Category: 2021 PGA Championship

PGA Championship tee times, featured groups, TV and streaming info for Sunday’s final round

Everything you need to know for the final round of the PGA Championship.

One man stole the show on Saturday at the PGA Championship: Phil Mickelson. The 50-year-old kept his quest for a sixth career major title alive at Kiawah Island as he cruised through the first half of his day with five birdies in his opening 10 holes, then held it together over the back nine for a 70 that left him at 7 under. That’s one shot better than his closest pursuer, Brooks Koepka.

The possibilities for Sunday’s final certainly are exciting.

Here’s everything you need to know for that final round of the PGA Championship. All times listed are Eastern Standard Time.

PGA Championship: Leaderboard | Photos | How to watch

1st tee

Tee time Players
7:30 a.m. Brian Gay
7:40 a.m. Rasmus Hojgaard, Garrick Higgo
7:50 a.m. Lucas Herbert, Brendan Steele
8:00 a.m. Henrik Stenson, Byeong Hun An
8:10 a.m. Adam Hadwin, Brad Marek
8:20 a.m. Matt Wallace, Harris English
8:30 a.m. Robert Streb, Cam Davis
8:40 a.m. Bubba Watson, Tom Hoge
8:50 a.m. Jimmy Walker, Abraham Ancer
9:00 a.m. Russell Henley, Daniel Berger
9:10 a.m. Dean Burmester, Matt Jones
9:20 a.m. Sam Horsfield, Danny Willett
9:30 a.m. Tom Lewis, Chan Kim
9:40 a.m. Rory McIlroy, Stewart Cink
9:50 a.m. Jason Day, Wyndham Clark
10:10 a.m. Denny McCarthy, Emiliano Grillo
10:20 a.m. Justin Rose, Lee Westwood
10:30 a.m. Jason Scrivener, Robert MacIntyre
10:40 a.m. Harold Varner III, Aaron Wise
10:50 a.m. Daniel van Tonder, Viktor Hovland
11:00 a.m. Tyrrell Hatton, Collin Morikawa
11:10 a.m. Talor Gooch, Jon Rahm
11:20 a.m. Cameron Smith, Alex Noren
11:30 a.m. Patrick Reed, Carlos Ortiz
11:40 a.m. Webb Simpson, Ben Cook
11:50 a.m. Martin Laird, Hideki Matsuyama
12:00 p.m. Shane Lowry, Padraig Harrington
12:10 p.m. Will Zalatoris, Ian Poulter
12:20 p.m. Steve Stricker, Scottie Scheffler
12:30 p.m. Billy Horschel, Joel Dahmen
12:40 p.m. Harry Higgs, Richy Werenski
12:50 p.m. Charley Hoffman, Jason Kokrak
1:00 p.m. Keegan Bradley, Matt Fitzpatrick
1:10 p.m. Tony Finau, Patrick Cantlay
1:20 p.m. Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler
1:40 p.m. Sungjae Im, Corey Conners
1:50 p.m. Gary Woodland, Paul Casey
2:00 p.m. Bryson DeChambeau, Joaquin Niemann
2:10 p.m. Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Branden Grace
2:20 p.m. Louis Oosthuizen, Kevin Streelman
2:30 p.m. Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka


[listicle id=778104789]
[vertical-gallery id=778104757]

PGA Championship: Jordan Spieth rebounds with 68, heads off to watch Phil the Thrill

Jordan Spieth’s putter warmed up on Saturday as he shot 4-under 68, but he likely will be too far back to make a run at completing the Slam.

KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. – Jordan Spieth knows he likely shot himself out of the PGA Championship with his misbehaving putter during the first two rounds, but he battled hard for no other reason than he’s a fighter. Spieth was 5 under and bogey free on Saturday until his lone hiccup at the treacherous par-3 17th. In calmer conditions on Saturday, he signed for a 4-under 68 and landed at even-par 216 for 54 holes.

