SPRINGFIELD, New Jersey: Jimmy Walker, who missed the cut in three of his four prior major starts, fired a five-under par 65 Thursday to grab a one-shot lead over Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo in the first round of the PGA Championship.
Walker, a 37-year-old American ranked 48th in the world, began off the 10th tee and birdied the 13th and 15th holes, sank a 15-foot birdie putt at the par-3 16th and added back-to-back birdies at the par-5 18th and par-4 first, the latter on a 20-foot putt.
After taking his lone bogey of the day at the sixth, Walker responded with a 31-foot birdie putt at seven to grab the lead.
Grillo fired six birdies against two bogeys to stand second in the clubhouse with Americans Harris English and James Hahn sharing third on 67.
South Korea’s K.J. Choi, American Rickie Fowler and Sweden’s David Lingmerth shared fifth on 68.
Defending champion and world No. 1 Jason Day of Australia was two-under with three holes to play.
Brian Stuard, a 143rd-ranked American who won his first US PGA Tour title this year at New Orleans, was on four-under after 14 holes.
On three-under were England’s Paul Casey after 12 holes, Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo through 14 holes and American Jamie Lovemark after finishing the back nine.
Casey had three back-nine birdies to start, took a double bogey at the first then followed with back-to-back birdies.
Sunny skies greeted the early starters from the field of 156, the strongest lineup of talent in any event based on world rankings since their 1986 creation.
The 7,428-yard, par-70 layout features only two par-5 holes, those at 17 and 18 to ensure drama and eagle chances to the end in the quest for the top prize of $1.8 million (1.6 million euros).
McIlroy won the Irish Open and has nine other top-10 showings in US and European Tour events this year, including a share of fifth at the British Open two weeks ago.
Henrik Stenson, US Open winner Dustin Johnson of the United States and Masters winner Danny Willett — this year’s major winners — tee off in the afternoon feature group off the first tee, with only three final trios behind them.
Just in front of them are England’s Justin Rose, American Patrick Reed and South African Louis Oosthuizen.
And the trio teeing off ahead of that offers two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson, another American in two-time major winner Jordan Spieth and Spain’s Sergio Garcia, trying to win his first major title in his 73rd try and 70th consecutive major start dating to the 1999 British Open.
“If it doesn’t happen, it’s not going to change my life,” Garcia said. “I’m not going to go in a cave and stay there until I die because I didn’t win a major or anything like that. It’s not that serious.
“I’m not going to lie. It would be nice to get at least one. But it’s not the end of the world.”
Walker fires 65 to lead Grillo by 1
Walker fires 65 to lead Grillo by 1
