Scottie Scheffler enjoyed a very satisfactory start to the PGA Championship, ending day one in a tie for the lead.
Scheffler carded a three-under 67 at Aronimink on Friday, along with six other players; Aldrich Potgieter, Stephan Jaeger, Min Woo Lee, Ryo Hisatsune, Martin Kaymer and Alex Smalley.
The world number one is seeking to defend his title at this year’s PGA Championship, having claimed a five-shot victory at Quail Hollow in 2025.
That represented a third career major win for Scheffler, who had previously won The Masters twice and clinched The Open Championship title shortly after.
He’s now well on track to claim further major success, with the entire PGA Championship field certain to be worried about him after day one of the event.
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The entire PGA Championship field should be worried about Scottie Scheffler
While Scheffler tops the leaderboard, he perhaps wasn’t as electric as he would have liked in the opening round.
That is simply because of the phenomenal standards that he has set in recent times, and this season has been no different.
But very worrying for his rivals at Aronimink, Scheffler typically gets better after a slow start, which is very much possible this week.
He should now be comfortable on the course, and a strong start on day two could really separate him from the rest of the pack in joint first.
Scheffler was out late on Thursday in Pennsylvania, but can now make the most of a relatively early start on day two.
Arguably furthering his chances of creating a big gap at the top, his main rival Rory McIlroy is all the way down in a tie for 105th after his four-over 74.
Fortunately, the likes of Xander Schauffele, Brooks Koepka and Jordan Spieth are among the chasing pack, and certainly pose a threat to the leaders.
But Scheffler clearly has the ability and mental game to pull away, which is now on the cards if he can lock in from his first tee shot in round two.
Highlighting his impressive early efforts at Aronimink, which comprised five birdies, 11 pars and two bogeys, he’s currently tied first for both SG: Total and driving accuracy.
Who wins the PGA Championship this week?
Do you see Rory and Scottie's dominance of the majors continuing at Aronimink?
Scottie Scheffler’s 2026 displays suggest he’s heading for a big win
Again, Scheffler’s extremely high standards suggest that he may be unhappy with his 2026 PGA Tour season so far.
He’s claimed just one win from his nine starts, but that certainly doesn’t tell the entire story of the American.
Scheffler has made the cut in all nine events, but has notably finished as runner-up on three occasions, including at The Masters.
In fact, he’s been forced to settle for second place in his last three tournaments, suggesting another win is on the horizon.
| Tournament | Position | To par |
| The American Express | 1 | -27 |
| WM Phoenix Open | T3 | -15 |
| AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am | T4 | -20 |
| The Genesis Invitational | T12 | -11 |
| Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard | T24 | -2 |
| THE PLAYERS Championship | T22 | -5 |
| Masters Tournament | 2 | -11 |
| RBC Heritage | P2 | -18 |
| Cadillac Championship | 2 | -13 |
And it may just be a big one considering his performances, which have helped produce six top fives, six top 10s and a low finish of T24.
Moreover, he leads the PGA Tour for various key categories in 2026, including SG: Total, scoring average and birdie average.
The 29-year-old already boasts 20 PGA Tour wins and four major wins, with a successful title defence at the PGA Championship next on his agenda.
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