“I hate being over par at a golf course. I mean, it’s like my biggest pet peeve regardless of when it is in the tournament and I just hate seeing an over-par score next to my name,” he said. “So, it’s nice to be tied with the course with a chance to beat it tomorrow.”

Spieth struggled with his putter for the first two rounds at the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Resort. He lost nearly two strokes on the green on Thursday and more than two and half on Friday, when he needed 34 putts in his round of 75. But he sank a 32-foot birdie putt on the third hole of his third round and suddenly the cup no longer looked to be the size of a thimble. He took just 23 putts and gained nearly a stroke and a half on the field on the greens Saturday.

“It’s just a stroke thing. I know exactly what it is,” Spieth explained. “I’m just trying to trust it on the course, and it’s difficult. It’s a move just like any kind of swing move where it needs some repetition and it needs trust and it needs a couple results, and all of a sudden I’m pouring it in.

“It’s in a place where, you know, when I look at it on video or how I need to calibrate it, I’m like, OK, yeah, no wonder it feels that bad on the course and that’s better than it being perfect and feeling poorly and not performing on the course.

“It’s obviously not great to try to figure out in the middle of a major championship, but I can go in with nothing but trust like I did today, tomorrow, and see if they start pouring in.”

Spieth also benefitted from a chip in at the par-3 fifth hole and added back-to-back birdies at Nos. 10 and 11. He made a 16-foot putt par putt at 15 and a similar length putt one hole later for birdie. As he approached the 17th tee, a marshal asked how Spieth was doing and a fan reported that he was into red figures for the championship and 5 under for the day. The marshal smiled. Then the fan said, “But he should be at least 7 or 8.” The marshal’s smile disappeared, even before Spieth tugged his tee shot at 17 and made bogey. Spieth agreed with the fan’s assessment – to a point.

“I chipped in and made a long par putt on 15, so I can’t really say that it should have been a lot lower. But this is a round where I’m walking up the 18th going, ‘Man, this could have been special today.’ I had four or five really with no pace on it lip out today. Obviously had a couple go in. But it felt like one of those really good 6-, 7-under rounds that ended up being 4.”

But Spieth said he would continue to play aggressively, blasting driver off every tee and firing at flags in pursuit of birdies.

“Yeah, if I were at 4 under and the lead was only 7, then things could be different,” he said. “But I’m not.”

It was the only moment where Spieth sounded dejected that his chance to complete the career Grand Slam likely had faded away. He was already starting to think about the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines and upcoming starts at the Charles Schwab Challenge next week and The Memorial after that. Spieth’s third round had ended before the leaders had teed off. With a free afternoon at his disposal, Spieth said he’d do something he rarely does – watch golf, or more specifically, Phil Mickelson.

“I don’t watch golf but I promise you I’m going to turn it on to watch him today,” he said.

[vertical-gallery id=778087405]

[lawrence-related id=778105009,778103684,778101779]

Could a hurricane eliminate Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course hosting the PGA Championship? Absolutely.

Pete Dye said he doubted the course will make it another half-century. Others have insisted that timeline could be too generous.

As Golfweek’s Adam Schupak wrote after the first 36 holes of the 103rd PGA Championship, “the winner so far has been the wind at The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Resort.”

The elements, clearly, have an impact on the way the gorgeous Pete and Alice Dye design plays. As you can imagine, geography plays a hand in this. Kiawah, which sits less than an hour from nearby Charleston, is on an exposed piece of property surrounded by the winding Kiawah River, a portion of the Stono River and the Atlantic Ocean.

Before the Civil War, it was primarily known as a cattle farming region, although Kiawah later became a logging hotspot. The first group of summer homes wasn’t built until the mid-1950s and the island didn’t see its first golf course until 1976 when March Point Golf Course (since renamed Cougar Point) made its debut.

And while the land value has skyrocketed in subsequent decades — those who have purchased homes in the area include former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino, former governor Nikki Haley, skater Tara Lipinski and NBA star Ray Allen — the flat, sandy area is prone to reshaping and, in a worst-case scenario, could be susceptible to catastrophe.

