Cam Davis goes on birdie blitz in pursuit of PGA glory
Darren Walton and Ian Chadband |
Australian Cam Davis has conjured some magic to capture a share of the first-round clubhouse lead at the PGA Championship in North Carolina.
Davis sparkled with a five-under-par 66 to enjoy top spot on the leaderboard at men’s golf’s second major of the year with unheralded American Ryan Gerard.
As Masters champion Rory McIlroy quickly found himself on the back foot in his quest to follow up his historic Augusta triumph with a fifth victory at Quail Hollow, Davis rolled in seven birdies on Thursday (Friday AEST).
Davis had hold of solo top spot until stumbling late with a bogey at the treacherous par-5 ninth, his last hole of the round after starting on the 10th.
After reaching six under with a brilliant, curling 22-foot downhill birdie putt on the sixth, Davis also failed to birdie the par-5 seventh or the relatively easy short par-4 eighth.
But after missing five straight cuts this year, including the Masters, the former Australian Open champion will be thrilled to be back in the mix at a major after tying for fourth at the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club.
Davis and Gerard are one shot ahead of in-form New Zealander Ryan Fox, England’s former world No.1 Luke Donald, German Stephan Jaeger and Alex Smalley, the last player to gain entry following the late withdrawal of fellow American Sahith Thegala with a neck injury.
Veteran Adam Scott is the next-best-placed Australian at two under but will be disappointed with two late bogeys that tarnished an otherwise fine first round.
After achieving his career slam of winning all four majors, McIlroy provided an anti-climactic opening in Charlotte, struggling to a three-over 74 among the early wave of morning starters.
The sluggish start already left the 36-year-old having to play catch-up.
While McIlroy lies eight adrift, the early Australian contingent also didn’t have a great morning with 2015 PGA champ Jason Day ending up with a two-over 73, while Min Woo Lee shot 74 and Karl Vilips a poor 78.
McIlroy’s play-off victory over Justin Rose at Augusta in April made him just the sixth man to complete the career grand slam and it was expected to free him up for a spectacular assault at the venue where he has enjoyed so much success and holds the course record.
But at the North Carolinian layout where he won his first PGA Tour title in 2010 and has since claimed three more victories, including last year, the man of the moment could only hit three fairways in regulation and flirted with the water with pulled tee shots in an uncharacteristically sluggish display.
His playing partners in an early morning ‘super group’ consisting Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler also made hard work of it as they started from the 10th tee, with the remarkable sight of all three suffering double bogeys on the 16th, where the two American luminaries both found the water.
World No.1 Scheffler, though, battled back to finish handily placed at two under while defending champ Schauffele had a one-over 72.
The 47-year-old Donald showed them the way with a splendid bogey-free 67 while there was delight too for Fox, son of former All Blacks’ World Cup winner Grant Fox, who capitalised in grand fashion after securing his place in the field last Sunday by winning his first PGA Tour title at Myrtle Beach.
Gerard, who played collegiate golf for North Carolina, was left a mite frustrated after his lead could have been ever bigger if not for dropping shots at his last two holes after having recorded four straight birdies and an eagle in his first six holes after the turn.
With agencies
AAP
