Blake Davis
Xander Schauffele has done it again. Shooting a 9-under 62 to open play at the 2024 PGA Championship, Schauffele took the lead with a record. Schauffele’s 62 tied for the lowest round ever scored in a major championship – matching the mark he previously achieved – while also setting a record as the lowest round in PGA Championship history.
The 62 is also a new competitive course record at Valhalla Golf Club. Schauffele cut 18 previous instances of 63 scored at the PGA Championships and 63 by José Maria Olazabal at Valhalla in the 2000 game of that event.
Thursday marked the second year in a row that Schauffele shot 62 at a major, as he did the same to begin play at the 2023 U.S. Open. The Olympic gold medalist shot 62 in the first round at Los Angeles Country Club last year to tie a mark set moments before him by Rickie Fowler.
Schauffele is now the only man in the history of professional golf to shoot multiple rounds of 62 in majors. The feat was also accomplished by Fowler (2023 US Open, Round 1) and Branden Grace (2017 Open, Round 3).
After a disappointing end to the Wells Fargo Championship last week in Charlotte – in which Schauffele held on to the lead only to be usurped on Sunday by Rory McIlroy – the American managed to pull away for victory on Thursday and look like his usual self in Louisville.
“It feels great. It’s only the first day, but someone told me I’m going to shoot 9 under today, I would definitely take it,” Schauffele told ESPN after his round. “I’ve been playing really solid golf. I’ve been through a lot of trouble. For me and my team, we said, why not keep moving forward?”
Despite the final result, Schauffele’s day didn’t start in the best way, as he failed to take advantage of his first hole, the par-5 10th. That was his only mistake, as the birds started flying soon after. A tee shot from 215 yards on the par-3 11th landed two feet from the pin and marked the first of the day for the 30-year-old. Conversions from 13 feet and 16 feet set up birdies at Nos. 13 and 15 before a laser approach put him in position for another at No. 16.
Schauffele capped his front nine with a routine birdie on the par-5 18th and saw him turn in 5-under 31. Already at the front of the pack, he kept his foot on the gas on the outside half of Valhalla.
A beautiful approach to the tricky par-4 2nd saw Schauffele pick up another birdie before moving on to the short par-4 4th. Schauffele chose to hit driver and push the envelope into the hole, which proved to be the correct decision. Thanks to some additional speed – acquired this offseason through a joint effort with his new coach and swing coach – Schauffele’s tee ball stopped just short of the green. A nice chip resulted in his seventh birdie of the round.
Schauffele’s eighth goal came on the next hole when a beautiful mid-iron allowed him to sink another shot from within 10 feet. He continued to stroll Valhalla’s front nine without any signs of stress and came through the course’s most difficult hole, the par-4 6th, without a blemish.
Shortly after, Schauffele needed two putts from 55 feet to shoot his ninth and final birdie of his round at the par-5 7th. A few dull pars put an end to Schauffele’s record-breaking performance and have now set the stage for a possible major breakthrough in the championship for arguably the best player in the world without one.
