Summary

  • Round one at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina

  • Leaders: -7 Vegas (64)

  • Selected: -5 Davis (66), Gerard (66); -4 Rai (67), Donald (67); -3 Bradley (68), Hatton (68), MacIntyre (68), Fitzpatrick (68)

  • -2 Scheffler (69); +3 McIlroy (74)

  • Click on the play icon for BBC Radio 5 Live commentary

  1. Vegas leads after intriguing first roundpublished at 01:12 British Summer Time 16 May

    Jhonattan VegasImage source, Getty Images

    Wow. What a finale to the first round of the 107th edition of the US PGA Championship.

    Who'd have thought that Masters champion Rory McIlroy, would be 10 shots off the lead in a tie for 98th?

    What about Europe's Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, posting his best opening round in a major since 2004 with a bogey-free four-under 67 on a Quail Hollow course that is meant to favour the big hitters.

    And fancy the top three players on the leaderboard, Jhonattan Vegas (70), Ryan Gerard (81) and Cam Davis (68) all being from outside the top 50 of the world rankings.

    It was also a great day for British golfers with the likes of Aaron Rai, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrell Hatton and Robert MacIntyre all in the mix at three under.

    You can read all about the other subplots involving the likes of world number one Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau in our report.

    We'll be back at 13:00 BST and you can listen to live radio coverage on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra from 18:30.

  2. Venezuela's Vegas makes history as he tops leaderboardpublished at 01:02 British Summer Time 16 May

    Vegas -7 (64*)

    Jhonattan Vegas missed the cut the last time the US PGA Championship was held at Quail Hollow in 2017.

    This time around the 40-year-old heads into Friday's second round as the outright leader and well placed to be around and possibly contend over the weekend after making a birdie on the ninth to go two strokes clear.

    He also becomes the first player from Venezuela to top the leaderboard following any major round.

  3. Postpublished at 00:50 British Summer Time 16 May

    McIlroy +3 (74)

    Given Rory McIlroy is currently in a tie for 97th this statistic may well come in handy if he mounts a charge on Friday.

    Only two players have ever won the US PGA Championship after being placed 50th or worse on the leaderboard at the end of the first round:

    • Payne Stewart, 1989 Kemper Lakes, tied 77th
    • John Mahaffey, 1978 Oakmont, tied 59th
  4. Vegas moves into outright leadpublished at 00:44 British Summer Time 16 May

    Vegas -6 (17*)

    Oh hello. Not content with sharing the overnight lead Jhonattan Vegas knocks in his fourth birdie in five holes and will head down the ninth as the sole leader.

  5. Postpublished at 00:33 British Summer Time 16 May

    Campos -3 (17*)

    Puerto Rican golfer Rafael Campos was also going well on his US PGA debut until he reaches the 8th, the 17th on his round today.

    The 37-year-old was maybe fancying his chances of sharing the overnight lead but misses a par putt from eight feet.

  6. Vegas takes share of the leadpublished at 00:28 British Summer Time 16 May

    Vegas -5 (16*)

    Jhonattan Vegas lines up a long eagle putt on the seventh for the outright lead which drifts slightly left.

    He knocks in the birdie putt though and all of a sudden it's a three-way affair at the top of the leaderboard.

  7. Postpublished at 00:25 British Summer Time 16 May

    Rai -4 (67)

    England's Aaron Rai after shooting a 67, his best ever score in a major: "Drove it extremely well, which I think is crucial around this course. Hit a lot of nice iron shots, and the shots we missed, felt like we put them in good spots to at least have opportunities to have looks at pars. Bogeys are not going to be bad scores around this place.

    "So yeah, I think just keeping the round nicely ticking over, making some nice par saves and just having a lot of opportunities I think is key to playing a good round today..

    "There were a couple of spots that were pretty wet on the fairways, but that's to be expected with just how much rain that we've had. It's extremely dry around the greens and the runoffs are extremely tight.

    "I think without playing preferred lies, it brought in the challenge of the short game a little bit more, which I think is an important part of the course. So yeah, I thought the decision was good and the course played great overall."

  8. Postpublished at 00:18 British Summer Time 16 May

    As things stand there are 28 players within three shots of the leaders as we head towards Friday's second round.

    That is the fourth-highest total in that position since 1995.

  9. Postpublished at 00:14 British Summer Time 16 May

    DeChambeau E (71), Hovland -2 (69), Woodland +3 (74)

    That's a misread from Bryson DeChambeau. His ball scoots right to left and it'll be a bogey finish.

    Viktor Hovland also misses. There was virtually no break in that and his putt holds firm on a line just left of the cup.

