TULSA, Okla. — Tiger Woods made it sound as though Rory McIlroy played a brand of golf with which he wasn’t familiar Thursday in the PGA Championship. McIlroy looked free and easy and saw only opportunity at Southern Hills. He blasted his driver over trees and into fairways, setting up some of his seven birdies that carried him to a 5-under 65 and an early one-shot lead. Woods picked his spots and was never terribly crisp on a right leg he said felt worse than it did at the Masters last month. He fell apart in the middle of his round and at the end, finishing with two bogeys for a 74 and his worst start to a PGA since 2015. It was just what McIlroy needed as he tries to end nearly eight years without a major, many of those chances doomed by bad starts. This was his lowest start to par since a 5-under 66 when he won the PGA at Valhalla in 2014, the last of his four majors. “I think when your game is feeling like that, it’s just a matter of going out there and really sticking to your game plan, executing as well as you possibly can and just sort of staying in your own little world,” McIlroy said. “I feel like this course, it lets you be pretty aggressive off the tee if you want to be, so I hit quite a lot of drivers out there and took advantage of my length and finished that off with some nice iron play and some nice putting.” Will Zalatoris and Pebble Beach winner Tom Hoge each opened with a 66, while Matt Kuchar and Abraham Ancer were another shot behind. McIlroy and Woods were joined in the group by Jordan Spieth, who lacks only this major to complete the career Grand Slam and arrived in Tulsa with his game in good form. But a series of missed birdie chances was followed by a series of missed par putts, and Spieth never quite recovered. He had a late birdie and saved par on his final hole at No. 9 for a 72. Masters champion Scottie Scheffler was among those who played in the afternoon, as the heat index crept toward 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32.2 Celsius). The difference between McIlroy and Woods was clear early in the round. On the 461-yard 12th hole, Woods hit iron off the tee that left him 178 yards. McIlroy pounded driver with a slight fade with the prevailing breeze, leaving him 86 yards. He hit lob wedge to a foot for birdie. That was the start of four straight birdies for McIlroy, which included a 6-iron to 25 feet for his longest birdie of the day at the par-3 14th. McIlroy made birdie on the two par 5s from greenside bunkers, hitting a 3-iron both times on the 628-yard 13th and the 665-yard fifth. He hit another big drive on the tough par-4 second, leaving 7-iron to about 10 feet. That one felt like a bonus to him. “You go out there and hit driver a lot, and if you have a hot week, you have a hot week and you’re up there,” Woods said. “The game is just different. It’s much more aggressive now, and I know that. But I was playing to my spots. If I would have hit the ball solidly on those two holes and put the ball in the fairway, I would have been fine.” He was speaking of No. 4, where he put iron in the rough and McIlroy hit a 327-yard drive up the hill and into the wind that left him a flip wedge to the green (he missed an 8-foot putt); and the ninth hole, when Woods’ tee shot hit a tree and left him a 4-iron to the green. The bigger concern was his leg. Woods has said he has good days and bad from a leg badly injured in his February 2021 car crash, and this didn’t looked like a great one. Of equal concern was going into Friday nine shots behind McIlroy and likely having to fight to make the cut. The warmth — not oven heat like the 2007 PGA in August — and mild wind led to ideal scoring, though Southern Hills still had enough defense. Only 17 of the 78 players from the morning wave broke par. “I don’t think a major champion here has ever been double digits under par, so you know the scores aren’t going to go much further,” Hoge said. “It’s a grind out here. If you get out of position in the rough here, it’s tough to control the golf ball around these greens because they can get running off so fast. You just try to keep it simple.” One other part of Southern Hills’ history with seven previous majors: Five of the champions had at least a share of the 18-hole lead. Xander Schauffele was in the group at 68, while Tony Finau was among those at 69. John Daly tried to revive some memories at age 56 and with a beard longer than any rough at Southern Hills. He opened with a 67 in 2007 and was 2 under through 10 holes until fading at the end with four bogeys over his last five holes for a 72.
