (F)
-5: Furyk (F), E Molinari, (F), Stenson (F), McIlroy (F)
-4: Ilonen (F), Jones (16*), Kelly (15*), Wood (14*)
6.40pm ET
McIlroy arrows his second at the last hole right over the flagstick. Hell have a 25-footer coming back for eagle. Shades of his third round at Hoylake? Too early for it to make such a crucial difference, though what a statement it would make, and how it would reverberate through the field. Matt Jones, meanwhile, has just birdied 7, to join the group at -4.
6.38pm ET
McIlroy very nearly sends his drive at 18 into the water down the right. The ball bounces on a small ridge running alongside the water. It could go either way, but twangs back into the fairway and sits in a perfect spot for his approach. When its your day ... though I suspect the course owes him something after the ball absurdly stayed out on 16. Up on the green, Henrik Stenson - who had dumped his second into the bunker at the front left, gets up and down from the sand for a brilliant 66! Hes in second spot. Could this be his major, finally? (See also: Westwood, Poulter, Fowler, Day, etc.)
-6: Westwood (F), Chappell (F), Palmer (F)
-5: Furyk (F), E Molinari (F), Stenson (F)
-4: Ilonen (F), McIlroy (17), Kelly (15*), Wood (14*)
6.31pm ET
McIlroy wedges to 15 feet on 17, a decent enough effort to a tight pin. He races his birdie putt five feet past the hole. He knocks in the par putt to stay at -4. Bubba slips back to -1, though, after driving into a bunker and hitting the escape fat. He couldnt get up and down from off the front. Martin Kaymer, incidentally, has been parring away in the quiet style. Meanwhile McMahons back. Two things: 1. Paint stripper is an aperitif in my house. And B. You have Sergios mobile number?
6.26pm ET
Chris Wood sends a smooth iron into the middle of 5, and rolls in a 20-footer for yet another birdie. Hes -4. And up on 18, its a promising end to the day for Sergio, whose approach to the par-five wasnt great, sailing off the back left. He gets up and down, and signs for a one-under 70. Not ideal, but he played pretty poorly on the front nine, and came back in 34 strokes. As he shakes Tom Watsons hand - the old legend shot a one-over 72, by the way - a smile plays across his face. Hes happy enough with that. Sergio often plays himself out of contention in the first round, but despite starting slowly hes not done that today. Cmon Sergio!
6.22pm ET
Stricker has indeed got wet, finding the bottom of a waterfall, and hes forced to drop and chip out onto the fairway. His fourth into the green just about stops on the top shelf of the green, and hell have a 20-footer to save his par. Nope. A closing six, and hes back to -2. Donald meanwhile can only find the middle of 15 after his drop, and hell be struggling to make bogey from a similar distance. He tickles his putt down the hill, and it shaves the left-hand side of the cup, but it is indeed two shots gone. Hes back to -2 as well.
6.14pm ET
Rory caresses a 9-iron into the 16th green. This is a 508-yard par four. Dear oh dear. Hes got a 15-footer for a fifth birdie in a row. The putt looks like going in, but the ball goes on a tightrope walk on the left-hand rim of the cup and somehow stays out! He couldnt have been any closer to continuing his astonishing run. And the look on his face suggests he has no idea how that didnt drop. Par, and he remains at -4. What a shame, that deserved better. Meanwhile back to back birdies at 16 and 17 for Steve Stricker, who rises to -3, only to wang a dreadful drive into the rubbish down the right of 18. Theres water over there, though Im not sure whether hes in the hazard or not. No such ambiguity at 15, where Donald clatters his approach off a tree, the ball slamdunking into the drink.
6.09pm ET
Poor old Luke Donald. He wanged his tee shot at 14 into the thick stuff to the right of the par-three green. Shortsiding himself, with a bunker in between, all looked lost, but he lobbed a fine effort up and down to ten feet, the best he could possibly do. However, no reward, as he misses the par putt and slips back to -4. So anyway, Simon McMahon emailed in with details of his isotonic schedule. Exactly 45 minutes and one mention of former BBC childrens programme Record Breakers later, he was channeling his inner Roy Castle: Dedication, uh huh, dedication / Uh huh, dedication, thats what you need / If you wanna be the best / If you wanna beat the rest / Uh, huh, dedications what you need / If you wanna be a major winner, yeah. Simon, please promise me one thing. If you open the paint stripper for a quick nightcap, youre not going to phone Sergios mobile and croon a version of this into his voicemail, are you? Call the Guardian sports desk instead, were less likely to phone the bobbies*.
* We might phone the bobbies.
6.01pm ET
Chris Wood, a top-five finisher in the Open back in 2008 and 2009, looked to be getting his chops back up at Hoylake. A top-25 finish there was his best in a major since those early successes, and now hes transferring his skills to the States. Hes quietly gone round Valhalla today, starting with a birdie at 10, following it up with another at 14, and now carding a third at 2. Hes -3, alongside a few others still out on the course, including Alexander Levy of France, Danny Willett of England, the aforementioned Shawn Stefani, Seung-Yul Noh, Matt Jones, and Jerry Kel... ah hold on, Jerry Kelly has just birdied 5 to move to -4. A lot of low scoring today. Anyway, heres the first in a two-parter from Simon McMahon: As I do for every major, Im sitting here following the HBH wearing my salmon pink slacks, pistachio green polo shirt, lemon yellow tank top and tangerine baseball cap. Makes me feel like Im there, you know. Although the dozen cans of Export and half bottle of Blue Nun will bring me crashing back down to reality tomorrow morning, I think. Do you think his refreshments are about to kick in, readers?
