– Justin Thomas (+2) won the PGA Championship in 2017 at Quail Hollow after starting with a scorecard of 73, six shots off the lead and in 44th place on the leaderboard. Today he shot 74, is nine shots behind Jhonattan Vegas (-7) and seven behind Ryan Gerard (-5) and Cam Davis (-5) and has dropped beyond 75th place. The most difficult yet. Miracles happen rarely, that’s why they are miracles, and many of them are concentrated at Christmas. Thomas had his eight years ago. The double somersault with a twist doesn’t always work. And today’s performance was close to being a little miracle. He shot +2 hitting only four fairways and four greens. Crazy. He made five birdies with four greens in regulation. Impossible to squeeze more out of it. The good thing for him is that he can hardly play worse tomorrow. From there to winning, there’s a chasm.
– Tremendous round from the Venezuelan Vegas, matching the best result achieved at the 2017 PGA, the 64 strokes also made by Justin Thomas and Francesco Molinari. He played very well, obviously, and above all, he putted like an angel. His last two putts on holes 8 and 9 were not easy to execute.
– Thomas’s start is a true reflection of the strange beginning we’ve had at the PGA Championship, especially among the big and glittering stars. There is no player from the world’s top 10 among the top ten. Strange. The same goes for all of them as it does for Thomas. Recovering so much ground is already a very difficult mission. For some more than others, of course. The top is crowded with players we could place on the second, third, and even fourth tier of the golf world. Take note: Luke Donald, Ryan Fox, Alex Smalley, Stephan Jaeger, and Aaron Rai; Alex Noren, JT Poston, Ryo Hisatsune, Nico Echavarría, Matt Fitzpatrick, Robert MacIntyre, Rasmus Hojgaard, Keegan Bradley, Tyrrell Hatton, Rafael Campos, and Michael Thorbjornsen are at -3. Really, of all of them, only Hatton has a certain favourite status, although of course in a second tier. The only one who already has a Major in his showcase is Matt Fitzpatrick. Strange.
– The playing conditions at Quail Hollow have been demanding, but not terrifying. Things could be done. The main advantage is that the fairways are receptive, which keeps the rough, the great enemy from the tee, at bay. Precisely, the softer fairways have sparked the first big debate of this PGA: the mud. Many think the ball should have been placed on the fairway on the first day. The reality is that it seemed more of a one-off problem than a recurring one. In the afternoon, the wind picked up a bit and complicated the situation, without becoming really tough. There are more than 40 rounds under par. However, if it doesn’t rain again, expect a weekend where the under-par scorecards might be counted on one hand.
– Let’s go with the debacle of the big names. Quail Hollow has taken its toll: Phil Mickelson (+8), Dustin Johnson (+7), Cameron Smith (+7), Jordan Spieth (+5), Brooks Koepka (+4), Joaco Niemann (+3), Rory McIlroy (+3), or Patrick Cantlay (+3). A real massacre. Especially tough has been the start for the LIV world. Hatton, McKibbin, Rahm, and Bland are saved. The only ones under par. The Legion XIII supports the Arab league. Bryson DeChambeau, the great LIV reference at the moment, shot PAR.
– Sergio García (+4) struggled immensely from the tee in his debut at the PGA Championship. He wasn’t bluffing when he explained beforehand that his feelings weren’t the best. It’s well known that when Sergio’s driver isn’t working, the rest of his game suffers. He made three birdies but committed seven bogeys. Many mistakes. Inconsistency. The opposite of his essence.
