PGA Championship R1: Seven-Way Tie as Scheffler Lurks

I've covered a lot of major championships, but I've never seen anything quite like what unfolded at Aronimink Golf Club on Thursday. The opening round of the PGA Championship produced a traffic jam that would make Philadelphia rush hour look like a Sunday stroll.

Historic Congestion at the Top

Seven players finished the day tied at three-under 67, and here's where it gets truly wild—another 42 players are within three shots of them. That means roughly a third of the entire field is within legitimate striking distance of the lead heading into Friday.

According to historical records, this is unprecedented. We're talking about major championship golf dating back to 1860, and we've never seen a leaderboard this congested after an opening round. The co-leaders include 16 major winners combined, but there's one name that should have everyone else looking over their shoulder.

Scottie Scheffler is lurking.

The world No. 1 posted his 67 with his trademark efficiency, and we all know what happens when Scheffler gets himself into contention at a major. The American has been the most dominant player on the planet for good reason, and seeing him share the lead after day one is ominous news for the rest of the field.

Aronimink Shows Its Teeth

This Donald Ross design, hosting its first major since 1962, is no pushover. The course sits in a natural basin, featuring canted fairways and cambered greens that had players tilting like they were on the deck of a ship in rough seas. Miss the fairway here, and you're in serious trouble.

Just ask Rory McIlroy.

The four-time major champion limped home at four-over after a disastrous finish—four consecutive bogeys on his final four holes. When asked to sum up his round in the immediate aftermath, McIlroy offered a one-word assessment that I'll clean up for you: not good.

"I started missing fairways," McIlroy explained after composing himself. "From there, it's hard."

Here's the thing that makes McIlroy's struggle so fascinating. Just a couple of days ago, he was confidently claiming the course didn't require any particular strategy off the tee beyond "bash the driver down there and figure it out." He graciously admitted he got that one wrong after his opening drive found rough so deep he could only chop his second shot about a hundred yards forward.

"That lie was as bad as I've seen," McIlroy said.

The Penalty That Didn't Matter

In a round full of bizarre storylines, South African Garrick Higgo provided perhaps the strangest. The 27-year-old arrived at the first tee 30 seconds late from the practice green and was immediately slapped with a two-shot penalty by a rules official.

Most players would crater after such a start. Higgo? He still posted a 69 and sits just two back of the lead. In a field this bunched, that penalty might not matter at all come Sunday.

DeChambeau's Rough Day

While McIlroy's four-over will require a Friday charge, Bryson DeChambeau finds himself in an even deeper hole at six-over par. The big-hitting American, who recently mentioned that growing his YouTube following was a top priority, will need to produce some serious content on day two just to make the weekend.

The contrast between the pre-tournament hype and reality couldn't be sharper. Many predicted this would be a "turkey shoot" given some of the course setup discussions. Instead, Aronimink delivered a grinding test that separated no one while punishing wayward shots severely.

Key Takeaways

The leaderboard is meaningless right now—with 49 players within three shots, anything can happen over the next three days.
Scheffler's presence among the leaders is significant—the world No. 1 knows how to close at majors, and he's positioned perfectly.
Fairways are non-negotiable at Aronimink—McIlroy learned this the hard way, and others will too if they don't adjust.
Friday will be survival mode—expect the cut to be tight with this many players bunched together.

Buckle up, folks. We've got 54 holes left, and this thing is anybody's championship to win.