A story in the Washington Post in advance of the PGA Championship highlighted just how vulnerable Kiawah is. Prior to his death last year, Dye said he doubted the course will make it another half-century. Others have insisted that timeline could be too generous.

[vertical-gallery id=778104757]

“If a Category 3 or 4 came in just south of here, there probably wouldn’t be much left,” George Frye, the former superintendent of The Ocean Course told the Post. “It would be devastating.”

According to the state’s emergency management division, South Carolina is one of the most vulnerable states in the nation to be impacted by hurricanes and tropical storms. The greatest threat to life — and the golf courses — associated with a hurricane and tropical storm is storm surge. Other effects include high winds, tornadoes, and inland flooding associated with heavy rainfall that usually accompanies these storms.

Is talk of a hurricane ripping through Kiawah simply a case of climatologists being overcautious?

Consider this: A total of 82 hurricanes have been recorded in the Kiawah Island area since 1930, with the most recent in 2014 when Arthur pounded the region with heavy rains. In fact, hurricanes have been a part of The Ocean Course since its inception — Hurricane Hugo ravaged the area in 1989 and forced a massive reconstruction that made finishing the track in time for the 1991 Ryder Cup a challenge.

And although the historical probability of a hurricane making landfall in South Carolina is about 18 percent — according to Colorado State University’s Department of Atmospheric Science, which has issued seasonal hurricane forecasts every year since 1984 — the odds in 2020 were bumped to 27 percent due to rising ocean temperatures. The state was fortunate that last year fell on the right side of the odds, but that won’t always be the case. But ocean temperatures continue to rise.

And hurricanes aren’t the only issue that could potentially shape Kiawah’s future. Data gathered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, suggests sea levels here have risen as much as 0.8 feet since 1992. The rising seas, according to scientists, are a result of melting polar ice and warmer oceans that take more space.

Based on current climate trends, NOAA estimates seas may rise as much as 1.85 feet by 2040 compared to 1992.

The end result?

The incredible views from Kiawah’s wind-swept Ocean Course should be savored this week — data indicates the course likely won’t stay in its current form for too long.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=none image=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[lawrence-related id=778105273,778105150,778105066]

PGA Championship: These two club pros beat DJ, JT and X-Man — and will play the weekend

Brad Marek and Ben Cook, two of 20 PGA teaching professionals in the field at the PGA Championship, made their first cut on the PGA Tour.

KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. – While Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas and Xander Schauffele were sent packing from the 103rd PGA Championship, PGA teaching professionals Brad Marek (pictured above) and Ben Cook survived the 36-hole cut at the Old Course at Kiawah Island Resort.

“First PGA Tour event, to make the cut on this golf course is pretty much a dream come true,” Marek said.

The 37-year-old teaching pro from the Northern California PGA Section posted a 1-over 73 Friday and 2-over 146 for the championship (T-32). Cook, 27, PGA Director of Instruction at Yankee Springs Golf Course, Wayland, Michigan, was leaking oil on the closing stretch of the Pete Dye layout, but managed to par the final two holes to make the cut on the number (72-77—149) for the first time in three appearances.

“It’s been a cool week,” Cook said. “I’m out here on the putting green hitting putts next to my heroes, and I have a great support team here. I feel very blessed.”

Marek, who played college golf at Indiana, competed professionally for nine years on a variety of tours, winning 15 times in that span, including a couple of times on the Dakotas Tour.

“I chased mini-tours nine or 10 years after college, always with the goal of trying to get out here. Obviously didn’t attain that via the regular route, but as soon as I was done playing, I knew I wanted to be a part of the PGA for the opportunities like this on the playing side,” he said.

[vertical-gallery id=778104757]

Marek, who tied for eighth at his first PGA Professional Championship to earn a spot in this week’s field, runs his own junior golf academy out of Corica Park in Alameda, Calif., for players with aspirations of playing college golf.

“Everybody in that has a goal of trying to move up to the next level in terms of their golf,” he said.

