Xander Schauffele sets major record with Canadian Adam Hadwin in the hunt at PGA Championship (2024)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Xander Schauffele got the PGA Championship off to a record-setting start on Thursday at Valhalla Golf Club.

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The 30-year-old Californian broke the course record at the Louisville, Ky., venue, shooting a nine-under 62.

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It’s the lowest score in PGA Championship history and ties the lowest score in major championship history. Schauffele is the first player to shoot 62 twice in a major championship, first accomplishing the feat last year at the U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club.

“It’s a great start to a big tournament. One I’m obviously always going to take,” Schauffele said after his round before adding, “It’s just Thursday.”

Schauffele has a three-shot lead over Tony Finau, Sahith Theegala and Mark Hubbard who shot matching six-under 66s.

One stroke further back is a group of seven players at five-under that includes Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa and Tom Kim.

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“I thought I got a lot out of my game today,” McIlroy said. “Some good up-and-downs, the chip-in on six. Not really happy with how I played but at least happy with the score.”

Masters champ and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is in a group at four-under that includes three-time PGA Champion Brooks Koepka.

Schauffele entered the week as the third-ranked player in the world, but the seven-time PGA Tour winner still is searching for his first major championship win.

“I think not winning makes you want to win more,” he said after his round. “For me, at least, I react to it, and I want it more and more and more, and it makes me want to work harder and harder and harder. The top feels far away and I feel like I have a lot of work to do. But just slowly chipping away at it.”

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With nine birdies and zero bogeys on Schauffele’s card, it was a near-perfect round on a long and demanding Valhalla course that played 7,506 yards on Thursday.

Yet it was a course that had much of its defences down after early week rain softened conditions, according to Canadian Adam Hadwin, who shot a three-under 68.

“With these soft greens, even though it’s longer it’s still very, very playable because you’ve got long irons stopping within 10 feet of where they land, and whenever you have that, guys are going to go low and take advantage,” Hadwin said.

“Nine-under in any major, regardless of conditions is pretty damn good,” the Canadian added. “I did think that there were low scores out there, yes. Coming into this week, outside of what happens with wind, with the soft conditions I saw 20-under (for the week) as a distinct possibility out there.”

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Hadwin was the low Canadian on Thursday of a record-tying six Canucks in the field, despite struggling slightly with his ball-striking, hitting just 10 greens in regulation. He made up for it with his short game before finishing his day with a flourish making eagle at the par-5 closing hole to get to three-under.

Hadwin hit a 309-yard drive up the left-centre of the 571-yard hole, then slightly missed his three-wood, hitting what the Abbotsford, B.C., native described as a “pull/heel/cut” from 262 yards that threaded perfectly into the opening on the left side of the green and left him 39-feet for eagle.

“Not a putt you expect to make by any stretch,” he said. “But one you’d like to give a chance on 18 and hear the crowd roar.”

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Which they did when Hadwin’s long left-to-right putt went up over a slope and then dripped into the hole.

“That was a bonus,” he said. “I’ve got to hit it a little bit better, I’m probably just trying to hard … I’m not going to compete Sunday afternoon hitting ten greens, that can only hold you in there so long.”

Hadwin had his usual support from a Canadian contingent of golf fans that always travels well, plus some added encouragement from locals who remember the 36-year-old’s days as a collegiate golfer for the University of Louisville.

Canadians Corey Conners and Adam Svensson both shot one-under-par 70s, while Canadian Open champ Nick Taylor and recent winner Taylor Pendrith shot one-over 72s. Mackenzie Hughes shot a three-over 74.

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