5.55pm ET
Rory sets himself up for four birdies in a row, his approach to 15 landing softly to the left of the flag, ten feet tops from the target. And its in! Hes -4 now. This is a jaw-dropping performance in the wake of that double-bogey/bogey blow. Bubba nearly finds the water on the right, but his ball snags in the sand, and he splashes out to three feet. He should save par, but for the second time today misses from close range, having lifted his head in the middle of his stroke. He walks off grinning like someone who didnt listen that attentively in class. Hes back to -2. Must do better. 100 lines.
5.50pm ET
Bubba nearly kills 487 spectators by whistling a drive into the trees down the left of 15. That was nearly like one of those old domino topples they used to stage on Record Breakers back in the 1970s. Or a metaphor representing the USAs view of communism during the cold-war era. Erm. But never mind that. On 13, Donald lifts his wedge into the heart of the green, then rolls in a 15-footer for birdie. Hes -5, and going brilliantly! His playing partner JB Holmes, however, found a divot with a perfect drive, duffed his chip into the water, and ended up with a double bogey six to drop back to -2. Meanwhile Stenson scrambles a fine bogey after finding the water on 15, chipping from the other side of the drink to three feet. Hes -4 again, but thats not a bad result after cocking up that approach.
5.42pm ET
Henrik Stenson has been going brilliantly, all the way up to -5, but hes just underhit his approach to 15, and dumped his ball into the creek front right of the green. Thats a very poor shot with a short iron. Bubba has been quiet for some time, but a long birdie putt on 14 follows Rory into the hole, and up the leaderboard to -3. And on the 9th, Shane Lowry knocks in a missable downhill six footer for his par, and a three-under 68. Superb, from Irelands latest major-championship find!
5.39pm ET
Ryan Palmer, from the back of 9, takes a careful two putts and signs his name to a 65. Thats an astonishingly good round, and hes in the clubhouse lead alongside Lee Westwood and Kevin Chappell. Could he do what his namesake Arnold could never manage, and win a PGA Championship? (Arnie, for the record, tied for second in 1964, 1968 and 1970.) On 14, McIlroy sails a gorgeous tee shot over the flag, the ball landing 12 feet from the hole. The slightly snaky route back to the hole is found unerringly, and hes -3! This is a simply brilliant way to respond to those shots shed just after the turn! Hes snatched them all back within three holes!
5.33pm ET
Stenson has also responded to extreme disappointment well, hitting a crisp tee shot pin high at 14, then rolling in a calm birdie effort. Hes -5 now, and only one shot off the lead. Donald takes two careful putts up the green at 12 to ensure another par: he remains at -4. This is shaping up to be a fine round for Donald, who has been extremely poor in the majors since tying for eight place at last years US Open: four missed cuts in a row, followed by a nondescript showing at last months Open. A return to form? Lets hope so, only in the sense of Phil Taylor at the darts or Manchester United under Louis van Gaal, as opposed to a new album by Radiohead or Manic Street Preachers.
5.27pm ET
Rory puts the putt away. Hes back to -2. This is so impressive under the circumstances. He really is made of the right stuff. Like thats news. And speaking of news, we got news! Heres the latest instalment of the Guardian partwork The Ballad of Tiger Woods.
5.22pm ET
Palmer cant get up and down from the back of 8. His putt from off the green is tentative and only just stays up, then the birdie effort horseshoes out. Hes back to -6, and there goes the dream of a major-championship 63. Still, hed certainly have taken this situation when waking up this morning. Elsewhere, Garcia scrambles from the bunker at 14, a lovely Spanish sand save, a gentle homage to Seve. And McIlroy whips a wedge at 13 over the flag, sending it spinning back past the hole, the ball stopping four feet away from the cup. A mighty chance for another birdie, and if he gets it, thatd be some response to the mini-meltdown of holes 10 and 11.
5.17pm ET
A dismal dropped shot by Luke Donald back there at 10, but hes bounced straight back at the par-three 11th by teasing in a left-to-right downhiller from 30 feet for birdie. Hes -4 again. Donalds playing partner JB Holmes meanwhile rattles in a birdie putt, his second in a row, and suddenly hes -4 too. Stenson shaves the hole with a chance to move to -5 at 13, and looks thoroughly disgusted for missing it, though from 20 feet he neednt be so hard on himself.
5.12pm ET
Palmer sends his tee shot at 8 right over the flag ... and off the back of the green. He sighs loudly, and with some gusto. Thats going to be a tricky up and down. I should never have mentioned the chance of shooting 63. Better news regarding Shane Lowry: the Irish star nearly chips in for eagle from the front of 7, but settles for birdie. Hes -3, and perfectly happy with his form in the majors right now, after his first top-ten finish in one of the things back at Hoylake last month.
5.09pm ET
Sergio, his shoulders and head dropping, sends his tee shot at 14 into the bunker to the right of the green. Thatll be a testing scramble for par. Rory does a much better job of getting his chin up, clipping his approach at 12 pin high to eight feet, then rolling in the birdie effort. Hes back under par immediately, responding like a true champion. Meanwhile weve got a new leader, as Ryan Palmer gets up and down from a bunker to the back of 7. One more birdie over the closing two holes, and hell be tying the best-ever round in a major, 63, last achieved by Jason Dufner in this championship 12 months ago!