What could provide greater inspiration to his students than to see their coach holding his own with the best players on the planet on one of the toughest courses on the planet. Marek opened with 73 on Thursday, and began his second round with two birdies, including rolling in a 20-foot birdie putt from the fringe at No. 10. The course toughened beginning at 14 when the wind flipped into his face.

“You just know for the next nine holes, you’re just holding on, trying to keep your head above water and hopefully get a little bit of reprieve 6 through 9,” he said.

He made a “miracle bogey” on 18, and then pitched in at 2 for birdie.

Said Marek, who ranks second in Strokes Gained: Around the green through two rounds: “It was a really good shot but did not expect that to go in.”

Nor did he expect to drain a 35-foot birdie putt at No. 9, his final hole of the day. (He ranks ninth in SG: Putting.)

“It was getting really dark, and I was just trying to get it out there and just dribble it down the hill so I had a kick-in,” he said, “and I still can’t believe that thing went in.”

Speaking as much for Cook as for himself, Marek explained why it was important for two of the 20 club professionals in the field to make the cut.

“Any time one of us can make the cut, I think it’s really good for,” Marek said. “I think there used to be 25 spots in this and it got reduced to 20, so I feel like any time a couple of us can make the cut and represent the PGA well, I think that bodes well for the organization as a whole and just kind of shows the type of players that are at the top level of the PGA of America.”

PGA Championship tee times, featured groups, TV and streaming info for Saturday’s third round

Everything you need to know for the third round of the PGA Championship.

The weekend has arrived at the 103rd PGA Championship on Kiawah Island Golf Resort’s Ocean Course in South Carolina.

The wind wreaked havoc on several scorecards throughout the day (driving one player, Erik van Rooyen, mad enough to take his frustration out on a tee marker at the par-3 17th). By the end of the day, 50-year-old Phil Mickelson was tied at the top of the leaderboard with Louis Oosthuizen and looking to make some magic in the final two rounds.

Here’s everything you need to know for the third round of the PGA Championship. All times listed are Eastern Standard Time.

PGA Championship: Leaderboard | Photos | How to watch

1st tee

Tee time Players
7:40 a.m. Denny McCarthy
7:50 a.m. Emiliano Grillo, Chan Kim
8:00 a.m. Harris English, Alex Noren
8:10 a.m. Tom Hoge, Henrik Stenson
8:20 a.m. Harold Varner III, Garrick Higgo
8:30 a.m. Talor Gooch, Brendan Steele
8:40 a.m. Webb Simpson, Ben Cook
8:50 a.m. Patrick Reed, Billy Horschel
9:00 a.m. Sam Horsfield, Jason Day
9:10 a.m. Robert Streb, Wyndham Clark
9:20 a.m. Brian Gay, Aaron Wise
9:30 a.m. Danny Willett, Jason Scrivener
9:40 a.m. Byeong Hun An, Robert MacIntyre
9:50 a.m. Dean Burmester, Matt Jones
10:00 a.m. Jordan Spieth, Lucas Herbert
10:20 a.m. Russell Henley, Daniel Berger
10:30 a.m. Rory McIlroy, Adam Hadwin
10:40 a.m. Jimmy Walker, Stewart Cink
10:50 a.m. Joel Dahmen, Rickie Fowler
11:00 a.m. Steve Stricker, Cam Davis
11:10 a.m. Carlos Ortiz, Justin Rose
11:20 a.m. Rasmus Hojgaard, Jon Rahm
11:30 a.m. Matt Wallace, Brad Marek
11:40 a.m. Tyrrell Hatton, Scottie Scheffler
11:50 a.m. Tony Finau, Patrick Cantlay
12:00 p.m. Collin Morikawa, Abraham Ancer
12:10 p.m. Lee Westwood, Tom Lewis
12:20 p.m. Will Zalatoris, Bubba Watson
12:30 p.m. Daniel van Tonder, Cameron Smith
12:40 p.m. Keegan Bradley, Viktor Hovland
12:50 p.m. Ian Poulter, Shane Lowry
1:00 p.m. Matt Fitzpatrick, Padraig Harrington
1:10 p.m. Bryson DeChambeau, Charley Hoffman
1:20 p.m. Martin Laird, Jason Kokrak
1:30 p.m. Joaquin Niemann, Harry Higgs
1:50 p.m. Paul Casey, Richy Werenski
2:00 p.m. Kevin Streelman, Sungjae Im
2:10 p.m. Corey Conners, Gary Woodland
2:20 p.m. Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Hideki Matsuyama
2:30 p.m. Brooks Koepka, Branden Grace
2:40 p.m. Phil Mickelson, Louis Oosthuizen


