Day one PGA Championship leader Jhonattan Vegas of Venezuela discusses his course of action at Quail Hollow on Thursday. Image courtesy pgachampionship.com.
By Rahul Banerji
British-Indian golfer Aaron Rai was inside the top five on an opening day of the PGA Championship full of surprises, including an unheralded leader at Quail Hollow on Thursday.
While Rai shot a 4 under par 67 for a share of fourth place, Venezuela’s Jhonattan Vegas, who has never finished in the top 20 at a major, returned a 7 under 64 for a two-shot lead in a field containing 98 of the world’s top 100 players.
Vegas fired his best score in a major on a day hot favourites including Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, defending champion Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau found themselves battling a course inundated by rain ahead of the event’s start
Akshay Bhatia was 1 under 70 to shared 29th place but fellow Indian-American star Sahith Theegala was forced to pull out on tournament eve with a strained neck that affect his movements.
At the top though, it was Vegas who held the spotlight. The Venezuelan, who in 16 major championships has missed 10 cuts and never had a top 20, was followed home by event debutant Ryan Gerard with a 5 under 66 to tie Australian Cam Davis.
World number one Scottie Scheffler was 2 under 69 while Masters winner McIlroy saw his hopes of a second major in the year dim with a 3 over 74.
Rai’s 67 had him in a tie for fourth place with European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, 47, who shot the day’s only bogey-free round of 67. His US counterpart, Keegan Bradley, had an opening 68.
Defending champion Schauffele was one over 72 while three-time major champion Jordan Spieth, looking to complete a career Grand Slam in Charlotte, returned a 76.
Vegas blazed his way up the leaderboard with five birdies on his last six holes, ending with an 18-footer and a 25-footer for a 64 and the outright lead.
A 15-strong LIV Golf contingent had a rough day, with Jon Rahm (70) and Bryson DeChambeau (71) being the lead performers.
Tough call
Scheffler and defending champion Schauffele were unhappy about a local ruling that prevented preferred lies despite the heavy rain that had hit the area in the leadup to the tournament.
Yet, Scheffler holed two shots from off the green — one for birdie, one for eagle.
Four-time PGA Tour winner Vegas, 40, said North Carolina’s Quail Hollow Club course dried out through the day and gave him a chance to rack up a good score.
“I got lucky that I was able to tee off very late and the course obviously is drying very quick,” Vegas said after becoming the first Venezuelan to hold the lead or co-lead in a major.
“So I was able to take advantage a little bit of those conditions at the end of the day today. But obviously a solid round from beginning to end. Good way to start.”
Scheffler had his own take on the day, having made an early start.
“You spend your whole life trying to learn how to control a golf ball, and due to a rules decision all of a sudden you have absolutely no control over where that golf ball goes,” the world no. 1 said.
“But I don’t make the rules. I just have to deal with the consequences of those rules.”
Also read: Big 3 are favourites for PGA crown, but there are others too
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