Golf-Rahm four back of early leaders at PGA Championship

Masters champion Jon Rahm stumbled into the turn and was sitting four shots back of early co-leaders Sahith Theegala, Ryan Fox and Corey Conners midway through his first round of the PGA Championship at Oak Hill on Thursday.

Masters champion Jon Rahm stumbled into the turn and was sitting four shots back of early co-leaders Sahith Theegala, Ryan Fox and Corey Conners midway through his first round of the PGA Championship at Oak Hill on Thursday. The start of the first round was delayed nearly two hours because of frost but tournament favourite Rahm seemed unbothered as he rolled in a 16-foot birdie putt at his opening hole, the par-four 10th.

But after five consecutive pars the Spanish world number one carded three consecutive bogeys starting at the par-four 16th and went on to reach the turn at two-over-par 37. New Zealand's Fox was two under par through 13 holes while debutant Theegala, who finished ninth in his Masters debut last month, was two groups behind. Canada's Conners was a further group back.

Sitting one shot off the early lead at a challenging Oak Hill was a crowded pack that included defending champion Justin Thomas and fellow major winners Scottie Scheffler, Keegan Bradley and Bryson DeChambeau. LIV Golf's Brooks Koepka, who finished joint runner-up at the Masters, was two shots off the pace with eight holes to play and level with twice major winner Collin Morikawa and British Open winner Cameron Smith.

Jordan Spieth, making his seventh attempt at completing the coveted career Grand Slam of golf's four majors, was two over through 10 holes. World number three Rory McIlroy, looking for a better result after missing the cut at the Masters, carded three bogeys over a four-hole stretch that left the four-times major winner three over through 11 holes.

Phil Mickelson, who finished in a share of second at the Masters, is scheduled to tee off in the 3:48 p.m. (1948 GMT) group from the 10th tee with fellow Americans Patrick Cantlay and Rickie Fowler. Mickelson is returning to the PGA Championship this year for the first time since 2021 when, aged 50, he defied the odds to become the oldest major winner in history.

The six-times major winner skipped his title defence last year at Southern Hills as he extended his self-imposed hiatus from the sport after incendiary comments he made about the Saudi-funded rival league which became LIV Golf.