[vertical-gallery id=778104757]

[listicle id=778104789]

Watch: PGA Championship player goes ballistic (as his caddie shudders)

A University of Minnesota product had a rough stretch Friday at Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course, and it pushed him over the edge.

With heightened stakes and a gale-force wind, it’s easy to see how players at the 103rd PGA Championship could let their emotions get away from them.

This happened to University of Minnesota product Erik van Rooyen on Friday when a rough stretch on the back nine pushed him over the edge.

It appeared that the South African would end up on the right side of the cut, but he made a bogey on No. 14, a double on 15 and then another bogey on 16 before knocking his tee shot on the 17th into the water.

The result was a Herculian tirade, one that included damaged tee markers.

Van Rooyen’s caddie, Alex Gaugert, nearly walked into the tirade and winced as he quickly turned away.

As you can see, the first wack caused two marshals off to the left shudder.

The second swipe is what broke the club head off the iron and more importantly, freaked out his caddie, who ducked for cover.

Van Rooyen took a triple-bogey 6 on the hole. It was the third straight 6 on his scorecard.

[vertical-gallery id=778104757]

Watch: Brooks Koepka and Rory McIlroy are in sync at the PGA Championship. Really in sync.

We bring you Brooks Koepka and Rory McIlroy during the 2021 PGA Championship.

Sometimes, you might wonder: am I living in the Matrix?

When you see athletes doing things completely in sync and it’s caught on camera, you definitely get that feeling. And that’s happened a bunch over the years.

Today, we bring you Brooks Koepka and Rory McIlroy during their first round at the 2021 PGA Championship. They were both on one of the greens at Kiawah Island and started walking completely in sync. On top of that, they spun their putters the exact same way at the same time.

You’re going to watch this about a million times, much like we did:

 

This player was slapped with a penalty after taking 74 seconds to shoot at the PGA Championship

John Catlin was assessed a one-stroke penalty after receiving his second bad time during the first round of the 103rd PGA Championship.

KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. — John Catlin received a one-stroke penalty during the first round of the 103rd PGA Championship for a breach of the pace of play policy.

Catlin, a 30-year-old American who competes regularly on the European Tour and was awarded a special exemption into his first major, was timed taking 74 seconds to play his second shot at the 16th hole, his seventh hole of the first round at The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Resort. The first bad time resulted in a pace of play warning. His second bad time took place while playing Hole No. 3 (his 12th hole), where he took 63 seconds for his second shot, resulting in a one-stroke Pace of Play Penalty.

The PGA of America has adopted a Pace of Play Policy under Rule 5.6b(3) of the Rules of Golf to encourage and enforce prompt play. Asked to comment on the penalty, Catlin said in a text, “Honestly, just moving on.”

He shot 3-over 75.

Pace-of-play penalties are rarely called on the PGA Tour. In fact, the last time  a player was docked for slow play at a major was at the 2013 Masters. On that occasion, 14-year-old Tianlang Guan was the guilty party.

 

PGA Championship tee times, featured groups, TV and streaming info for Friday’s second round

Everything you need to know for the second round of the PGA Championship.

The 103rd PGA Championship continues on Friday from Kiawah Island Golf Resort’s Ocean Course in South Carolina, and with a handful of storylines and groups to watch.