-7: Palmer (16*)
-6: Westwood (F), Chappell (F)
-5: Furyk (F), E Molinari (F)
-4: Ilonen (F), Stenson (12)
5.03pm ET
Putting woes for two in-form players. First McIlroy three putts 11, rolling his first effort six feet past the hole and watching in horror as the par putt lips out. Hes back to level par. And hes there with Sergio, who was through the back of 13 in one big hit, then races an eagle chip past the hole, and misses the birdie effort from five feet. Luke Donald meanwhile makes a seven-course tasting menu of 10, sending his approach from thick rough through the back of the green, then failing to get up and down from Kaymer Country. A depressing business all round.
5.00pm ET
A miserable end to poor Jason Dufners title defence. After taking a triple bogey eight at the 10th, he shakes hands with YE Yang and Keegan Bradley, and packs it in. The trapped nerve in his neck has been giving him hell, and he was already +8. He looks genuinely distraught at being unable to defend his title. Ah well, hell always have Oak Hill. And remember that night when he filled up the Wanamaker Trophy with celebratory 49-cent tacos from Taco Bell. There goes one of the few sporting heroes the average fan can really understand. God speed, big man. Next year, maybe.
4.50pm ET
But Rory is old news! Heres Luke Donald, teasing in a long putt from the back of 9 for another birdie! Hes out in 31, -4 for his round. Stenson isnt too far away from rolling in another birdie putt, this time at 11, but it stays up on the right. Hes still -4. Matt Jones has played the back nine in 33, with birdies at 11, 14 and 18; hes -3. And Seung-Yul Noh has made four birdies and a bogey on the back nine; hes -3 too. McIlroy has just eased his tee shot into the Safe Zone in the heart of the par-three 11th. Not much chance of birdie from there, but thats understandable given what just happened down the last. He looks slightly deflated, winded if not quite shellshocked, a timely reminder that golf is quite willing to clatter the toe of its boot into any of the fields metaphorical swingers, regardless of talent or reputation.
4.45pm ET
Kaymer, meanwhile, appears to be playing the hole carefully. He lays up, but then sends his third, a simple sand wedge, over the back of the green! This is astonishing behaviour from this years three major winners! Rory is now playing five behind a tree, and decides to take his medicine, chipping into the heart of the green. Unless he rakes in the 30-footer hes left himself, thatll be a double bogey for the hot favourite. Bubba meanwhile is down the bank on the right, in thick rough, and playing blind. So naturally he nearly holes a Mickelsonesque lob - then misses the three-foot birdie putt! He stays at -2. And its a full house of misery, for Kaymer cant get up and down from the back - hes -1 - while Rory cant make his long bogey putt: hes back to -1 as well. The field rejoices.
4.38pm ET
SUCCOUR FOR RANK AMATEURS DEPT. Rory McIlroy. The world number one. The reigning Open champion. And the third youngest man in history, behind Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, to win three of the four major titles. Yet he too can balls it up big style! After crashing a booming drive down the middle of the 10th, hes taken out his fairway wood in the hope of reaching another par-five green in two - and hoicked a wild one over a fence and out of bounds down the left! He has the good grace to shout fore left and look sheepish before dropping another ball and sending that one in roughly the same direction, albeit on the correct side of the fence this time! Dearie me. Bubba, who smacked an even bigger drive down the track, wangs his second miles to the right. That ones near a pathway 50 yards wide of the green. Komik kutz from two of the best players to ever tee it up high.
4.31pm ET
Tom Watson, 64, has parred the first 10 holes of this long Valhalla track. On top of the one-under 70 shot earlier by Monty, its shaping up to be a good day for the old guys. And now the runner-up here in 1996, the local favourite Kenny Perry, has just arrowed his approach at 10 to three feet and knocked in the birdie putt to move to level par himself! Perrys playing partner Henrik Stenson, at 38 a veritable whippersnapper, strikes a blow for youth with yet another birdie, his fourth of the day. Hes -4, and making a serious bid for that first major title.
4.23pm ET
Birdies for Rory and Kaymer at 9, the pair having peppered the flag with their approaches. Kaymer reaches the turn in -2, while Rorys -3, as is Graham DeLaet with back-to-back birdies at 10 and 11. Donald gets up and down from the land of bother at the back of 8, a gentle stroke of the putter up the hill. But on 5, we have a new joint leader, with Ryan Palmer flipping the ball up out of thick rough at the back, landing the ball softly, then letting it release towards the cup. In it goes, another birdie, and hes -6! This is a very exciting leaderboard, and what is it? Thursday afternoon?!
-6: Westwood (F), Chappell (F), Palmer (14*)
-5: Furyk (F), E Molinari (F)
-4: Ilonen (F)
-3: Luiten (F), Poulter (F), Wiesberger (F), DeLaet (11), Stefani (10*), Stenson (9), McIlroy (9), Donald (8)
4.17pm ET
A brilliant birdie for Garcia at 10! Hes off the back of the green in three, a fairly poor outcome seeing he split the fairway with a booming drive. But he takes out his hybrid, whips out the flag, and bumps in a bobbly chip which brings him back to level par. Even better news for the Europeans: yet another birdie for Luke Donald, who really should get to the gym more often if this is what it does to him. Hes followed up his birdies at 1 and 4 with another at 7, and is -3 for the round. However at the par-three 8th, hes just whipped his tee shot straight through the green and down a swale at the back. He should stop going to the gym if thats what it does to him.
