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McIlroy struggles as Ryder Cup captains impress at US PGA

Published

3 weeks ago

May 15, 2025

Masters champion Rory McIlroy slipped eight shots off the lead on day one of the US PGA Championship after a disappointing round of three over par.

American Ryan Gerard set the pace at five under while Ryder Cup captains Luke Donald and Keegan Bradley both impressed among the early starters at Quail Hollow.

Englishman Donald shot a bogey-free 67 while Bradley, who will lead the United States team in September’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, dropped his only shot at the last to finish at three under par.

McIlroy, who completed a career Grand Slam by winning at Augusta in April, managed just two birdies in his round of 74.

The 36-year-old was playing in the same group as world number one Scottie Scheffler and defending champion Xander Schauffele, who finished at two under and one over respectively.

All three struggled at times on day one, but Scheffler birdied two of his final three holes to keep himself in touch with the leaders.

That trio will start their second round at 18:47 BST on Friday.

Leader Gerard, 25, has only a missed cut and a tie for 56th in the 2023 US Open on his major resume, but heated up around the turn with four birdies and an eagle between hole 10 and 15 to move three shots clear.

However, bogeys at the 17th and 18th robbed him of his commanding position.

Alongside Donald on four under was Germany’s Stephan Jaeger, while Sweden’s Alex Noren, England’s Matt Fitzpatrick and Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre all ended at three under par to ensure a healthy European contingent near the top of the leaderboard.

Among the players in the later wave of starters on Thursday are last year’s US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, Masters runner-up Justin Rose and American Jordan Spieth, who requires the US PGA title to complete his own full set of major victories

Thirty-two days after a dramatic finale at Augusta, which saw him become only the sixth player in history to win all four majors, most eyes were on McIlroy as he headed out as part of a three-ball containing the world’s top three-ranked players.

McIlroy – the US PGA champion in 2012 and 2014 – has an excellent record at Quail Hollow, winning four PGA Tour events there during his career.

The world number two started with a birdie at the par-five 10th – his first hole of the day – but gave that shot straight back by three-putting for bogey on the 11th green.

Another birdie followed on 15, but the marquee trio faltered at the entrance to Quail Hollow’s penal three-hole stretch, the ‘Green Mile’.

All three left the 16th hole with double bogeys after McIlroy put his tee shot into the thick rough and Scheffler and Schauffele dumped their approaches in the water.

After a series of pars, five-time major winner McIlroy ended his round with another dropped shot on his final hole, having found just four of 14 fairways from the tee.

It is a statistic he must improve if he is to move back into contention.