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Final Round 2-Balls - J.T. Poston / E. Cole | |
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN | |
J.T. Poston | -145 |
Eric Cole | +120 |
Final Round Match-Ups - J.T. Poston vs J. Spieth | |
Type: Final Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN | |
Jordan Spieth | -115 |
J.T. Poston | -105 |
Final Round 2-Balls - B. Horschel / S. Jaeger | |
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN | |
Billy Horschel | -115 |
Stephan Jaeger | -105 |
Final Round 2-Balls - J. Spieth / M. Greyserman | |
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN | |
Jordan Spieth | -155 |
Max Greyserman | +130 |
Final Round 2-Balls - A. Tosti / D. Wu | |
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN | |
Alejandro Tosti | -135 |
Dylan Wu | +145 |
Tie | +750 |
Final Round 2-Balls - S. Im / R. Hisatsune | |
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN | |
Sungjae Im | -155 |
Ryo Hisatsune | +130 |
Final Round Six-Shooter - Group B - S. Lowry / B. Harman / V. Hovland / K. Bradley / S. Im / S.W. Kim | |
Type: Final Round Six-Shooter - Status: OPEN | |
Shane Lowry | +350 |
Viktor Hovland | +350 |
Sungjae Im | +375 |
Brian Harman | +500 |
Keegan Bradley | +500 |
Si Woo Kim | +550 |
Final Round Six-Shooter - Group C - M. Fitzpatrick / R. Hisatsune / A. Novak / B. Campbell / M. Hughes / C. Davis | |
Type: Final Round Six-Shooter - Status: OPEN | |
Matt Fitzpatrick | +320 |
Andrew Novak | +400 |
Mackenzie Hughes | +400 |
Ryo Hisatsune | +425 |
Brian Campbell | +500 |
Cam Davis | +550 |
Final Round Match-Ups - S. Lowry vs S. Im | |
Type: Final Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN | |
Shane Lowry | -110 |
Sungjae Im | -110 |
Final Round 2-Balls - A. Putnam / R. Hoey | |
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN | |
Rico Hoey | -120 |
Andrew Putnam | +130 |
Tie | +750 |
Final Round 2-Balls - V. Hovland / T. Hoge | |
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN | |
Viktor Hovland | -150 |
Tom Hoge | +125 |
Final Round Score - Viktor Hovland | |
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN | |
Over 68.5 | -155 |
Under 68.5 | +120 |
Final Round Match-Ups - D. Berger vs V. Hovland | |
Type: Final Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN | |
Daniel Berger | -115 |
Viktor Hovland | -105 |
Final Round Match-Ups - C. Davis vs T. Hoge | |
Type: Final Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN | |
Tom Hoge | -145 |
Cam Davis | +120 |
Final Round 2-Balls - S. Choi / T. Rosenmuller | |
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN | |
Thomas Rosenmuller | -160 |
Sam Choi | +175 |
Tie | +750 |
Final Round 2-Balls - S. Lowry / D. Berger | |
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN | |
Shane Lowry | -115 |
Daniel Berger | -105 |
Final Round Score - Daniel Berger | |
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN | |
Over 68.5 | -155 |
Under 68.5 | +120 |
Final Round Score - Shane Lowry | |
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN | |
Over 68.5 | -155 |
Under 68.5 | +120 |
Final Round 2-Balls - Z. Blair / C. Hoffman | |
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN | |
Charley Hoffman | -125 |
Zac Blair | +135 |
Tie | +750 |
Final Round 2-Balls - W. Clark / B. Hun An | |
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN | |
Wyndham Clark | -115 |
Byeong Hun An | -105 |
Final Round Score - Byeong Hun An | |
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN | |
Over 69.5 | +115 |
Under 69.5 | -150 |
Final Round Score - Wyndham Clark | |
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN | |
Over 69.5 | +125 |
Under 69.5 | -165 |
Final Round Match-Ups - K. Bradley vs W. Clark | |
Type: Final Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN | |
Keegan Bradley | -110 |
Wyndham Clark | -110 |
Final Round Match-Ups - M. Fitzpatrick vs B. Hun An | |
Type: Final Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN | |
Byeong Hun An | -110 |
Matt Fitzpatrick | -110 |
Final Round 2-Balls - A. Baddeley / S. Power | |
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN | |
Seamus Power | -190 |
Aaron Baddeley | +210 |
Tie | +750 |
Final Round 2-Balls - M. Fitzpatrick / B. Campbell | |
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN | |
Matt Fitzpatrick | -135 |
Brian Campbell | +115 |
Final Round Score - Matt Fitzpatrick | |
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN | |
Over 69.5 | +115 |
Under 69.5 | -150 |
Final Round 2-Balls - M. Wallace / M. NeSmith | |
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN | |
Matt Wallace | -150 |
Matt NeSmith | +165 |
Tie | +750 |
Final Round 2-Balls - C. Davis / M. Hughes | |
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN | |
Mackenzie Hughes | -135 |
Cam Davis | +115 |
Final Round Match-Ups - A. Novak vs M. Hughes | |
Type: Final Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN | |
Andrew Novak | -115 |
Mackenzie Hughes | -105 |
Final Round 2-Balls - B. Martin / K. Mitchell | |
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN | |
Keith Mitchell | -150 |
Ben Martin | +165 |
Tie | +750 |
Final Round 2-Balls - P. Cantlay / K. Bradley | |
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN | |
Patrick Cantlay | -155 |
Keegan Bradley | +130 |
Tie | |
Final Round Six-Shooter - Group A - S. Scheffler / R. Henley / P. Cantlay / T. Fleetwood / J. Thomas / M. McNealy | |
Type: Final Round Six-Shooter - Status: OPEN | |
Scottie Scheffler | +225 |
Patrick Cantlay | +425 |
Justin Thomas | +450 |
Russell Henley | +475 |
Tommy Fleetwood | +550 |
Maverick McNealy | +600 |
Final Round Score - Keegan Bradley | |
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN | |
Over 69.5 | +125 |
Under 69.5 | -165 |
Final Round Score - Patrick Cantlay | |
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN | |
Over 68.5 | -120 |
Under 68.5 | -110 |
Final Round Match-Ups - S. Scheffler vs P. Cantlay | |
Type: Final Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN | |
Scottie Scheffler | -165 |
Patrick Cantlay | +140 |
Final Round 2-Balls - V. Whaley / J. Paul | |
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN | |
Vince Whaley | +100 |
Jeremy Paul | +110 |
Tie | +750 |
Final Round 2-Balls - S. Scheffler / R. Henley | |
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN | |
Scottie Scheffler | -185 |
Russell Henley | +150 |
Final Round Score - Russell Henley | |
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN | |
Over 68.5 | -155 |
Under 68.5 | +120 |
Final Round Score - Scottie Scheffler | |
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN | |
Over 67.5 | -105 |
Under 67.5 | -125 |
Final Round Match-Ups - R. Henley vs B. Harman | |
Type: Final Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN | |
Russell Henley | -155 |
Brian Harman | +130 |
Final Round 2-Balls - M. Thorbjornsen / G. Higgo | |
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN | |
Michael Thorbjornsen | +100 |
Garrick Higgo | +110 |
Tie | +750 |
Final Round 2-Balls - B. Harman / T. Fleetwood | |
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN | |
Tommy Fleetwood | -135 |
Brian Harman | +115 |
Final Round Score - Brian Harman | |
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN | |
Over 69.5 | +125 |
Under 69.5 | -165 |
Final Round Score - Tommy Fleetwood | |
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN | |
Over 68.5 | -130 |
Under 68.5 | +100 |
Final Round Match-Ups - J. Thomas vs T. Fleetwood | |
Type: Final Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN | |
Justin Thomas | -115 |