4.11pm ET
Shawn Stefani took the place of the 2001 champion, the injured David Toms, at late notice. Hes doing a bit of a John Daly right now. Hes not in the process of shooting 76, as the big man did earlier today. What hes doing is making the most of a late withdrawal, as Daly did to maximum effect back in 1991. Stefani has just birdied the 18th, and has played the back nine in 33 strokes. Hes -3, and right in the mix. He couldnt, could he? Probably not, and yet stranger things have happened in golf. Making a similar move, only on the front nine, is the much more likely Henrik Stenson, who has just drained a biggie on 9 to move to -3, out in 32.
-6: Westwood (F), Chappell (F)
-5: Furyk (F), E Molinari (F), Palmer (13*)
-4: Ilonen (F)
-3: Poulter (F), Luiten (F), Wiesberger (F), Stefani (9*)
4.02pm ET
Bubba clips his tee shot at the par-three 8th pin high, but a good 25 feet to the left of the hole. Two putts; par. Rory doesnt quite get there, but hes closer to the target by at least ten feet, perhaps even 15. Hell have a good look at birdie from his position below the flag, a wee bit to the left. But its not going in, always staying out on the left. Like Bubba before him, hes forced to settle for a two-putt par. The Masters champion and the world number one both stay at -2. Par for Kaymer too, who is making a habit of it: thats seven in a row, and hes still -1.
3.55pm ET
Heres our warrior in Valhalla, Ewan Murray, on Lee Westwoods brilliant 65 (and a word or two about Tiger Woods).
Perhaps Westwood felt somehow at home. His career run without a major win is infamous but Valhallas long, wide holes make it tricky to distinguish this tournament from a regular one on the US PGA Tour.
3.51pm ET
Kaymer hits a very strange Mickelsonesque lob straight through the 7th green from the rough at the back. A simple up and down for birdie looked on the cards, but hes on the apron at the front now. And then its eagle for Bubba, one of those putts that you know is going in the second it leaves the face of his short stick! Hes -2. Back to Kaymer, whose 15-foot birdie effort from off the front isnt hit, and thats a disappointing par. Still, he remains at -1. Finally, its Rory, but while Bubba had given him the line, he doesnt judge the pace. Thats a birdie. Hes -2, and looks disappointed, albeit not gravely. What a strange but highly entertaining hole of golf that turned out to be. Some lads, these.
3.45pm ET
What a shot this is by McIlroy on 7! A 4-iron from 220 yards, pin high, and guided back from the right-hand side of the green towards the flag. Hes got a 20-foot right-to-left slider for eagle! Then Bubba, who is hitting a 6-iron into the 597-yard hole. A 6-iron! He lands his ball right next to Rorys. Kaymer is through the back of the green, though thats only a bad place relative to the other two jokers hes playing with. McIlroy and Watson are, in terms of talent, entertainment and sheer ludicrousness, are something else!
3.41pm ET
Bubba, Rory and Mr Martin Kaymer have all banged ludicrously long drives down the left-hand side of the twin-fairway 7th. The three major winners with birdies, and maybe even eagles, in mind. Up on the green, Henrik Stenson tickles in a 15-footer for his second birdie of the afternoon. Hes -2. Meanwhile Shane Lowry, who had a brilliant Open Championship, is having another eventful day here. In his last four holes, hes birdied 17, 18 and 1, and now bogeyed 2. hes -1 for the round through his first 11 holes.
3.29pm ET
An exquisite splash out from a bunker by McIlroy at 6, his ball sailing over plenty of sand, a fair stretch of thick greenside rough, and nestling by the hole, two feet away. The Open champion was in a little bother there, but hell escape with a par. He remains at -1. Meanwhile an up and down of some class from Sergio at the par-five 7th. He pushed his fairway wood to the green way right, and found himself snookered by a bunker, with water on the other side. A tricky one. His flop shot sailed 15 feet past the flag, but he rattled in the birdie effort, and hes already back up to +1. Will that get him going? Lets hope so.
3.19pm ET
The reigning champion Jason Dufners defence already looks all over. After a double bogey on the opening hole, he also bogeyed 2 and 3. A couple of pars since havent helped his cause much. Hes +4, though I suppose if nothing else, hes still got time and therefore opportunity. A leader board, not featuring too many people out on the course right now:
-6: Westwood (F), Chappell (F)
-5: Furyk (F), E Molinari (F), Palmer (10*)
-4: Ilonen (F)
-3: Luiten (F), Poulter (F), Wiesberger (F)
3.09pm ET
Sergio punches out to 20 feet. Its a good shot, the best he could have done, but hes not holing the long par putt hes left himself, and thats back to back bogeys. Hes +2. A couple of big putts dropping elsewhere, though: a monster birdie effort up the green at 4 for Luke Donald, who at -2 is making a fairly unexpected early showing, and big par savers for McIlroy and Kaymer at 5. Bubba Watson is wandering around with a face on - you sometimes wonder why he bothers, if it makes him this grouchy - but after three pars on the bounce hes still at level par.
3.03pm ET
A fast start by Hunter Mahan, who has yet to make a par: birdies at 10, 12 and 13 more than cancelling out the shot he dropped at 11. Hes -2 through his first four holes. Danny Willett of England has birdied 10 and 16 to move to the same mark, alongside Scott Stallings who has birdied 4 and 5. The scorings been pretty good today. Plenty of big names in the clubhouse at -2 - Rickie Fowler, Jason Day, Phil Mickelson, Jamie Donaldson - and even more at -1: Colin Montgomerie, Ernie Els, Louis Oosthuizen, Justin Rose, Stephen Gallacher. This could be a very fine tournament indeed, and were only midway through the first day!
