PGA Championship Rd. 1 notes: Healthy Kaymer grabs share of the lead

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. – Major championship pedigree may become dormant, but it never disappears. Martin Kaymer brought his back to life Thursday at the PGA Championship.

The two-time major winner claimed a share of the first-round lead at Aronimink with a 3-under 67, his lowest round in any major since the 2020 PGA. It’s the first time he’s held at least a share of the lead at any major since 2014 when he went wire-to-wire at the U.S. Open.

It’s also a reminder that when healthy, the 41-year-old Cleeks Golf Club Captain remains capable of making noise on golf’s biggest stages.

“I've been playing well the last two, three events out on LIV,” said Kaymer, who is joined by six other players – including fellow German Stephan Jaeger and defending champion Scottie Scheffler – at 3 under. “I didn't have good results, but I was playing well. And I knew I’d find more consistency. I really enjoy playing this golf course. Monday, Tuesday, I had so much fun on the golf course. I think it really suits my eye. It's a very fair test. Great for the PGA Championship.”

A wrist injury that required surgery hampered Kaymer in his early days with LIV Golf in 2022. He entered this season in much better shape, both physically and mentally. He said the last five weeks have been especially encouraging, with treatment relieving any lingering pain and allowing him to practice in earnest.

“Everything is going in the right direction,” he said. “I can practice. It's fun. I have a great passion for the game. Playing those tough golf courses and doing well executing the golf shots the right way, that is really fun.”

On Thursday, he played bogey-free golf for 15 holes while making some key putts, including a 44-footer for birdie at the par-4 12th and a 20-footer to save par at the par-3 17th.

A poor drive cost him a shot at the par-4 seventh, but he ended the round on a high note, hitting driver off the deck from 300 yards with his second shot at the par-5 ninth to set up a two-putt birdie from 16 feet.

“I hit a lovely drive onto the middle of the fairway,” Kaymer said. “I had 300 yards to the flag, uphill, and I said to my caddie, do you think 3-wood can get to the front of the green? And he said, There's no chance. I practice a lot of drivers from the fairway. It was a lovely lie on the fairway. The grass grows with you, so you know you're not going to hit it fat. That's usually the mistake that you do. And again, I practice it a lot and there's no reason, if you can do it in practice, why shouldn't you be able to do it in the tournament? It was a nice one.”

Kaymer won the PGA Championship in 2010 in a playoff against Bubba Watson at Whistling Straits and would eventually move atop the world rankings the following year. In 2014, he won the U.S. Open at Pinehurst by eight strokes.

His 10-year exemption for the U.S. Open ran out two years ago but he’s exempt for the PGA for life as a past champion. Not that everybody seems to remember that.

“On Tuesday evening, we had the champion's dinner, and there was a gentleman sitting next to me from the PGA of America, and he asked me if I still play,” Kaymer recalled. “And I said, what do you mean? He said, Well, are you playing this week? And I said, Yeah, that's why I'm here. I'm not flying from Europe to here to have a New York strip with you guys. Of course I'm playing. And that really motivated me. So, it was a good start to the week.”

He’d love for it to end the same way.

“Competing against the best guys in the world, you do that in majors,” he said. “That is the ultimate. And winning the PGA in 2010 and the U.S. Open, that is the ultimate feeling. No tournament, it doesn't matter on what tour you can play, can keep up with that. So having the opportunity every year now for the few more years is great. And I'm very honored that I can do that and compete against the guys.”

RAHM’S AMAZING HOLE-OUT

Jon Rahm called it “one of the funny moments in golf.”

It was certainly a productive – and much-needed – one.

Rahm holed out from 98 yards for an eagle two at the par-4 second, a shot that helped turn his fortunes around during Thursday’s opening 1-under 69 at the PGA Championship.

The Legion XIII captain was 2 over with no birdies through his first 10 holes at Aronimink and was coming off a bogey at the par-4 first after making a mistake with his approach shot from 104 yards.

