Koepka leads, Tiger struggles in PGA Championship first round
Defending champion Brooks Koepka has fired a course-record seven-under 63 at New York's Bethpage Black to tie the US PGA Championship low round and take the clubhouse lead during an eventful first round.
Koepka's 63 was the 17th time the score has been recorded in PGA Championship history, but he became the first player to do it twice.
The 29-year-old from Florida carded a 63 in round two of the PGA Championship he won last year.
Three-time major champion Koepka is just the third golfer with multiple rounds of 63 at the majors, joining Greg Norman and Fiji's Vijay Singh.
On Thursday at New York's notoriously difficult, 7459-yard (6,820-metre) Bethpage, Koepka made no mistakes as he amassed seven birdies and zero bogeys to equal his lowest round in relation to par at the majors.
Late in the opening round, Koepka holds a one-shot lead over New Zealand's Danny Lee (66), with England's Tommy Fleetwood (67) at three-under.
Koepka said it was satisfying to make a statement on day one with so much hype surrounding Tiger Woods, his playing partner, who won his 15th major at the Masters in April.
"It was great that Tiger won Augusta, but we're at a new week now," Koepka said.
"Obviously, everybody in New York is going to be cheering for him, and it's going to be loud, especially if he makes a putt.
"You've just got to keep battling and find a way to get through it."
Woods, who struggled to a 72, claimed the first-round leader could have shot a lower score given Koepka did not birdie either of the two par 5s.
"I think that was probably the (worst) score he could have shot today," Woods said. "He left a few out there with a couple putts that he missed. But it could have easily been a couple better."
Of the Australian contingent, Jason Day led the way after shooting one-under 69 and Adam Scott finished one-over par, while Cameron Smith (73) and Marc Leishman (74) both struggled.
Woods poured cold water on hopes of winning back-to-back majors, with his month-long rest after winning the Masters in April clearly leaving some rust.
Woods' rollercoaster 72 included two double-bogeys, three bogeys, a long-range eagle and three birdies which left him at two over.
Also over par were Australians Lucas Herbert (74) and Brendan Jones (78).
AAP