2.58pm ET
Ryan Palmer clatters his second shot at 18 onto the front of the green. Two careful putts, and hes made his fifth birdie of the day. Hes out in 31 strokes, and a shot off Westwood and Chappells lead. Sergio, meanwhile, has lost the nut. After that three-putt at 5, hes pulled his approach to 6 about 30 yards left of the green, and is stymied behind a large grassy mound. Plenty of thick nonsense down there. If he gets up and down from that, itll feel like a birdie.
2.49pm ET
The flying Finn Mikko Ilonen tickles in a downhill putt from 25 feet, and thats a final-hole birdie on 9. He signs for a four-under-par 67. A brilliant round. On 5, Sergio leaves himself another five-footer after a fairly nondescript birdie putt, and his luck finally runs out, as he prods the par effort off to the right. Hes +1. That was always going to happen at some point, you cant keep leaving yourself testers and expecting to get away with it. But the man who vanquished him last week at the Bridgestone, and the fortnight before at Hoylake, is on the move: a birdie for McIlroy at 4, a confident 12-footer that was always in the centre of the cup, and the Open champion is -1.
2.44pm ET
The 37-year-old journeyman American Ryan Palmer - only one top-ten major finish in his career, at the 2011 Masters - has started brilliantly. Birdies at 10, 11 and 14, a staunch par saver at 16, and now another birdie at 17, where hes rattled in a 20-footer. Hes -4 already, and appears to be in the mood to enjoy himself this week, after this ...
2.35pm ET
McIlroy, from a dramatic depression down the left of 3, caresses a chip with the softest of hands up onto the green and to within two feet. Hell save his par and remain at level. Also starting in a relatively quiet fashion is Sergio. A fourth par in a row for him. Hes made a meal of a couple of putts, but knocked in some very missable savers. Hes level par and not playing particularly well, or indeed particularly badly. Yet. Give him time to do one thing or another.
2.29pm ET
McIlroy is clearly in the mood to take this course on. He fires his approach at 2 straight at the flag, dicing with the drink on the left. He then races a chip for birdie six feet past the hole, having removed the flag despite being off the green. He knocks in the par putt. But hes not quite in the groove yet, as he pulls his tee shot at the par-three 3rd down a swale to the left. Martin Kaymer finds the green, as does Bubba, the latter having knocked in his putt on 2 for a marvellous bogey, given all the shenanigans back up the hole.
2.26pm ET
Edoardo Molinari sticks his third on 18 to ten feet, then strokes in the birdie putt. Hell be signing for a 66, a fine effort from the Italian. Meanwhile Ian Poulter has signed for a 68, as has the Austrian Bernd Wiesberger. Heres the leader board:
-6: Westwood (F), Chappell (F)
-5: Furyk (F), E Molinari (F)
-3: Luiten (F), Poulter (F), Wiesberger (F), Ilonen (16*), Palmer (7*)
2.22pm ET
Jim Furyk is in with a five-under 66. Thats a stunning round, bogey free, and concluding with three birdies on the spin. Hes surely got a second major in him, though at 44 I guess time is running out. One better than last year? On 1, Luke Donald, who has spent the morning in the gym - gtooooosh - opens with a birdie. Perhaps hes thinking its about time he stopped faffing around, what with McIlroy winning majors and Westwood shooting 65. OK, I dont know how these peoples minds work, theyre successful folk, unlike yours truly. But its fun wondering.
2.17pm ET
A dreadful start to Jason Dufners title defence: a double bogey at 1. Hes apparently playing with a pinched nerve in his neck, which must be a dismal business. However to Dufners eternal credit, hes wandering around like theres nothing wrong with him. No ostentations neck rubs. Just the usual somnambulist style. You have to love Dufner. Meanwhile up on 2 heres Bubba, in the middle of a thicket down the right. He can only punch the ball ten yards out, and needs a second attempt to get back onto the fairway. His fourth shot is a beauty, creamed to 12 feet, but hell need to make that just to save bogey.
2.10pm ET
And that is that from me. Heres Scott Murray ...
2.08pm ET
García breaks even on the par four second. Yes, he has been playing brilliantly of late but dont worry folks, hell let us all down soon enough. Speaking of the second, McIlroy drives with supreme aggression. So too does Bubba. Except that he manages to find the crowd and McIlroy managed to find the fairway. They didnt bother showing Kaymer.
2.01pm ET
Bubba time. He putted poorly at Firestone but there is no hangover here. Its straight and true and he is off to a great start. Kaymer holds his nerve too and takes his birdie. McIlroy is the odd one out.
1.59pm ET
García is on the second. He swings over the back edge of the green but he should be OK from there. Then, frustratingly, the coverage cuts to more talking. Its Mickelson this time. He says the first 8 holes were rough but after that he reckons he was solid and smart. Back to McIlroy. From a few feet the ball fails to break, toddling past the hole meaning he misses his chance for birdie.
1.55pm ET
Tiger in the parking lot. He is all smiles. Ian Poulter is less smiley. It was a nice day, he harrumphs. He says he is a lot happier with his putting today after some recent wayward excursions with that particular club. Bubbas second, by the way, sees him land on the green. McIlroy and Kaymers are almost perfect too. The three will be unhappy if they come away with anything less than birdie.
1.47pm ET
Right now they are having an extended chat with Lee Westwood, who ended the day on an impressive 6 under. Im not smart enough to think about two things at once, he honks when asked about whether he is also has a mind on the Ryder Cup. A nice tee shot from Furyk leaves him with a simple putt that he duly converts to go within two of the leaders. But enough of all that as here come the crowd-pleasers. Bubba is up first. He wallops it at least two miles from the tee. Now comes Kaymer. He finds the fairway too. And not its Rory time. He gets the loudest roar of the trio. His effort almost matches Bubbas drive.
