CHARLOTTE, N.C. — There were a number of unlikely names at the top of the PGA Championship leaderboard ea👍rly in Thursday’s opening round at Quail Hollow, but none was more eye-opening than Luke Donald.
Donald, the current European Ryder Cup captain, is 47 years old and only a part-time player these days, with most of hཧis focus on readying for Bethpage Black, where he’s hoping to lead Europe to a second consecutive 🌠Ryder Cup victory under his watch.
Donald, playing in the first tee time of the day alongside Padraig Harringt🦂on and Martin Kaymer and striking the first shot of the tournament, posted a 4-under-par 67.
He entered the week having missed the cut in th༒e last five tournaments in which he’s played.
“Obviously, I’ve been trending with all the five or six missed cuts coming into this week,’’ Donald deadpanned afterward. “Golf’s a crazy game.’’
Donald’s game, other than not being in good form, also didn’t figure to be a ♊good fit at Quail Ho꧑llow, which maxes out to about 7,700 yards with him being a particularly short hitter.
“It was a pleasant surprise,’’ he said. “It’s always fun, bogey-free in a major championship on a course that you wouldn’t have thought would be ideal for me. I got off to a really nice, steady start. I hit a bunch of fairways on the front nine which always makes me feel good about my game. I didn’t hit a ton of greens today but my putter was really good.
“Obviously very pleased with the score — bogey-free in a major. Someone just told me it was the lowest first round in a major I’ve had since 2004 or something.’’
It was his first bogey-free round in a major championship since 2015 💎and it tied his lowest career first round in a major (the 2004 PGA).
Donald said he woke up at 4:40 a.m. Thursday🅠 and called it “a nice little honor to hit the first tee shot to get the tournament underway.’’
Asked what it’s like going to a tournament like this being asked about everyone else’s game but his, Donald said, “That’s what I signed up to. I’m here only because I’m captain of the European Ryder Cup Team. I wouldn’t be in this field otherwise. It’s a nice invitation and a perk that the Ryder Cup Captain gets.
“I understand that my game isn’t where it used to be, and that is the focus. So, it really doesn’t bother me one bit.’’
Donald, who led the Europeans🦋 to a Ryder Cup victory in 🀅2023 in Rome, called being a player while handling the responsibilities as the captain a “balancing thing,’’ adding, “I still love competing. I love being a competitor. But still giving myself plenty of time to be prepared for New York.’’
When it was pointed out to him that Keegan Bradley, the U.S. Ryder cup captain, was 3-under par at the time Donald finished his round, Donald joked, “If (the Ryder Cup) is tied 14-14, are you talking a playoff? I’ll grab the trophy and go back to Europe.’’
As the defending c𝓀hampion, Europe would retain the Ryder Cup if the ♔matches are tied at the end of the competition.
The 38-year-old Bradley, who’s ranked 19th in the world, still fancies himself as a player�♔� who could qualify on points for the Ryder Cup team he captains.
“Keegan is top 20 in the world, he can have one good week out here, win, which he’s very capable of, and he’s absolutely in the conversation of being a playing captain,’’ Donald said. “I don’t think that’s quite in my future. But Keegan is still one of the top players in the world.’’
