McIlroy struggles as Ryder Cup captains impress at US PGA

2025 US PGA Championship first round

Leaders: -5 Gerard (US); -4 Donald (Eng), Fox (NZ), Jaeger (Ger), Bradley (US), Smalley (US)

Selected others: -3 Fitzpatrick (Eng), MacIntyre (Sco); -2 Scheffler (US); -1 Rahm (Spa) Fleetwood (Eng); +1 Schauffele (US); +2 Lowry (Ire); +3 McIlroy (NI)

Full leaderboard

Masters champion Rory McIlroy slipped eight shots off the lead on day one of the US PGA Championship after a disappointing round of three over par.

American Ryan Gerard set the pace at five under while Ryder Cup captains Luke Donald and Keegan Bradley both impressed among the early starters at Quail Hollow.

Englishman Donald shot a bogey-free 67 while Bradley, who will lead the United States team in September's Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, dropped his only shot at the last to finish at three under par.

McIlroy, who completed a career Grand Slam by winning at Augusta in April, managed just two birdies in his round of 74.

The 36-year-old was playing in the same group as world number one Scottie Scheffler and defending champion Xander Schauffele, who finished at two under and one over respectively.

All three struggled at times on day one, but Scheffler birdied two of his final three holes to keep himself in touch with the leaders.

That trio will start their second round at 18:47 BST on Friday.

Leader Gerard, 25, has only a missed cut and a tie for 56th in the 2023 US Open on his major resume, but heated up around the turn with four birdies and an eagle between hole 10 and 15 to move three shots clear.

However, bogeys at the 17th and 18th robbed him of his commanding position.

Alongside Donald on four under was Germany's Stephan Jaeger, while Sweden's Alex Noren, England's Matt Fitzpatrick and Scotland's Robert MacIntyre all ended at three under par to ensure a healthy European contingent near the top of the leaderboard.

Among the players in the later wave of starters on Thursday are last year's US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, Masters runner-up Justin Rose and American Jordan Spieth, who requires the US PGA title to complete his own full set of major victories.

Thirty-two days after a dramatic finale at Augusta, which saw him become only the sixth player in history to win all four majors, most eyes were on McIlroy as he headed out as part of a three-ball containing the world's top three ranked players.

McIlroy - the US PGA champion in 2012 and 2014 - has an excellent record at Quail Hollow, winning four PGA Tour events there during his career.

The world number two started with a birdie at the par-five 10th - his first hole of the day - but gave that shot straight back by three-putting for bogey on the 11th green.

Another birdie followed on 15, but the marquee trio faltered at the entrance to Quail Hollow's penal three-hole stretch, the 'Green Mile'.

All three left the 16th hole with double bogeys after McIlroy put his tee shot into the thick rough and Scheffler and Schauffele dumped their approaches in the water.

After a series of pars, five-time major winner McIlroy ended his round with another dropped shot on his final hole, having found just four of 14 fairways from the tee.

It is a statistic he must improve if he is to move back into contention.

There had been heavy rainfall in the days leading up to the tournament but, in drier conditions on Thursday morning in North Carolina, Donald was one of several surprising names to be found near the top of the leaderboard.

The 47-year-old, who hit the first shot of the tournament at 07:00 local time, had told BBC golf correspondent Iain Carter before the event that success would simply be making the weekend.

Birdies on the fourth, eighth, 10th and 14th holes made light of his pre-tournament expectations.

Donald, whose best US PGA finish was a tie for third spot in 2006, said afterwards: "I'm here only because I'm captain of the European Ryder Cup Team. I wouldn't be in this field otherwise.

"Bogey-free in a major championship on a course that you wouldn't have thought would be ideal for me is always fun."

New Zealand's Ryan Fox, who only secured his place by winning the Myrtle Beach Classic on Sunday, finished alongside Donald on four under.

Also posting a first-round 67 was American Alex Smalley, who was a late addition to the field after world number 31 Sahith Theegala pulled out because of injury on the eve of the tournament.

Elsewhere, England's Tommy Fleetwood was unable to capitalise on a fast start but ended one under, as did Spaniard Jon Rahm.