1.41pm ET
Good evening one and all. Ian McCourt here, typing you through Scott Murrays snack break.
1.40pm ET
The morning marquee group finish their round. Birdie for Mickelson, who knocks a wonderful approach over the flag and knocks in the 12-footer. Hes -2, and will be very happy with that 69, especially after a mid-round wobble. Par for Harrington, who looked like slipping right out of the frame before nearly holing in one at 8; hes +2. And finally Tiger, who takes two putts from the front of the green for a par. His 74, +3, is no good really, but at least his back hasnt given him any gyp. Meanwhile on the opening hole, Sergio finds the front of the green from the rough with his second, and scrambles a par. And with that, Ill hand over to Ian McCourt while I nip off to eat a power bar and shank a few drives out on the range. See you soon.
1.34pm ET
Speaking of blemish free, heres Jim Furyk, who taps in from six feet at the par-five 7th to move to -3. The 1996 winner here, Mark Brooks, signs for a seven-over 78. Meantime, a lovely touch from club pro Dustin Volk, who has just sent a bunker shot straight into te cup at 12 for birdie - hes level par through his first three holes - then instinctively went to grab the rake to smooth over the sand. What a gent!
1.30pm ET
Heres Sergio! And hes sent his opening drive, at 1, into the first cut down the left. Not ideal, but not Tigeresque. He gets a good reception from the Kentucky crowd, but the biggest roar is reserved for his playing partner Tom Watson, the veteran splitting the fairway. Up on 18, meanwhile, Kevin Chappell makes birdie to join Westwood in the clubhouse after a 65. Thats a stunning, blemish free round from Chappell.
1.23pm ET
Padraig Harrington may have been struggling, but hes just hit the shot of the day. Hes about two or three dimples away from holing his tee shot at the par-three 8th. It lands softly front left of the green, ahead of the flag, and curls round, stopping just short. Such a sweet strike. Thatll be a birdie, and one thatll move him back to +2. Pars for Tiger and Lefty, who are +3 and -1 respectively. Some other admin: a highly decent round for Rickie Fowler, 69, though a bogey at his final hole, the 9th, will cause him to toss and turn a wee bit tonight. Victor Dubuisson, by comparison, finished strongly with birdies at 7 and 9; hes also -2. Nick Watney is -2 after coming back in 34 strokes. And at -1, bunnets off please for Colin Montgomerie, who ended his round with a birdie at 9, and signs for a one-under 70. Thats a magnificent effort from the veteran. This is already shaping up to be a brilliant tournament, and half the big names have yet to strike a ball in anger!
1.17pm ET
Lee Westwoods shoulders drop as he hits a poor approach to 9, his ball finding the back left, with the pin front right. But no matter! He drains the long left-to-right slider from 35 feet, and he closes with his fourth birdie on the bounce! Thats a 65 for the English nearly man. He couldnt finally do it? Could he? Thats set him on the right road, anyway. Some round, because if hed only managed to par the 1st, instead of double bogeying it, hed have tied the best-ever round in a major with 63!
-6: Westwood (F)
-5: Chappell (17), E Molinari (13)
-3: Luiten (F), Poulter (17*), Wiesberger (14*)
1.10pm ET
Tiger with a little bump and run from 50 yards to ten feet. A lovely shot in the Scottish links style, one thats sadly unfashionable these days. I like watching those. Very clever, and a gorgeous touch. Hell have a very decent chance for only his second birdie of the day. But his putt lips out on the right, and he stays at +3. Mickelson finds the heart of the green in a more measured style, and strokes home from 15 feet to card his second birdie of the front nine. Hes -1, and has steadied his challenge after looking shaky for a while back there. Meanwhile Molinari isnt taking Westwoods charge lying down, and he birdies 13 to make it a three-way tie for the lead at -5!
1.01pm ET
Tigers ball isnt OB, it appears to be behind some temporary movable obstructions. So he can take a free drop, and though hes hitting off a filthy lie, miles to the right of the fairway, hes able to lash a long iron back onto the hole, near the front of the green. These professionals with their fancy rules and spectator-enhanced rough, huh?! But never mind that! We have a new joint leader! And its that man Lee Westwood, who has just birdied 8 to join Chappell at -5! Thats his eighth birdie of the day! How hell rue that double bogey on 1. There should be a little contest going: who among the leaders today will we not be discussing on Saturday? wonders Tom Wahl. Im guessing the Italian and the Californian. I take it you mean Chappell and not Rickie Fowler. Any other names? Lee Westwood?
-5: Westwood (17*), Chappell (17)
-4: E Molinari (12)
-3: Luiten (F), Fowler (17*), Poulter (16*), Leishman (13*)
12.53pm ET
Chappells the sole leader of this tournament now. Thats because Edoardo Molinari has dropped his first stroke of the day, at 12. Hes back to -4, where hes joined by a resurgent Lee Westwood, coming the other way. His latest birdie, at 7, comes off the back of those shots picked up at 4 and 6. Meanwhile back up the hole, Tiger is once again showcasing his Severiano Ballesteros influenced driving style. Hes just blootered a big one miles off down the right, and could possibly be out of bounds. Nobodys quite sure yet, as there are a few temporary buildings over there, so he could gain some relief. But already the chance of a much-needed birdie on this par-five hole look slim.
