US PGA Championship: Day one digest

Lee was part of a leading logjam, Reed went bogey-free, Higgo made a costly error and there were eagles everywhere on day one of the US PGA Championship.

Here is everything you need to know from Thursday at Aronimink Golf Club.

Lee and Scheffler among leading logjam

Min Woo Lee and defending champion Scottie Scheffler were part of a seven-strong leading group after day one.  On a day of tough scoring at Aronimink Golf Club, former champion Martin Kaymer, fellow German Stephan Jaeger, South African Aldrich Potgieter, Japan’s Ryo Hisatsune and American Alex Smalley joined the duo in posting rounds of 67. Race to Dubai Rankings Delivered by DP World leader Patrick Reed and fellow DP World Tour members Dan Brown and Shane Lowry were then part of another group of seven players one off the lead. There were a further 19 players under par with a remarkable 92 within five shots of the lead.

Reed stays bogey-free

Only one player was able to go bogey-free on day one - Race to Dubai Rankings Delivered by DP World leader Patrick Reed. There are 1,665 points on offer to the winner if they are a DP World Tour member and with Reed – already a two-time winner this season – set for a busy summer schedule, every point could be vital. The American picked up his shots with a brilliant approach to the 11th and a long putt at the third. “Playing that back nine and hitting quality iron shot after quality iron shot and putting yourself on the putting surface, it made it a little easier to kind of go around there bogey free,” he said. “The two opportunities I had where I got myself in a little bit of trouble, I hit a great wedge shot from 53 yards to three inches, and the one I was kind of fringe putting and I was able to lag it up there and two-putt. As a competitor and a player, you're frustrated when you hit that many greens and only make two birdies, but when you're playing in a Major Championship, especially on a golf course like this, going out there and playing bogey-free gives you confidence going into the rest of the week.”

Late Higgo incurs rare penalty

Garrick Higgo admitted he was “obviously too casual” as he fell victim to a rare two-shot penalty for being late to the tee. When Rory McIlroy famously almost missed his tee time for the singles at the 2012 Ryder Cup, that was due to a timezone mix-up, but Higgo revealed he had done everything “on time” on Thursday morning. Despite that, he turned up for his 7.18am start with the announcements already being made and as such, incurred the two-shot penalty on his opening hole. "I went to the putting green thinking that I still have about five minutes and I obviously did not," he said. To his credit, the three-time DP World Tour winner hit his drive straight down the middle on the first and kept the damage to the penalty as he recorded a double bogey. He would only drop one shot off the club face at the tenth, making birdies at the third, ninth, 14th and 17th to sit at one under after round one."

• READ: Late arrival sees Garrick Higgo handed rare penalty at US PGA Championship

Big birds from the fairway

The hole-out eagle is a realtively rare thing but we had two in the opening round. Dan brown did this from 106 yards.

• READ: Dan Brown overcomes tee drama to get just rewards at Aronimink

Before Jon Rahm did this from 98.

No putter required

Rahm was not only holing out from distance, he was showing some finesse as well.

Shane Lowry also chipped in but Shane Lowry does that, doesn't he?

Early start for Alex

After recently not being in the field for this week's event, Alex Fitzpatrick has ended up with a couple of exemption categories after winning the Zurich of Classic of New Orelans alongside brother Matt and shooting up the world rankings. But that does not guarantee him a favourable draw and the Englishman was in the first group out at 6:45am. "My alarm this morning was 3:45am and we teed off at 6:45am, there wasn't much traffic coming into the golf course, that's for sure!" he said. "The hard part was I went to bed at 7:30 and didn't manage to fall asleep until 10. It's one of those things where it's so early, you can't get yourself to go to sleep. I'd say it's pretty easy following the same routine, I think waking up at 3:45 is never a good thing. It's impossible not to wake up tired. But that's how it is. First out in a Major, you can't complain. I'd rather be here than not!" Alex opened with a creditable 72.

Baggy Trousers not madness for Min Woo

Lee may have caught the eye with his sparkling 67 but his wardrobe was getting some attention as well. The Australian was sporting a pair of billowing trousers almost reminiscent of MC Hammer. “It’s a debut," he said. "I was asking a lot of people about it. I think it’s a little long because it’s coming on the back of my shoe but it felt great. It’s very comfortable." Let's be honest, if anyone call pull this off, it's Min Woo.