Min Woo Lee fights back to loom large at brutal PGA Championship

Americans Alex Smalley and Maverick McNealy have upstaged celebrated countryman Scottie Scheffler to seize a share of the halfway lead at the PGA Championship in Pennsylvania.

As the top-ranked Scheffler crept backwards but remained firm favourite with a one-over-par 71 in more punishing conditions, Smalley carded a 69 and McNealy a 67 to jump to four under for the tournament as the Philadelphia chill and Aronimink Golf Club continued to bite the game’s best players.

Australian No.1 Min Woo rallied with three back-nine birdies to carve out an even-par 70 to sit just one shot off the pace entering the weekend.

Chris Gotterup had enough Jersey toughness to handle the cold wind and treacherous greens, closing with three straight birdies for a five-under 65.

The low round of the tournament thrust Gotterup to three under alongside Lee in a six-way tie for third.

South African Aldrich Potgieter, one of seven first-round co-leaders with Scheffler, bogeyed his last two holes in a round of 70 to be three under.

At just 21, Potgieter was looking to become the youngest golfer with a 36-hole lead at a major since Tiger Woods’ historic win at the 1997 Masters, before his late stumble.

Former Masters winner Hideki Matsuyama is also in the chasing pack just one back after shooting 67 in his quest for a second major.

Rounding out those at three under are American Max Greyserman (69) and German Stephan Jaeger, who parred all 18 holes in his round of 70.

Aronimink is difficult without dealing with blustery conditions that made it feel colder than the 10-degree temperature for so much of the morning.

“Today would definitely be one of those days where I would be on the couch and I would be like, ‘How did he hit it there?’ and ‘How did he do this?’ And then you’re out there, and it just feels like it’s impossible,” Gotterup said.

Only 22 of the 156 starters are under par after five holes yielded more three putts than birdies.

Jason Day, the last international to win the PGA Championship back in 2015, is among those in red figures at one under after also posting a level-par 70.

Fellow Australian Cameron Smith (71) drained an 18-metre birdie putt at the last to pull back to even for the championship and snap a streak of six straight cuts at the majors. Adam Scott missed the cut with a total of eight over in his 100th golf major, with

McNealy backed up with two dropped shots over the last three holes to invite the chasing pack, including Smith, back into the championship.

Defending champion Scheffler, who had a share of the 18-hole lead for the first time in a major, did not find a fairway until his ninth hole.

One day after hitting 13 of 14 fairways, he didn’t find the short grass until the 18th. He started on No.10 and already had three bogeys – all from the rough – through four holes.

He might have saved his round on the par-three 14th when he hit a beautiful lag putt from 24m for a two-putt par. That settled him, and he closed with an up-and-down birdie on the par-five ninth to finish at two under and still well in the mix in a tie for ninth.

AAP, AP

First round: It’s cluttered at the top

Australian Min Woo Lee has battled chilly weather and hot greens to claim a share of the lead after the first round of the PGA Championship in Pennsylvania.

Lee was part of the biggest logjam in 57 years after the opening round of a major championship.

But there was still one name that stood out above the rest: Scottie Scheffler handling everything Aronimink threw his way.

Scheffler took advantage of two long birdie putts and one big break on the 17th hole for a 3-under 67 to share the lead with six other players — former PGA champion Martin Kaymer perhaps the biggest surprise — on a tough day in the Philadelphia suburbs.

It was the 13th round in the majors that Scheffler has had at least a share of the lead, and remarkably the first time after the opening round.

Joining them at 67 were Aldrich Potgieter, Stephan Jaeger, Lee, Ryo Hisatsune and Alex Smalley. The seven-way tie was the largest since nine players shared the lead in the 1969 PGA Championship at NCR Country Club in Dayton, Ohio.

And to think it could have been eight players. Garrick Higgo had a 69, which included a two-shot penalty before he even hit a shot for being 10 seconds late to the tee for his group’s starting time.

“Unfortunately, golf has these situations where we get penalised for things,” Higgo said. “But it is a rule and I obviously broke the rule. I would love to have three under. Hopefully, I can make a good story out of it.”

Masters champion Rory McIlroy bogeyed his last four holes for a 74 that sent him to the practice range for most of the afternoon.

Lee rebounded from a first-hole bogey with five birdies in an impressive three-under-par start to men’s golf’s second major championship of the year.

The large, undulating and lightning quick greens at Aronimink Golf Club, outside Philadelphia, proved a challenge for most, but Lee handled the test impressively to lead an early Australian charge.

Australia’s 2015 champion Jason Day cursed his putter after managing just two late birdies in a one-under 69 despite a brilliant ball-striking round.

Chasing the final leg of a career grand slam, Jordan Spieth was making a move with three birdies on his back nine, but two late bogeys also left him at one under.

After missing the cut in six consecutive majors, Cameron Smith was also three under through seven holes, but Australia’s one-time world No.2 dropped three shots late in an even-par round of 70.

McIlroy was furious after finishing with four successive bogeys and posting a four-over 74.

Starting his round from the 10th hole, McIlroy made a troubled start with an opening bogey, after having to hack out of the rough, but bounced straight back with a birdie at the 11th.

From there, it was a run of 10-straight pars for the Northern Irishman, who is chasing a seventh major title which would take him past Sir Nick Faldo’s tally and make him the most successful European of the modern era.

The two-time PGA champion could not find the spark and he showed his frustration as a sloppy drive on the fourth resulted in a second bogey.

Again, he hit straight back by sinking a 31-foot putt before unravelling coming home.

But no one struggled quite like Bryson DeChambeau, the 2024 and 2025 runner-up who didn’t make a birdie until he ended on the par-5 ninth hole.

That kept him from matching his highest score in a PGA Championship. He shot 76 and now has to work toward avoiding a second-straight missed cut in a major.

AAP, AP

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