12.48pm ET
Also back in the clubhouse, but a whole lot happier than Cabrera et al, is Joost Luiten. The Dutch player finished with a birdie at 18, and hes carded a very impressive opening round of 68. Hes -3, two off the on-course leaders Chappell and Molinari. Meanwhile on 6, pars for Tiger and Lefty, though theyre both walking off the green in vastly different moods. Tiger fluffed a chip, then rattled in a 25-footer for par. Mickelson meanwhile missed a fairly makeable birdie chance from 12 feet. Tigers +3, Mickelson level par. Another dropped shot for Padraig, who is crumbling alarmingly. Hes +3, and should never have started buggering around with his swing back in 2009.
12.44pm ET
Its all getting a bit much for Harrington, who in truth could probably do without being paired with Woods and Mickelson, caught in the eye of a media storm. Another dropped shot, this time at 5, and thats his third in five holes. Hes back to +2, though thats still a shot better than Woods. Meanwhile Frank Esposito, who remember led this tournament for a few minutes back in its infancy, ended up signing for a 12-over 83. Hes not going to end the day in last position - his fellow club pro Aaron Krueger shot a dismal 84. Both men will gain succour from the fact that Angel Cabrera, a two-time major winner, was barely any better, scribbling his signature at the bottom of a shameful 11-over 82.
12.33pm ET
Lee Westwood has reacted very nicely indeed to that double bogey at 1. Hes birdied 4 and 6, and finds himself back at -3, two off Chappell and Molinaris lead. Louis Oosthuizen, the 2010 Open champion, is making a little charge. Having played the back nine in level par, hes just birdied 1 and now 3 to move to -2. But the young Japanese star Hideki Matsuyama has fallen back a bit: bogeys at 5 and 6, and hes back to -1.
12.26pm ET
Edoardo Molinari joins Chappell in the lead at -5, having just made his fourth birdie in a row, this time at 10! This is a magnificent performance from a player who had struggled so long with injury, but recently made his presence known again with a seventh-placed finish at the Open. Hes clearly of a mind to make up for lost time. By the way, the tune the official PGA website plays whenever the leaderboard is shown appears to
rip off
be heavily influenced by Warm Night by the Concretes. Probably the most tasteful music used to soundtrack a scorecard at any major (not counting the Masters, obviously) since the BBC gave the piano trill from Mirrorball by Elbow a go during a recent Open. I thought that worked quite well, gentle and unobtrusive as it is. But I digress, and probably need a life.
12.14pm ET
The seemingly constant major-championship presence of Jim Furyk, then. How has this man only won one major? Hes finished in the top ten of 20 major tournaments other than the one he actually won, the 2003 US Open. He chased Jason Dufner all the way last year in the PGA at Oak Hill, and has just finished fourth at the Open. Hes in the mood again: birdies at 14 and now 1, and hes -2. Marc Leishman, meanwhile, also has decent recent major form: top five finishes in the Masters last year and the Open this. Hes just carded three birdies on the bounce, at 17, 18 and now 1, and hes -3. As for the morning marquee group? Tiger has just missed two opportunities in a row, at 3 and 4, to register a birdie that would haul him off the +3 mark. Each time hes left his putt an inch short. Frustration very much a top note. But Lefty is back at level par with a gorgeous approach at 4, right over the flag to six feet that deserved a birdie and earned one.
12.00pm ET
Its beginning to look like Kevin Chappells day. The 28-year-old Californian has a very strange record in the majors, having never competed in the Open, missed the cut in his only PGA showing last year, only played once at Augusta, and yet registered two top-ten finishes at the US Open, tied for third in 2011 and tied tenth in 2012. Hes only had one top ten finish this season, and has only won once professionally, and that on the Nationwide Tour. And here he is leading the PGA Championship at -5, having chipped in from sand at 10 and now birdied 13. For a couple of minutes, he was two clear of the field, but the resurgent Italian Edoardo Molinari is on his tail: hes just birdied 7, 8 and 9, and has reached the turn in 31 shots!
11.53am ET
Mark Brooks will always have Valhalla. But the 53-year-old Texan, who won his only major here at the 1996 PGA Championship, is struggling on the return to the scene of his greatest triumph. Hes dropped shots at 2, 5, 7, 11 and now 12, and hes +5 already. He sits alongside the 1991 champion John Daly, who staggered out of the blocks with bogeys at 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6, but has put together a string of pars and is still +5 through 12.
11.50am ET
Mickelson has a magnificent chance for birdie on 2, having creamed a delicious approach into the heart of 2. But he leaves his left-to-right-breaking par putt out on the left, and settles for a par. He stays at +1. Harrington is always struggling for position down the hole and bogeys: hes +1 too. And Tiger, quite astonishingly, gets up and down from that very tricky position off the green for bogey. Given the trouble he was in, thatll feel like a shot saved. Hes back to +3, though. This is a dismal showing from the morning marquee group, though in truth something was only expected from Mickelson. Mind you, everything in context: Angel Cabrera has just bogeyed 6 and is now +12 through his first 15 holes.
11.45am ET
The form player in this years majors is Rickie Fowler. Hes not won one, but hes the only player to register top-five finishes in the Masters, the US Open, and the Open. A breakthrough is surely imminent, and it could come at Valhalla. The young man is still only 25, which makes the stick he gets for not winning too many tournaments quite frankly absurd. A PGA would stop that kind of chat. He started badly, with back-to-back bogeys at 13 and 14, but birdies at 15, 17, 18, 2 and now 4 have rocketed him up the leaderboard to -3. Hes a shot behind Kevin Chappell, who is now the sole leader, Freddie Jacobson having dropped a shot at 13.
