The best golfers on the international scene are immersed in the second Major of 2024. We have in fact reached the end of the first round of the PGA Championship (prize money 18 million dollars), an event born way back in 1916 in which the history of this sport was written. After the first 18 holes, a dazzling player leads the leaderboard Xander Schauffele. The thirty-year-old Californian signs a sumptuous -9 (62 hits) bogey free on his debut and sends a strong signal to his opponents.
For the San Diego golfer, he is three points ahead of his compatriots Tony Finau, Sahith Theegala and Mark Hubbard, capable of completing the first round with a score of -6. Fifth place at -5 and top ten completed by the large group made up of the Americans Tom Hoge, Maverick McNealy and Collin Morikawa, the Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, the South Korean Tom Kim, the Scottish Robert McIntyre and the Belgian Thomas Detry.
On the par 71 course of the Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville (Kentucky, United States) the ranking is really very short behind Schauffele, with 63 participants contained in a handkerchief of 6 shots. Fluctuating first round for Francesco Molinari, which scored a birdie and an eagle balanced by three bogeys. The Turin native is 65th on par with par after the first 18 holes and in the afternoon the Italian will have to fight to avoid the cut.
Returning to the big names, usual convincing start for Scottie Scheffler, good at finishing with a score of -4 which means 12th position. For the undisputed number one in the Official World Golf Ranking an eagle, 4 birdies and 2 bogeys. Good too Viktor Hovlandin 18th place with a score of -3, while Jon Rahm will necessarily have to change pace. The Iberian is only 47th with -1, but he can consider himself satisfied compared to his Ryder Cup teammate Ludvig Aberg. The Swedish ace made a mess, finishing with a score of +1 in the company of, among others, Tiger Woods. In the Italian afternoon there will be room for the second round which will lead to the fateful cut.
