Golf: Eric Cole leads off play at the 105th PGA Championship

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PITTSFORD, NY — Eric Cole stunned to go to the top of the table at the PGA Championship, as the opening round was halted due to darkness.

The 34-year-old PGA rookie dominates with a stroke of five under, with four holes to go. He had six sparrows, including three in a row on his back nine.

Thirty players did not have time to complete the course. Work will resume at 7:00 am on Friday.

The tour started two hours later than planned, as a result of the ground being frozen overnight.

On the other hand, the weather was nice in the afternoon with very little wind.

Bryson Dechambeau handled an inconspicuous course at Oak Hill well and shot a 66, minus four.

DeChambeau pretty much kept the ball, and when he found himself in the tall grass, evaded it nicely.

“It was a great day of golf,” said Dechambeau. It is a prestigious place and very difficult terrain. It seems elusive in some holes. I was lucky to do well. »

Dustin Johnson brought home a 67, as did Scotty Scheffler and Canadian Corey Conners.

Johnson just won the LIV Championship in Oklahoma.

Scheffler avoided bogey for the first time in 51 innings in the majors.

On the fifth hole, Scheffler was able to score with a par after potting his ball into a bunker.

“I had to roll up my sleeves,” he said, speaking of his tour in general. It’s so satisfying to avoid a ghost. »

Biggest winner in Augusta in 2022 Scheffler has six wins in 15 months. He has done no worse than twelfth this year.

Conners is the best of the Canadian six. He got six birds.

DeChambeau hasn’t really been among golf’s elite in the past 12 months.

He injured his hip early last year. And after last year’s Masters tournament, he underwent surgery on his left wrist. Then join the LIV golf circuit.

Finished fifth in Oklahoma. It’s his top 10 finish in six competitions in 2023.

“It gave me so many emotional highs but also emotional lows,” DeChambeau said. It was a lesson in humility. When you think you’re at the top, golf and life can bring you down to earth very quickly. »

In the seventeenth, his exit from the tall grass collided with club professional Kenny Bigman. The latter was not hurt, and shook hands with Dechambeau, who offered him his apologies.

DeChambeau has already enjoyed a streak of eight wins in three years including her triumph at the US Open in 2020.

Rory McIlroy had 71, which was three over par at the halfway point. He had three birdies in the second half.

Justin Thomas, the defending champion, is in the group at 72 years old.

Bored in his left wrist and ineffective on the greens, Jordan Spieth is left for 73. This tournament is the only one of the four main events he hasn’t won yet.

Also in the championship are Conners’ compatriots Adam Hadwin (-1 after 13 holes), Adam Svensson (70), Taylor Pendreth (70), Nick Taylor (71) and Mackenzie Hughes (74).

Winner of the Masters in April, John Rahm has had all sorts of problems, scoring five bogeys on six holes.

He scored 76, his worst first round score at a major since 2018, at the US Open.