Donald shares early lead at Quail Hollow
CHARLOTTE: Europe 2025 Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, trying to become the first Englishman since 1919 to win the PGA Championship, seized a share of the early clubhouse lead in Thursday’s first round at Quail Hollow.
Donald, chasing his first major triumph at age 47, sank a nine-foot par putt on the 18th hole to fire a bogey-free four-under par 67 to match New Zealand’s Ryan Fox and American Alex Smalley for the top 18-hole total.
Germany’s Stephan Jaeger was on the course at five-under through 16 holes with American Ryan Gerard at five-under after 13 holes.
Not since Jim Barnes took the first two in 1916 and 1919 has an English player captured the PGA Championship crown and only four Europeans have ever won the title, most recently by Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy in 2014.
The most recent of Donald’s 17 global wins came in Japan in 2013 at the Dunlop Phoenix tournament. His most recent top-40 major finish was shared 12th at the 2015 British Open.
Donald struck the opening shot off the first tee for the field of 156 at the 7,626-yard, par-71 layout then played masterfully.
Fox, a 38-year-old from Auckland, reached Quail Hollow off his first PGA Tour triumph last weekend at Myrtle Beach, but he has never finished in the top 15 in 22 major starts.
Smalley, from nearby Greensboro, only made the field as an alternate Wednesday when Sahith Theegala withdrew. But the back-nine starter sank a 71-foot eagle putt at the par-five seventh and a five-foot birdie putt at the eighth to grab a share of the lead.
The world’s three top-ranked players — world number one Scottie Scheffler, Masters champion McIlroy and third-ranked defending champion Xander Schauffele — started off the 10th tee in the feature group but all stumbled with double bogeys at the par-four 16th.
Scheffler followed a 35-foot eagle putt at 15 by finding water on his approach as did Schauffele on their way to sixes — Scheffler making his first career double bogey in a major opening round.
World number two McIlroy, after a birdie at 15, took four shots to escape the rough at 16 and missed an 11-foot bogey putt.
Scheffler stood on level par after 14 holes with McIlroy and Schauffele both on two-over.
Published in Dawn, May 16th, 2025
