Jason Day And Brendon Todd Lead PGA Championship

The pair both shot five under par 65s on a testing opening day at TPC Harding Park

Jason Day And Brendon Todd Lead PGA Championship
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The pair both shot five under par 65s on a testing opening day at TPC Harding Park

Jason Day And Brendon Todd Lead PGA Championship

Jason Day and Brendon Todd lead the PGA Championship after the opening round, with the likes of Brooks Koepka and Justin Rose just a single stroke back.

TPC Harding Park looks everything it was set out to be, with narrow fairway and thick rough favouring the straight driver and ball striker.

Day's morning 65 looked likely to be good enough for the outright lead but Todd matched it in the more windy afternoon.

"Today I drove it really nicely, and when I was out of position, I left myself on the right side of the fairways to be able to at least get somewhere around the greens, and if I did miss the greens I left it in the right spot," 2015 PGA Champion Jason Day said.

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The Aussie also said that he had rediscovered his putting after a bogey-free flawless start.

Related: PGA Championship Leaderboard

Brendon Todd continued his great form to match Day, and it now just remains to be seen whether he can stay in contention.

The American has been in contention to win both the Travelers Championship and WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational recently and has fallen away dramatically on both occasions.

Todd made seven birdies and two bogeys in his 65.

Related: Social media reacts after DeChambeau breaks driver 

Just one stroke further back is back-to-back defending champion Brooks Koepka, who is bidding to become the first man since Walter Hagen in 1927 to win three consecutive PGA Championships.

"I enjoy it. The majors almost seem like an easier week for me, nine holes pretty much every day in the practice rounds and try to stay off my feet and not do too much," Koepka said.

"I think sometimes guys can not over-prepare, but just practise a little too much. If you're going to be here until Sunday it's pretty mentally draining. Physically it's fine, but mentally I'm done after four days of this."

Koepka is tied with fellow Major winner Justin Rose who may just be coming into form at the right time after a poor last 18 months.

"I was happy to be able to birdie three of my last seven, or six, and yeah, post a great round," Rose said.

"I think it was one of those rare day where you walk off the golf course and you got the most out of your round of golf.

"Nine times out of ten, we walk off slightly frustrated because we've left a few out there, but today was one of those guys day where I got all of it out."

Related: Tiger Woods makes solid start to PGA Championship

The second round begins at 3pm UK time, with Sky Sports coverage beginning at 6pm.

Leaderboard: PGA Championship 2020

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Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!


Elliott is currently playing:


Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV