Although Oak Hill Country Club has undergone a hearty changeover since it last hosted the PGA Championship, Adam Scott seems to care little.
The affable Australian tied for fifth in 2013 – the best such result of any of the 33 competitors who are back again in 2023 – and he kept that momentum going Thursday shooting a 2-under 68.
Scott was cruising until an unfortunate double bogey on his closing hole. Still, he’s tied for sixth at the end of the first day. Eric Cole leads at 5 under.
Play was called at 8:30 p.m. ET due to darkness after a near two-hour frost delay in the morning.
Scott, 42, sits first in strokes gained off the tee at the end of Thursday and leaned on his impressive driving of the golf ball to put in a steady performance until the very end. Scott birdied Nos. 3, 6 and 8 on his front nine before adding two more on Nos. 10 and the short par-4 14th.
The last time the PGA Championship was at Oak Hill was the last time Scott held the first-round lead or co-lead in a major. He was in the mix through most of Thursday before his ill-timed closing-hole adventure.
Scott has had a steady if unspectacular season on the PGA TOUR. He hasn’t missed a cut but has just two top-10 finishes. However, those two top-10s have come in his last two events – the Wells Fargo Championship and the AT&T Byron Nelson.
Scott has had 10 top-10 finishes at majors since his green jacket triumph in 2013, but none since 2019. He’s missed the cut at the last two PGA Championships.
Through 18 holes this year, however, Scott has turned back the clock.
Adam Scott *chef's kiss*
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 18, 2023
He opens up his back nine with a birdie and is one off the lead. #PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/5Qyl3XUVHU
