McKibbin shows major ambition with brilliant opening 70 at US PGA

Tom McKibbin. Picture LIV Golf

LIV Golf star Tom McKibbin looks like a player destined to make his mark in the game's biggest events after he carded his first sub-par round in a major to lead the Irish challenge in the PGA Championship.

The Holywood star (22) started each nine with bogeys, but birdied the seventh, eighth, 14th and 15th before making bogey at the 18th to open with a one-under 70 at Quail Hollow.

He was tied for 29th alongside major champions Jon Rahm and Collin Morikawa, six strokes behind surprise leader Jhonattan Vegas.

Having started at the 10th, Venezuelan (40) birdied five of his last six holes to card a seven-under 64 and lead by two shots from local hero Ryan Gerard and Australian Cam Davis on a day when Rory McIlroy struggled to a three-over 74 to share 98th.

"Yeah, very happy," McKibbin said in near darkness after a five-and-a-half-hour marathon. "To get away with an under-par round today was nice, especially with the course being quite tricky.
"It's very long and the greens are firm, so to keep the big numbers off the card and take advantage of a couple of birdies was very nice."

McKibbin made the cut in his first two major starts at the US Open and The Open last year and received a special invitation from the PGA of America.

He was frustrated to fly the first green and make a soft bogey, but he birdied the seventh and eighth from around eight feet and then followed a bogey at the 10th with back-to-back birdies at the 14th and 15th to get to two-under.

While he drove into the trees and bogeyed the tough 18th, he was pleased to shoot in the red for the first time in a major.

"That's my first time shooting under par in a major," he beamed. "So just more of that, and I'll be happy and see where that leaves me at the end of the week."

While he appears to have taken to major golf like a fish to water, McKibbin admitted it was a grind.

"It's a very difficult type of golf," he confessed. "There's trouble that lurks everywhere. So you're very, I wouldn't say uncomfortable; there's just a lot of uncomfortable shots, which I don't really mind hitting.

"I feel like I've hit a lot of shots being nervous or uncomfortable, and I've just learned from those.

"I've been lucky to play with a lot of good players (on LIV) and to see how they play and getting more experience with them means that when I come to play these big events, it's not too much of a surprise to me anymore.”

He admitted he has high expectations but he was proud to pass a difficult test with flying colours.

"It's very easy to go out there and shoot a high number, especially if you hit a couple of bad shots early on,” he said. "But, yeah, I definitely like this style of golf — long and quite demanding — so I definitely expect myself to play well, but that's not always the case."

As for the rest of the Irish, McIlroy spent an hour on the range after hitting just four fairways and putting poorly for his 74.

But he wasn't the only Irish player with ups and downs.

Seamus Power felt he deserved far better than the one-over 72 that left him tied for 60th with defending champion Xander Schauffele on a day when Scottie Scheffler chiselled out a 69 to share 20th and the decision not to allow placing led to multiple complaints about "mud balls".

"I felt like it could have been easily, three, four under there, but it is what it is, so I'll go and a little practice here and get ready for tomorrow," Power said after a rollercoaster round featuring an eagle, three birdies, two bogeys and two double-bogeys.

"It was one of those funky days. But I made a nice (par) putt at the last, which helped a little bit, at least. Overall, a bit disappointing, but it was at least good to hang in there."

Despite working with Bobo Rotella in the build-up and seeing progress during his practice rounds, Pádraig Harrington felt his mental game let him down.

"It was great yesterday but it's harder to bring to the golf course," he said.

A two-over 73 left him tied for 73rd with Shane Lowry, who hit the ball well but struggled on the greens.
The Offaly man is no fan of Quail Hollow, and while he played his last 11 holes in one-under, he had 33 putts and was ranked 145th for strokes gained putting in the 156-man field.

"I'll just have to shoot a low one tomorrow, but I just don't see the ball going close out there, and I don't see birdies," a downcast Lowry said after missing chances coming in and finishing with a bogey at the ninth.

"It's really annoying to bogey the ninth. It's my only mishit with my driver, and it's the worst hole to do it on. I had 250 yards for my second shot."

Asked if he saw a low score on Friday, he replied: "The way I'm feeling right now, probably not, but I'll try my best."