  10. Postpublished at 00:11 British Summer Time 16 May

    DeChambeau -1, Hovland -3, Woodland +4 (17)

    A scooping chip comes up short so Bryson will be putting up the slope rather than down it. It'll be a 10-foot putt for a par.

    Viktor Hovland clips out of the sand without hesitation and his ball takes one bounce past the pin and then stops dead in its tracks.

    As a couple of ducks waddle across the putting surface, the Norwegian is eyeing a tricky downhill putt for a four.

  11. Postpublished at 00:07 British Summer Time 16 May

    DeChambeau -1, Hovland -3, Woodland +4 (17)

    Bryson DeChambeau tries to cut an eight iron from right to left out of the rough but comes up short of the green.

    Viktor Hovland fares no better swishing over the stream down the left but sending his ball into the first greenside bunker down the right. Tough up and downs incoming.

    Gary Woodland on the other hand has played this hole in exemplary fashion so far, drilling his ball down the middle and then zipping into six feet with his second.

  12. Postpublished at 23:59 British Summer Time 15 May

    DeChambeau -1, Hovland -3, Woodland +4 (17)

    Bryson DeChambeau takes the driver on the 18th and sprays his tee shot well right. 'Fore right' shouts the American, who at first glance may need a sat nav to find his way back to the fairway from there.

    Has his ball rolled down the banking over there? If it has this actually might not be too bad.

    Viktor Hovland booms his tee shot miles left. Is the stand over there in his way? Not the drive he wanted at this stage of the day.

  13. Vegas in the mixpublished at 23:51 British Summer Time 15 May

    Vegas -4 (14*)

    Jhonattan Vegas, who is the only Venezuelan to earn a PGA Tour card or win a PGA Tour event makes back-to-back birdies on the fourth and fifth holes to move to four under and just one stroke adrift of joint leaders Cam Davis and Ryan Gerard.

  14. Rai ends one off leaderspublished at 23:49 British Summer Time 15 May

    Rai -4 (67)

    A safe par to finish for England's Aaron Rai, who can be very happy with his day's work.

    He'll surely sleep well tonight after carding a four-under 67, which puts him one behind leaders Cam Davis and Rayn Gerard.

  15. Aberg under par but Spieth strugglespublished at 23:47 British Summer Time 15 May

    Aberg -1 (70), Reed +1 (72), Spieth +5 (76)

    A par save at the last for Ludvig Aberg, who finishes four shots off the lead.

    But Jordan Spieth might have to wait a bit longer if he's going to complete that career Grand Slam - a bogey on the last means he'll sign for a five-over-par 76.

    The other player in that group, former Masters winner Patrick Reed, ends one over for the day.

  16. Postpublished at 23:47 British Summer Time 15 May

    DeChambeau -1, Hovland -3, Woodland +4 (17)

    What. A. Shot. Bryson DeChambeau pulls out an eight iron to travel 227 yards over the water at tht par-three 17th...and almost aces it.

    His ball lands about 12 feet from the hole and rolls in to no more than an inch or two away from the cup. Birdie all day long and back in the red numbers.

    Viktor Hovland, took a five iron when he had the honour off the tee but could not stop it and will be chipping or putting from the back edge.

  17. Hovland chips in for birdiepublished at 23:40 British Summer Time 15 May

    DeChambeau E, Hovland -3, Woodland +4 (16)

    He'll chip and raise his arm in celebration as his ball skips across the dancefloor before disappearing for a birdie.

    Sensational from Viktor Hovland.

  18. Postpublished at 23:37 British Summer Time 15 May

    DeChambeau E, Hovland -2, Woodland +4 (15)

    With one big booming drive Bryson DeChambeau is in prime position on the 535-yard par four 16th but then pushes his approach to the right of the green.

    In doing that he takes the possibility of finding water out of the loop but he'll now be putting from over 40 feet. It almost seems a complete waste.

    Viktor Hovland's second finds the left fringe. Will he chip or putt from there?

  19. Bogey finish for JTpublished at 23:37 British Summer Time 15 May

    Thomas +2 (73)

    And here's Justin Thomas finishing up on the last. Will he produce the par of this first round? He sets the ball out to the left and is willing it to dive left at the death. The ball stays out wide though. Shot gone. But it could have been so much worse.

  20. Double trouble for Morikawapublished at 23:35 British Summer Time 15 May

    Morikawa -1 (70)

    Collin Morikawa is trying to keep his emotions in check but that is the scruffiest of double bogeys you'll see from a professional. His fourth, from back down the fairway was decent, but two putts from 12 feet leads to a double bogey. It's the brainfade of a second shot that cost him.