CHARLOTTE, N.C. — There have been quite a lot of unlikely names on the prime of the PGA Championship leaderboard in Thursday’s opening spherical at Quail Hole, however none was extra eye-opening than Luke Donald.
Donald, the European Ryder Cup captain, is 47 years outdated, ranked 871st on the earth and solely a part-time participant lately, with most of his concentrate on readying for Bethpage Black, the place he’s hoping to steer Europe to a second consecutive Ryder Cup victory.
Donald shot a 4-under-par 67, tied for fourth and simply three pictures out of the lead regardless of getting into the week having missed the lower within the final 5 tournaments wherein he’s performed.
“Clearly, I’ve been trending with all of the 5 or 6 missed cuts coming into this week,’’ Donald deadpanned afterward. “Golf’s a loopy recreation.’’
Donald’s recreation, apart from not being in good type, additionally didn’t determine to be an excellent match for a very brief hitter equivalent to him at Quail Hole, which maxes out to about 7,700 yards.
“It was a pleasing shock,’’ he stated. “It’s at all times enjoyable, bogey-free in a serious championship on a course that you simply wouldn’t have thought can be very best for me.’’
Sitting one shot behind Donald at 3-under is Keegan Bradley, the 38-year-old U.S. Ryder Cup captain.
Those that had the 2 Ryder Cup captains taking pictures a mixed 7-under within the opening spherical on their bingo card, please elevate your palms.
The one time that two sitting captains had been among the many prime 10 after any main championship spherical throughout a Ryder Cup 12 months was on the 1937 British Open at Carnoustie.
On the finish of that second spherical, European captain Charles Whitecombe and U.S. captain Walter Hagen had been tied for second and eighth, respectively.
“Somebody simply instructed me it was the bottom first spherical in a serious I’ve had since 2004 or one thing,’’ Donald stated.
It was his first bogey-free spherical in a serious championship since 2015, and it tied his lowest profession first spherical in a serious (the 2004 PGA).
Requested what it’s like going to a match like this being requested about everybody else’s recreation however his, Donald stated, “That’s what I signed as much as. I’m right here solely as a result of I’m captain of the European Ryder Cup Workforce. I wouldn’t be on this subject in any other case. It’s a pleasant invitation and a perk that [a] Ryder Cup captain will get.
“I perceive that my recreation isn’t the place it was, and that’s the focus. So, it actually doesn’t trouble me one bit.’’
Donald, who led the Europeans to a Ryder Cup victory in 2023 in Rome, known as being a participant whereas dealing with the obligations because the captain a “balancing factor,’’ including, “I nonetheless love competing. I like being a competitor. However nonetheless giving myself loads of time to be ready for New York.’’
Bradley, who’s ranked nineteenth on the earth, nonetheless fancies himself as a participant who may qualify on factors for the Ryder Cup workforce he captains.
“I used to be pumped to see Luke up there,’’ Bradley stated. “I can’t wait to textual content him [and] give him a bit s–t. No, I’ll inform him how completely happy I’m for him to play like that. For him to go on the market and shoot that spherical, it’s spectacular. It makes me completely happy.’’
Donald praised Bradley, saying, “Keegan is prime 20 on the earth. He can have one good week out right here, win, which he’s very able to, and he’s completely within the dialog of being a taking part in captain.
“I don’t assume that’s fairly in my future. However Keegan continues to be one of many prime gamers on the earth.’’
