World’s top three launch early charge at PGA Championship

CHARLOTTE: Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and defending champion Xander Schauffele -- the world’s highest-ranked golfers -- teed off together Thursday morning in the showcase group of the first round at the 107th PGA Championship.

Top-ranked Scheffler, coming off his first triumph of the year two weeks ago, joined third-ranked fellow American Schauffele and new Masters champion McIlroy off the 10th tee at Quail Hollow.

“I’m playing with two guys that are playing some of the best golf in the world,” Scheffler said. “It should be a lot of fun. “ Northern Ireland’s McIlroy, who completed a career Grand Slam by capturing his fifth major title last month, has won four times at the course, including his first PGA Tour triumph in 2010. “Always nice to come back to Quail Hollow,” McIlroy said.

“I have great memories from this place. “World number two McIlroy snapped a major win drought dating to 2014 with his long-sought green jacket at Augusta National.

Scheffler won nine times last year, including Paris Olympic gold, but injured his right hand preparing Christmas dinner and missed a month of the season. He showed a return to form with a win two weeks ago at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, matching the PGA record for low 72-hole stroke total.

Schauffele, who also won last year’s British Open, missed two months this season with a rib injury but the American shared eighth at the Masters and 11th last week.

Europe Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald of England struck the opening shot off the first tee for the field of 156 at the 7,626-yard, par-71 layout. New Zealand’s Ryan Fox, a back-nine starter, seized the early lead at three-under par by sinking birdie putts from just inside eight feet at the par-five 10th hole, from 30 feet at the par-three 13th and just beyond four feet at the 14th.

Sweden’s Alex Noren birdied the first hole with a 21-foot putt and the par-three fourth from four feet to stand second on two-under. American Jordan Spieth, a three-time major winner needing a victory this week to complete his own career Slam, was the most recent player to win the first two majors in a year, taking the 2015 Masters and US Open.

Only four Europeans have ever won the PGA Championship, none since McIlroy in 2014, with Americans capturing the past nine in a row. McIlroy has combined long drives, strong iron play and superb putting to win the Players Championship and at Pebble Beach this year as well as the Masters -- and he has unlocked Quail Hollow’s secrets in the past. “You have to be super aggressive off the tee, and then you have to pick your spots going into the greens,” McIlroy said.