CHARLOTTE, N.C. – European Ryder Cup Captain Luke Donald may have to consider himself for his own team if he keeps playing like he did on Thursday in the opening round of the PGA Championship.
Donald, a 47-year-old Englishman competing on a special invite, shot 4-under 67 at Quail Hollow Club, recording his first bogey-free round in a major since 2015 and tying his lowest first-round score in a major since the 2004 PGA Championship.
“Obviously, I’ve been trending with all the missed cuts coming into this week,” cracked Donald, who has missed the cut in all five of his starts this year.
Asked to recall the last time he played as well as he had at Quail Hollow, Donald said, “Testing my memory. Can hardly remember what I did last week, let alone this week.”
It hadn’t been at the PGA venue, which has regularly eaten his lunch when he’s played here. In eight career starts at Quail Hollow, Donald has missed the cut five times and withdrawn once.
“I’m here only because I’m captain of the European Ryder Cup Team. I wouldn’t be in this field otherwise. It’s a nice invitation and a perk that the Ryder Cup Captain gets,” said the former world No. 1 has played in just eight majors over the last nine years. ”I understand that. I understand that my game isn’t where it used to be, and that is the focus.”
Donald’s counterpart as captain of the U.S. side, Keegan Bradley, did his best to keep pace. Asked if this was a preview of a potential Ryder Cup duel at Bethpage, Donald joked, “If it’s tied 14-14, are you talking a playoff? I’ll grab the trophy and go back to Europe.”
Only one time in PGA Championship history has both sitting Ryder Cup captains made the cut during a Ryder Cup year. That happened at the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island when both Padraig Harrington (T-4) and Steve Stricker (T-44) made it to the weekend.
Donald only hit nine greens in regulation on Thursday, but a hot putter picked up the slack as he made two birdies on each side. As one of the short-knockers in the field, Donald, who averaged around 280 yards off the tee, didn’t see a round like this coming.
“It’s going to be a test for me this week. It’s a brute of a golf course, very long, and with the weather it’s playing even longer,” he said during his pre-tournament press conference. “But glad to be here. It’s great to be around all the players and playing another major is always fun.”
Especially when it’s a bogey-free start.
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