Corey Conners took the early lead on Thursday after a 5-under 67, with six players tied for second at 3 under: 2011 PGA champion Keegan Bradley, Viktor Hovland, 2018 and 2019 champion Brooks Koepka, Aaron Wise, Sam Horsfield and Cam Davis.

Defending champion Collin Morikawa sits T-8 at 3 under, while Rory McIlroy, the winner of the 2012 PGA held at Kiawah, struggled to a 3-over 75 and sits T-82.

Here’s everything you need to know for the second round of the PGA Championship. All times listed are Eastern Standard Time.

PGA Championship: Leaderboard | Photos | How to watch

1st tee

Tee Time Players
7 a.m. Si Woo Kim, Danny Balin, Jim Herman
7:11 a.m. Sami Valimaki, Joe Summerhays, Richy Werenski
7:22 a.m. Sebastian Munoz, Tim Pearce, Sam Horsfield
7:33 a.m. Y.E. Yang, Shaun Micheel, Rich Beem
7:44 a.m. Joaquin Niemann, J.T. Poston, Aaron Rai
7:55 a.m. Branden Grace, Adam Hadwin, Rasmus Hojgaard
8:06 a.m. Russell Henley, Jazz Janewattananond, Carlos Ortiz
8:17 a.m. Andy Sullivan, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Kevin Streelman
8:28 a.m. Ian Poulter, Brian Harman, Sungjae Im
8:39 a.m. Antoine Rozner, Chez Reavie, Brandon Stone
8:50 a.m. Victor Perez, Omar Uresti, Maverick McNealy
9:01 a.m. Tyler Collet, Brendon Todd, Lucas Herbert
9:12 a.m. Ben Cook, Mackenzie Hughes, Takumi Kanaya
12:30 p.m. Ben Polland, Talor Gooch, Harry Higgs
12:41 p.m. Rob Labritz, Brendan Steele, Harold Varner III
12:52 p.m. Paul Casey, Garrick Higgo, Marc Leishman
1:03 p.m. Rickie Fowler, Adam Scott, Tyrrell Hatton
1:14 p.m. Robert MacIntyre, Cameron Champ, John Catlin
1:25 p.m. Zach Johnson, Brandon Hagy, Scottie Scheffler
1:36 p.m. Louis Oosthuizen, Ryan Palmer, Thomas Detry
1:47 p.m. Lee Westwood, Viktor Hovland, Xander Schauffele
1:58 p.m. Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka
2:09 p.m. Collin Morikawa, Bryson DeChambeau, Hideki Matsuyama
2:20 p.m. Charley Hoffman, Matt Wallace, Erik van Rooyen
2:31 p.m. Chan Kim, Brett Walker, Brian Gay
2:42 p.m. Aaron Wise, Sonny Skinner, Kalle Samooja

[vertical-gallery id=778104757]

10th tee

Tee Time Players
7:05 a.m. Frank Bensel, Jr., Robert Streb, Kurt Kitayama
7:16 a.m. Alex Beach, Daniel van Tonder, Wyndham Clark
7:27 a.m. Abraham Ancer, Max Homa
7:38 a.m. Tony Finau, Matt Fitzpatrick, Corey Conners
7:49 a.m. Phil Mickelson, Jason Day, Padraig Harrington
8 a.m. Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm, Patrick Reed
8:11 a.m. Gary Woodland, Justin Rose, Cameron Smith
8:22 a.m. Steve Stricker, Billy Horschel, Daniel Berger
8:33 a.m. Webb Simpson, Will Zalatoris, Jordan Spieth
8:44 a.m. Dustin Johnson, Shane Lowry, Sergio Garcia
8:55 a.m. Thomas Pieters, Patrick Cantlay, Matt Kuchar
9:06 a.m. Chris Kirk, Pete Ballo, Cam Davis
9:17 a.m. Dean Burmester, Greg Koch, K.H. Lee
12:25 p.m. Patrick Rada, Adam Long, Cameron Tringale
12:36 p.m. Dylan Frittelli, Larkin Gross, Matt Jones
12:47 p.m. Byeong Hun An, Derek Holmes, George Coetzee
12:58 p.m. Bernd Wiesberger, Tom Hoge, Joel Dahmen
1:09 p.m. John Daly, Jimmy Walker, Jason Dufner
1:20 p.m. Kevin Kisner, Martin Laird, Hudson Swafford
1:31 p.m. Henrik Stenson, Danny Willett, Bubba Watson
1:42 p.m. Keegan Bradley, Martin Kaymer, Charl Schwartzel
1:53 p.m. Harris English, Stewart Cink, Alex Noren
2:04 p.m. Kevin Na, Tom Lewis, Jason Kokrak
2:15 p.m. Jason Scrivener, Stuart Smith, Emiliano Grillo
2:26 p.m. Brad Marek, Peter Malnati, Lanto Griffin
2:37 p.m. Mark Geddes, Denny McCarthy, Rikuya Hoshino

