Jason Day, even though he is a PGA champion, received little attention this week until Thursday.
The 32-year-old Aussie posted a bogey-free, 5-under-par 65 to share the first-round lead with Brendon Todd in the 102nd PGA Championship at scenic TPC Harding Park in San Francisco.
This is the first major of the year because of postponements of the Masters and U.S. Open, and the cancellation of the Open Championship because of the Coronavirus pandemic.
“I don’t know, I just kind of flew under the radar this week, even though I’ve played some very good golf lately,” said Day (pictured), who won the 2015 PGA at Whistling Straits and has finished seventh or better in his last three events since the PGA Tour restart.
“I’m very pleased and happy that I played so well today. It’s been a while since we’ve been here in San Francisco and these courses a great, but they can be difficult, too. It’s a strange and unique situation that this is the first major of the year, but the conditions were good this morning.”
Day played in the early wave in which most of the good scores were recorded, and capped his round with a six-foot birdie putt while finishing on the ninth hole.
Todd, playing in more difficult conditions in the afternoon wave, had four birdies on the back nine after starting at No. 10 and three more on the front before closing with two clutch pars as conditions deteriorated on the course.
“It felt really good to make two-putt pars (from long distance) on those last two holes, because it was really getting cold and windy,” said Todd, who has won twice and finished in the top 25 on eight occasions in a breakthrough season. “The weather was fine for the first 16 holes, but then it changed quickly.
“It’s great to get a share of the lead and every shot counts in a major championship. I played the kind of golf I’m capable of, played my best, and I’m pleased with where I am after one round, but there’s a long way to go.”
Sixth-ranked Brooks Koepka, the two-time defending PGA champion who struggled this season after left knee surgery before tying for second in the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational last week, made four birdies on the back nine after starting at No. 10 and added two on the front for a 66.
Koepka is in a huge tie for second with Xander Schauffele of La Jolla and San Diego State, 2010 PGA champion Martin Kaymer of Germany, Scottie Scheffler, Bud Cauley, two-time major champion Zach Johnson, Justin Rose of England, Brendan Steele of Idyllwild and UC Riverside, and Mike Lorenzo-Vera of France.
“I just love it, competing on tough courses in difficult conditions against the best players in the world,” said Koepka, who has won four majors in the last three years, including the 2017 and 2018 U.S. Open. “I had a good chance to win three straight U.S. Opens and played well again, even though I didn’t win.
“You have to keep a narrow focus on this course, concentrate on hitting the fairways off the tee, making birdies when you get the chance, and I like the way I’m putting. I enjoy the pressure of the big tournaments and I’m comfortable with it.”
Tiger Woods, a four-time PGA champion who has won 15 major titles, opened with a 68 and is in a tie for 20th that includes seventh-ranked Bryson DeChambeau of Clovis, eighth-ranked Patrick Reed and ninth-ranked Adam Scott of Australia.
“It was a positive start,” said Woods,” who won the 2005 WGC-American Express Championship at TPC Harding Park. “This golf course is about hitting the fairway and it’s going toe dry out, so things will get more difficult. There’s a lot of golf to be played, it’s going to get more difficult, but this felt good. It was a nice start.”
Fifth-ranked Dustin Johnson is in a tie for 33rd at 69, while second-ranked Jon Rahm of Spain rallied after a slow start for a 70 and is in a tie for 48th that includes third-ranked Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland.
Top-ranked Justin Thomas, the 2017 PGA champ, shot 71 and is in a tie for 68th that includes fourth-ranked Webb Simpson and 2005 PGA champion Phil Mickelson, while 10th-ranked Patrick Cantlay of Los Alamitos and UCLA is tied for 109th at 73.
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