Queensland’s Adam Scott is hunting top spot on the leaderboard late in the opening round of the US PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club in New York.
Top 10 in each of his past two starts, Scott had three birdies in outward nine of two-under 33.
A 346-yard drive and wedge inside two feet set up a fourth birdie at the par-4 10th to move to three-under and just one back of Bryson DeChambeau (66) and level with Scottie Scheffler (67), Dustin Johnson (through 12) and Corey Conners (67).
Play was delayed by more than hour on Thursday due to the morning frost and then players went to work on one of America’s most demanding golf courses.
Scott was one of four Australians out late in Round 1, Sydney’s Cam Davis also well placed at one-under through 12 holes. Major debutant David Micheluzzi made the turn in three-over while Lucas Herbert have five bogeys and two birdies in an outward nine of three-over 38.
Open champion Cameron Smith opened with a two-over 74, Min Woo Lee recovered after bogeys at two of his opening three holes to post 75 while AT&T Byron Nelson champion Jason Day struggled to a six-over 76, unable to make a single birdie in his round.
It was an impressive start for Kiwi Ryan Fox despite quite possibly the worst preparation imaginable.
Since withdrawing from the RBC Heritage a month ago, Fox contracted pneumonia, returned home to New Zealand for the birth of his second daughter, Margot, and found himself caught up in the Auckland floods.
Despite the effects of the pneumonia still lingering, Fox had just two bogeys in a round of two-under 68 to be tied for fifth.
“It wasn’t quite the ideal preparation for a major, but I was kind of hoping the fact I needed a break after a busy start to the year and being mentally fresh would have been important this week,” Fox reasoned.
“Pneumonia was almost a benefit in a way that I just got home and knew I could do nothing and just relax.
“Coming in this week fresh has been pretty good so far.”
Live scores