PGA Championship: Scottie Scheffler begins with a magnificent eagle

LOUISVILLE — Scottie Scheffler stood at the first tee nine strokes behind PGA Championship clubhouse leader Xander Schauffele. Two swings later, Scheffler had sliced Schauffele’s lead to seven.

Scheffler holed his approach on No. 1 at Valhalla, and suddenly Schauffele’s massive lead didn’t look quite so untouchable any more:

Scottie Scheffler has ARRIVED.#PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/Ky3KNeGNb6

— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 16, 2024

To make it even wilder, this is the third straight year a player has eagled hist first hole at the PGA Championship, via Elias Sports Bureau. Scott Stallings and Jesse Mueller eagled their firsts the previous two years, respectively. Both, however, missed the cut.

That likely won’t be the case for Scheffler, who has won four of the last five tournaments he’s played in, including the Masters, and placed T2 in the fifth. He also welcomed the birth of his first child last week. And he might just add another major championship to his overflowing pile of riches in the next three days.