Facing an approach shot from 98 yards at the second, Rahm found the bottom of the cup on one hop to get himself back to level par. It’s the first eagle of his PGA Championship career that spans 594 holes. He eventually finished with birdies in his last two holes to move inside the top 20 of the leaderboard.

“What can I say? It was a phenomenal shot, really good wedge shot,” said Rahm, the reigning two-time LIV Golf Individual champion and current points leader. “I came off that first green kicking myself because it was a wrong choice of shot for such a good drive, 105 yards away downwind.

“Go to the next hole, and I have a very similar number. At least I have to play it the same number into the wind. Obviously, a lot more committed with the right decision and hit a great shot. The luck of seeing it go in, right?”

In Sunday’s final round at Maaden LIV Golf Virginia, Rahm carded a two at the par-5 17th. As rare as making an albatross is, Rahm noted it’s also rare to hole out in the heat of major competition.

“It was funny – I think we were on 16 or 17 when somebody [Englishman Daniel Brown] holed out on 11,” Rahm said. “I kind of thought, man, how often do you see hole-outs in majors on TV and how rarely I’ve ever seen one in person. Then about an hour later, I get to do it myself, right? So that’s just one of the funny moments in golf.”

PUIG ON 11TH HOLE

One player definitely not enjoying the moment at the par-4 11th was young Fireballs GC star David Puig.

Having started his round with a birdie at the 10th, Puig followed with a perfect 334-yard drive at the 11th, leaving him 86 yards from the pin.

After his wedge shot initially hit the green, his ball spun off the front some 45 yards before settling in the rough. He followed with a chip shot that nearly did the same before stopping precariously on the downslope of the green.

From there, Puig three-putted from 51 feet for double bogey.

“The first thing I did in scoring after I signed my card was to watch video of that second shot,” Puig said. “I thought I hit more than a decent shot. Brian [Dilley, his caddie] handed me a putter after I hit the wedge shot. It was maybe a yard right, but I thought it was going to be 15-20 feet up the hill. A few seconds later, we saw the ball rolling back to us. … It was just a kick in the butt.”

Puig shot even-par on his next 16 holes, putting him in position to make the cut for the second consecutive time in the PGA Championship.

He was especially pleased with his performance off the tee. He was among the top players in Strokes Gained Off The Tee while averaging 337.9 yards off the tee and hitting 11 of 14 fairways.

“I thought I drove it unbelievable,” Puig said. “I’d like to see Strokes Gained at the end of the day off the tee. It would surprise me if I’m not in the top 5. I drove it perfect all day. A little bit disappointed not to shoot under par with how good I drove it.”

DECHAMBEAU ALSO BIT BY 11

Bryson DeChambeau’s approach shot at the 11th finished on the fringe on the back side of the green, completely opposite of Puig’s shot.

But his putt from 31 feet rolled past the pin and down the slope, eventually traveling 88 feet and leaving him with a 57-foot par putt. The Crushers GC captain two-putted from there for bogey en route to a 6-over 76.

DeChambeau was hovering around the top 140 on the leaderboard in the late afternoon and will have plenty of ground to cover Friday in hopes of making the cut. Perhaps he can lean on last year’s Open Championship, when he shot an opening 78 at Royal Portrush but bounced back with a 65 the next day to make the cut before shooting 68-64 on the weekend to finish tied for 10th.

NIEMANN STARTS STRONG

Torque GC Captain Joaquin Niemann shot a 1-under 69 in his first major round of the year. Niemann was not in the field at last month’s Masters but is playing at Aronimink this week thanks to his top-15 finish (T8) at last year’s PGA Championship.

“I had a different experience watching the Masters back home, and it was kind of cool actually to see it in a different perspective,” said Niemann, who won five LIV Golf tournaments but remains in search of his first title this season.

Niemann had a fairly uneventful opening round Thursday with two birdies against a single bogey, as he hit 16 of 18 greens in regulation. “It was a good day,” he said. “I enjoyed it. It's a tough course. A lot of anxiety coming before the round. It's nice to get it going. Played a good round. It was fun out there.”