[listicle id=778104789]

Math whiz Corey Conners figures out Ocean Course, takes lead in PGA Championship

“Played with a lot of freedom,” said Conners of his six birdie, one bogey opening round.

KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. – Corey Conners had a backup plan if he didn’t make his hay in the world of golf.

The Canadian was likely going to be an actuary, having earned a Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Mathematics from Kent State University. This came after he switched majors after leaving the Biochemistry program because the chemistry labs were nearly five hours long and cut into his practice time on the golf course.

Yes, Conners has some skills between the ears.

Has some talent on the golf course, too. His decision-making and analysis worked just fine on Thursday as he figured out his way around the Pete Dye brute known as the Ocean Course at Kiawah in just 67 strokes to take the first round lead of the 103rd PGA Championship.

“I’d say it’s impossible to be stress-free around this golf course. You can’t fall asleep out there on any holes. It’s very challenging,” Conners said. “I was fortunate to have a good day. Made it as least stressful as possible on myself. I hit a lot of really good shots and holed some nice putts early in the round, and that really helped boost the confidence. Played with a lot of freedom.”

PGA Championship: Leaderboard | Photos | How to watch

At 5 under, Conners is two shots clear of the field, with a group of players at 69, including four-time major champion and two-time PGA winner Brooks Koepka, 2011 PGA champ Keegan Bradley and Viktor Hovland. Defending champion Collin Morikawa came home with a 70.

On the other end of the leaderboard were a few of the game’s best players, including Rory McIlroy, who won the Wells Fargo Championship in his last start. He and 2017 PGA winner and 2021 Players champion Justin Thomas each shot 75. Sergio Garcia turned in a 77, Adam Scott turned a 78.

World No. 1 Dustin Johnson shot 76.

The Ocean Course is just the latest big stage in golf that Conners has performed well on. He finished third in the Arnold Palmer Invitational, seventh in the Players Championship and tied for eighth in the Masters.

He’s been a regular on the first page of leaderboards for a few months now as he seeks his first major title and second PGA Tour victory. He’s been on a steady rise up the world rankings, climbing from No. 196 when he won the 2019 Valero Texas Open to No. 39 heading into this week.

“I have a lot of belief in myself, and I’ve been playing well for quite a while,” Conner said. “I’m excited for the opportunity to play against the best players in the world and put my game to the test. I have a lot of confidence in my game and I’m excited for the rest of the weekend.

“Didn’t try to force it to happen but definitely saw myself having a good day today and hopefully can keep that up the rest of the weekend.”

Heading into the week much of the chatter was about the course being a haven for ball-strikers, and Conners is one of the best in the game. But Conners learned another part of the game is just as crucial, if not more crucial.

“I think one of most important things is the short game around this place,” he said. “A lot of major championships you can’t ball-strike your way to good rounds. You need to have a good short game. You need to get the ball up-and-down and you need to roll in birdie putts. Good ball-striking definitely helps. The wind and difficulty of the golf course, hitting it solid is very important.

“But you’re going to get in spots where you need to get the ball up-and-down and hole a putt or two, and you need to be able to do that, as well.”

[vertical-gallery id=778104757]