Potgieter shares early PGA Championship clubhouse lead, McIlroy struggles

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pennsylvania, May 14 : Aldrich Potgieter made a dream PGA Championship debut as he held a four-way share of the early clubhouse lead on Thursday at Aronimink Golf Club where Jordan Spieth got his bid to complete the career Grand Slam off to a solid start and Rory McIlroy struggled to find his form.

Potgieter, who went off early from the back nine before the sizeable crowds had gathered, made a pair of late birdies to card an opening three-under-par 67 that left him level with Stephan Jaeger, Min Woo Lee and Ryo Hisatsune.

"There wasn't a lot of people out there this morning on the first couple of holes. So it was nice to kind of get in my own little space and kind of get a groove in early on," said Potgieter, who  closed his round with a three-foot birdie.

Former champion Xander Schauffele, Sahith Theegala, Max Greyserman and PGA Championship rookie Daniel Brown were all in the clubhouse one shot off the pace.

Spieth, making his 10th crack at completing his collection of golf's four major titles, held a share of the lead late in his round before back-to-back bogeys dropped him back to one under.

Former world number one Spieth walked off the course two shots back of the leaders in a group that included Brooks Koepka, former champion Jason Day and LIV golfers Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith.

Smith's day included an adventurous bogey at his ninth hole, the par-four 18th, where his tee shot reached a TV broadcast booth way left of the fairway. He was given relief from the immovable obstruction and, after wires were moved out of the way, sent his second shot back into the fairway.

Rahm provided one of the day's highlights when he holed out for eagle from 101 yards at the par-four second hole, his 11th.

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