Tommy Fleetwood | -105 |
Final Round 2-Balls - J. Dahmen / C. Kim | |
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN | |
Chan Kim | +100 |
Joel Dahmen | +110 |
Tie | +750 |
Final Round 2-Balls - J. Thomas / M. McNealy | |
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN | |
Justin Thomas | -145 |
Maverick McNealy | +120 |
Final Round Score - Justin Thomas | |
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN | |
Over 68.5 | -120 |
Under 68.5 | -110 |
Final Round Score - Maverick McNealy | |
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN | |
Over 68.5 | -145 |
Under 68.5 | +110 |
Final Round Match-Ups - S.W. Kim vs M. McNealy | |
Type: Final Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN | |
Maverick McNealy | -125 |
Si Woo Kim | +105 |
Final Round 2-Balls - S.W. Kim / A. Novak | |
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN | |
Si Woo Kim | -115 |
Andrew Novak | -105 |
Final Round Score - Si Woo Kim | |
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN | |
Over 69.5 | +115 |
Under 69.5 | -150 |
Final Round Score - Andrew Novak | |
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN | |
Over 69.5 | -130 |
Under 69.5 | +100 |
JM Eagle LA Championship | |
Type: Winner - Status: OPEN | |
Akie Iwai | +275 |
Lauren Coughlin | +275 |
Ingrid Lindblad | +375 |
Nelly Korda | +900 |
Ina Yoon | +1000 |
Jeeno Thitikul | +1600 |
Minjee Lee | +1600 |
Rio Takeda | +1800 |
Miyu Yamashita | +4000 |
Chisato Iwai | +17500 |
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Final Round 2 Balls - E. Pedersen v M. Yamashita | |
Type: Final Round 2 Balls - Status: OPEN | |
Miyu Yamashita | -170 |
Emily Pedersen | +185 |
Tie | +750 |
Final Round 2 Balls - J. Thitikul v M. Lee | |
Type: Final Round 2 Balls - Status: OPEN | |
Jeeno Thitikul | -145 |
Minjee Lee | +160 |
Tie | +750 |
Final Round 2 Balls - N. Korda v R. Takeda | |
Type: Final Round 2 Balls - Status: OPEN | |
Nelly Korda | -145 |
Rio Takeda | +160 |
Tie | +750 |
Final Round 2 Balls - I. Yoon v I. Lindblad | |
Type: Final Round 2 Balls - Status: OPEN | |
Ina Yoon | -115 |
Ingrid Lindblad | +125 |
Tie | +750 |
Final Round 2 Balls - A. Iwai v L. Coughlin | |
Type: Final Round 2 Balls - Status: OPEN | |
Lauren Coughlin | +100 |
Akie Iwai | +110 |
Tie | +750 |
Major Specials 2025 | |
Type: To Win A Major 2025 - Status: OPEN | |
Scottie Scheffler | +160 |
Bryson DeChambeau | +350 |
Xander Schauffele | +350 |
Ludvig Aberg | +400 |
Collin Morikawa | +450 |
Jon Rahm | +450 |
Brooks Koepka | +700 |
Justin Thomas | +700 |
Viktor Hovland | +700 |
Hideki Matsuyama | +800 |
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PGA Championship 2025 | |
Type: Winner - Status: OPEN | |
Rory McIlroy | +500 |
Scottie Scheffler | +500 |
Bryson DeChambeau | +1400 |
Ludvig Aberg | +1400 |
Xander Schauffele | +1400 |
Jon Rahm | +1800 |
Collin Morikawa | +2000 |
Brooks Koepka | +2500 |
Justin Thomas | +2500 |
Viktor Hovland | +2500 |
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US Open 2025 | |
Type: Winner - Status: OPEN | |
Rory McIlroy | +500 |
Scottie Scheffler | +500 |
Bryson DeChambeau | +1200 |
Xander Schauffele | +1200 |
Jon Rahm | +1400 |
Ludvig Aberg | +1400 |
Collin Morikawa | +1600 |
Brooks Koepka | +1800 |
Viktor Hovland | +2000 |
Justin Thomas | +2500 |
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The Open 2025 | |
Type: Winner - Status: OPEN | |
Rory McIlroy | +500 |
Scottie Scheffler | +550 |
Xander Schauffele | +1100 |
Ludvig Aberg | +1400 |
Collin Morikawa | +1600 |
Jon Rahm | +1600 |
Bryson DeChambeau | +2000 |
Shane Lowry | +2500 |
Tommy Fleetwood | +2500 |
Tyrrell Hatton | +2500 |
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Ryder Cup 2025 | |
Type: Winner - Status: OPEN | |
USA | -150 |
Europe | +140 |
Tie | +1200 |