Bryson DeChambeau leads PGA Championship after frost-delayed first round

Former US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau held a one-shot lead after the frost-hit first round of the 105th PGA Championship at the Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York, on Thursday.

As many as five players, including fellow LIV Golf League member Dustin Johnson, world number two Scottie Scheffler, and overnight clubhouse leader Eric Cole were bunched together on 3 under par 67s against DeChambeau’s opening 66.

World number on Jon Rahm of Spain had a difficult start to his campaign was was way down the order at 6 over 76 and needs to climb quickly with the cut line projected to fall at 3 over 143 after Friday’s second round is completed.

Anirban Lahiri too endured a tough first day to sit on 4 over 74, one shot under the line that has three-time past PGA Championship winner Phil Mickelson sitting on the bubble after his opening 18 holes.

Some other prominent names currently in trouble include Lahiri’s LIV Golf League stablemates Talor Gooch and Joaquin Neimann, England’s Matt Fitzpatrick, last week’s winner on the PGA Tour Jason Day of Australia and rising Korean star Joohyung ‘Tom’ Kim.

Kim had a messy first day, emerging from one hole covered in mud from a wayward drive.

The 20-year-old star went viral following a whacky encounter on the par-4 6th hole at Oak Hill East Course, which saw him get entangled in a hazard while searching for the errant drive, the PGA Tour said.

Kim emerged from the scene covered with mud and ingeniously found a nearby creek to rinse himself before rolling up his pants and putting on a fresh shirt to complete a battling 3-over 73 which left him on the cut line.

“So I was told my ball crossed the water and it has mud over there. As soon as I went it, it was kind of sketch. It got dark. Once my foot got in, I was like there was no looking back. I went full in and it just got my shirt and everything,” said Kim.

“At one point I just sunk in. I was steady for a minute, I couldn’t get myself out. I call Joe (Skovron, his caddie) and he’s saying, if I go in, I sink and both of us can’t get out. I had to crawl, use every part of my body to get out. I definitely went full in, but it didn’t really help. I didn’t find my ball.”

Kim couldn’t help but laugh at himself after watching the video of the incident on his phone which went viral. He knows that every shot counts and after taking a penalty, he managed to save bogey.

“It’s a major championship, I’m fighting for every single stroke I have,” said Kim. “It got up to my waist but lucky it didn’t get my yardage book. It couldn’t get any worse. I was wet

enough and I thought I might as well go in the water (by the creek) and wash myself off. I mean, it could have been a lot better (his score), that’s for sure.

“I hung in there especially after what happened at that hole. I hope everyone at home understands it’s a major championship and I’m trying to play the best that I can and every shot matters.”

On a tough scoring day, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters champion, and Kazuki Higa emerged as Asia’s best performers with matching 72s for a share of 42nd position. K.H. Lee was on a 73 alongside Kim while Si Woo Kim was 3-over with one hole to complete on Friday morning after the first round was suspended due to darkness.

DeChambeau’s opening 66 tied his best opening round in a major at the 2019 masters where he finished 29th. The 2020 US Open winner at Winged Foot is making his 26th career start in a major and sixth at the PGA Championship where he has a best finish of tied fourth in 2020.

Captain of Team Crushers in the LIV Golf League, that also includes Lahiri, DeChambeau most recently missed the cut at the Masters in Augusta National.

Recent LIV Golf Tulsa winner Dustin Johnson, making his 14th start in the PGA Championship was well placed too and will be looking to add this title to his past haul at the majors, the 2016 US Open and the 2020 Masters, At the PGA Championship, Johnson has six top-10s including twice a runner-up, in 2019 and 2020.