11.38am ET
Fucksake! This is where Tiger is now, quite an advance from the common-or-garden Fore left! of 9.50am. He very much delivers this soliloquy himself, though, battering his tee peg into the tee box at 2 with his driver as he does so. If nothing else, by doing this it proves the state of his back isnt playing on his mind. Hes lashed his drive into the hazard down the left, you see. A picture of thorough misery. Hell have to take a drop there, and hell be playing out of some thick stuff, too. His give-me-a-new-ball gesture to his caddy is not the friendliest or even-tempered. Someone should tell him about Angel Cabrera, it could be a lot worse. His third shot ends up in similar thick rough down the hole, to the left, a bunker between his ball and the flag, with not too much green to work with.
11.31am ET
Tiger was never going to escape with par down the 1st, not after that drive. And sure enough hes not able to scramble an unlikely save from the deep rough to the left of the fairway. Hes +2. Mickelson is +1, with par. But Harrington also drops a shot, having found the bunker front right of the green and finding himself unable to get up and down. These lads are dragging each other down right now, though Phil and Padraig are doing their best to stay positive, if the grins plastered across their boats are anything to go by. Say what you like about grim-faced old Tiger, but the mans a realist.
11.28am ET
As youd expect, a few of the club pros are struggling a wee bit. Michael Block at +6 through 12, Brian Norman +8 through 14, Frank Esposito and Aaron Druegar +10 through 14 and 13 respectively. But its one of the big boys propping up the entire field right now. Angel Cabrera is +11 now, with two more double bogeys on his card, this time at 2 and 3. He played the back nine in 43 shots. This is a proper shocker. Maybe some adjustments to the old pre-tournament preparation are required: Cabrera played his first nine holes at the Open in 39 strokes! And even then ended the tournament in the top 20. Im hazarding a wild guess that a similar renaissance this week is a pipe dream, but I suppose you never know with Cabrera. Eleven over through 13, though!
11.20am ET
Tiger is in all sorts of bother on 1. Well, hes not actually on 1, hes nearly 70 yards to the left of the fairway, behind a large clump of trees in incredibly thick rough. Hes 170 yards from the green, so getting onto the dancefloor in regulation is within his scope. But this is going to be a test for his back, because this grass is going to wrap around the shaft of his club. He takes a wild hack at the ball, and lets one hand release from the grip just after impact. No obvious pain; I wonder whether that was a preventative measure. Anyway, the ball is back on the 1st hole, but in the thick cut down the left. Hell struggle to save his par from there. Speaking of hacking it about, heres John McClure. The PGA have decided to let the public pick Sundays hole location at the 16th this year. Theres a simulator on there that lets you play to each of the four options. Its not very realistic. It wouldnt, for example, allow me to play my second shot from 100 yards further back in the trees.
11.14am ET
How quickly things can change. Theres Adam Scott and Lee Westwood out there together, three shots between them. And then, all of a sudden, the pair are neck and neck, Scott having birdied the 1st and Westwood making an ugly double bogey six. Theyre both at -1, still in decent nick, though now three off the lead, as Freddie Jacobsen and Kevin Chappell have both made birdies, at 11 and 10 respectively, to move to -4. The pair are leading by a shot from Luiten, Matsuyama, Todd, Walker, Poulter and Ilonen. Meanwhile news of this mornings marquee group: pars for Woods and Harrington at 18, but a shot picked up for Mickelson, who moves back to +1 after a rocky period. And now, after walking off 18 with a face like thunder having passed up a reasonable birdie chance, Tiger has just wanged a ludicrous drive into the trees down the right of 1. That might be right over the trees, actually, which may or may not be good news. Time will tell.
11.09am ET
Ian Poulter has joined the large group of leaders at -3 with a birdie at 18. Hes out in a very solid 33 strokes. His playing partner Jimmy Walker, the wandrin stargazer, has matched him shot for shot along the back nine, and also joins the leading group with a birdie at 18. The third member of the group, Jason Day, is going along at a relatively quiet -1. Another great Aussie hope, and the pre-tournament second favourite, Adam Scott, is through 18 in level par, having opened with a birdie at 10 and then handed the shot back at the par-five 18th. Forget John Huh and Kevin Na (10.15am ET), writes Simon McMahon. The only show in town is Sergio Why.
10.57am ET
Of course, some players were due one, and they were due one, and they were due one ... but they never did get one. Exhibit A, and the only evidence youll ever need that the Golfing Gods have cold, cold hearts: poor old Colin Montgomerie. The big man came so close in 1995, but as in all the majors, it was not to be. It surely wont be this week, either. If ... bear with us ... if he was to win this week, the 51-year-old Scot would beat the record for oldest major winner, set in this event in 1968 by Julius Boros, by three years. But a man can dream silly dreams - theyre free, and you cant stop me - and hes just played the back nine holes in 35 shots, having birdied the 18th. Hes -1 on his return to major-championship golf after four years, and only two off the leaders! That group - MBM shifts back into Reality Mode - now also contains Kevin Chappell and Lee Westwood, the latter having played the back nine in a very eventful 33 shots, with birdies at 10, 14, 17 and now 18, his only dropped shot coming at 15.
-3: Matsuyama (11*), Todd (10), Jacobson (9), Westwood (9*), Chappell (9), Ilonen (4*)
-2: Karlsson (12*), Luiten (12), Dubuisson (10*), Els (10*), Walker (8*), Poulter (8*)
-1: A very large group containing Monty
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