Aug 10, 2018: Gary Woodland went on a stunning back-nine birdie blitz to open up a one-shot lead after the first round of the US PGA Championship at Bellerive Country Club.
Indian duo Shubhankar Sharma and Anirban Lahiri finished the opening round with in par scores. Shubhankar shot one under 69 with three birdies and two bogeys and lying at T33. While Anirban shot five birdies and equal number of bogies to close at par 70 and tie for 48th place.
Rickie Fowler had set the target at five under in the morning and it looked like he would carry the lead into day two as the chasing pack got close but then fell back as the afternoon wore on.
At one over after seven holes, Woodland looked an unlikely challenger, but he birdied seven of his last 11 holes to sign for a six under par 64 and edge ahead of his fellow American.
Fowler came home in 31 to get to five under as he continues his search for an elusive victory in one of golf’s big four events, having finished second at the Masters Tournament earlier this year for this third top two finish in a Major Championship.
American Zach Johnson and South African Brandon Stone sit a further shot back at four under tied for third. Stone, currently 16thin the Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex following his victory at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open, shot five birdies on his way to his lowest ever round at a Major, and the lowest opening round at the US PGA Championship by a South African since Ernie Els in 2004.
World Number One Dustin Johnson was at three under for the day alongside fellow Americans Pat Perez, Stewart Cink, Austin Cook, Brian Gay, Ollie Schniederjans, and Kevin Kisner, as well as 2015 Champion Jason Day, England’s Justin Rose and Ian Poulter, and Belgium’s Thomas Pieters.
European Tour Release
