The Japan Times - Scheffler, Conners share early PGA clubhouse lead

The 26-year-old American was level with Canada's Corey Conners atop the leaderboard after 18 holes at formidable Oak Hill, where players grinded out pars to stay near the top.

"It was a grind. The golf course was very tough," Scheffler said. "And I think these will be the easiest conditions we have all week."

Back-nine starter Scheffler, who with a victory will overtake Spain's Jon Rahm for world number one, sank birdie putts from just inside 15 feet at the par-4 14th and par-3 fifth holes and dropped his approach inches from the hole to set up a birdie at the eighth.

Scheffler lipped out for birdie at the ninth from 23 feet, settling for par and a share of the lead.

"I scrambled for 3-under," Scheffler said. "I was proud getting around here with no bogeys, which is really tough."

Masters winner Rahm and Scheffler have exchanged the top spot since February, with Scheffler's victories at the Phoenix Open and Players Championship boosting his cause.

Conners had runs of three birdies in four holes on both the front and back nines while also making three bogeys, but it was enough to stay ahead of New Zealand's Ryan Fox and 11th-ranked Viktor Hovland of Norway, who both fired 68.

Fox, a three-time winner on the DP World Tour, took off the past four weeks for the birth of his second child and wasn't sure what to expect.

"Pretty happy to find something," Fox said. "There was some scrappy stuff out there. The short game was fantastic and I rode the putter."

LIV Golf League standout Bryson DeChambeau, the 2020 US Open champion, birdied the par-4 sixth to stand on 4-under with two holes remaining.

Fellow American Keegan Bradley, the 2011 PGA Championship winner, made bogey at seven to stand on 3-under with two to play.

Only seven players from the early wave of starters were under par and they were aided by a frost delay of 1hr 50mins that gave them warm and calm conditions.

Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy, seeking his first major triumph since 2014, landed in only two of 14 fairways in struggling to a 71, the 10th-hole starter making his only three birdies in his last seven holes to rally.

"Messy. Didn't hit the ball well at all," McIlroy said. "Thought I did really well to shoot one-under in the end.

"To play the last few holes in two-under was a great recovery but I'm going to have to play a lot better if I want a future in this tournament."

- Major champs struggle -

Defending champion Justin Thomas opened on 72 while a group that included the other three reigning major champions struggled as well, the best among them being British Open champion Cameron Smith of Australia, who was with fellow LIV Golf star Brooks Koepka and Thomas on 72.

World number one Jon Rahm, the reigning Masters champion, started with a birdie at the 10th hole and added another at the eighth but in between had six bogeys and a double bogey at the seventh to finish on 76.

Reigning US Open champion Matthew Fitzpatrick of England had a birdie-free round with six bogeys to join Rahm on 76.

World number 10 Jordan Spieth, who would complete a career Slam with a triumph at Oak Hill, fired a 73, opening and closing with bogeys and taking double bogey at the first.

Speith only decided to play Wednesday after testing his injured left wrist for two days at Oak Hill.

There are 16 players from the Saudi-financed LIV Golf League in the lineup, including six major winners.

LIV began last June and lured some big names from the PGA Tour with record $25 million purses. The tour banned LIV players from its events and a court fight between them is due for trial in a year.

In the meantime, majors have allowed LIV players who meet qualifying standards to play, making them the only events where the breakaway series' best compete with top PGA Tour's talent.

Y.Watanabe--JT