South African young gun Aldrich Potgieter storms into share of PGA Championship lead

The 21-year-old rising star mixed six birdies with three bogeys to post a three-under par 67 at Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania.

Potgieter is known for being the longest driver on the PGA Tour, but it was his short stick that helped him on Thursday. Highlights of his round including sinking a 43-footer for birdie at the 11th. In all, he made 137 feet of putts in his opening round.

"It was nice the putter was warm,” said Potgieter. "I hit it on the right spots on the golf course, especially on the greens. I didn't feel like I had to putt over some of these big slopes we had. So I definitely left myself in really good positions on the green." 

Potgieter shares the first-round lead with as many as six others - including World No 1 and four-time major winner Scottie Scheffler, who made five birdies against two bogeys.

Scheffler drained birdie putts of 38 feet on seven, 28 feet on 10 and just under nine feet on 11 to grab a share of the lead, before bouncing back from a three-putt bogey at 14 with a birdie from four feet at 16.

"The golf course was pretty challenging," Scheffler said. "I did a good job staying in it mentally on a course that was difficult at times."

"But is it really a lead when you're tied with six or seven guys?" the American added.

Second-ranked Masters champion Rory McIlroy cut a frustrated figure after carding a 74, insisting his blistered right foot was not an issue but admitting his swing was far from where it needed to be.

Starting on the back nine, McIlroy unravelled late in his round with four consecutive bogeys and five over his final six holes.

"I'm just not driving the ball well enough," McIlroy said. "It has been a problem all year for the most part.

"That's pretty frustrating, especially when I pride myself on driving the ball well."

A group of players sat one shot further back on 68, including England's Daniel Brown, who holed out for eagle from 102 yards at the 11th, Canada's Corey Conners, Ireland's Shane Lowry and Americans Sahith Theegala, Max Greyserman, 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed - the only player to post a bogey-free round - and two-time major winner Xander Schauffele.

American Jordan Spieth, who is chasing the career Grand Slam, opened with a 69.

"I feel like I played better than I scored, which is frustrating because you want to get the most out of your round," Spieth said.

Others on 69 included five-time major winner Brooks Koepka, two-time major winners Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas, and South African Garrick Higgo, who was issued a two-stroke penalty for being late to the first tee.

"I wouldn't have been late if I knew I was running late," Higgo said.

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