Xandedr Schauffele

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- You'll get yourself tossed into the deep rough saying somebody played a perfect round of golf.

Perfection? Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus or Tiger Woods never claimed that.

Until somebody knifes through a major championship more precisely than Xander Schauffele took down Valhalla Golf Course Thursday, I'll point to his opening round at the PGA Championship as the most perfect thing I've seen on a golf course.

Nine birdies. Nine pars. No bogeys. No sweat.

He was so amazing that Woods had to wait outside the player interview tent for Schauffele to finish answering questions.

Then Woods shook his head and extended his right hand in congratulations. Get in line.

The number flashing on Schauffele's scorecard was 62. Five-under on the back nine, which he played first, and four-under while finishing on the front side. That's a Valhalla record, one stroke better than the 63 Jose Maria Olazabal shot in 2000. This was the kind of round people once expected from prime Tiger.

"There's always shots you can kind of pick apart or chips that you can pick apart that you felt like you could have hit better," Schauffele said. "But I'm very content with how I played."

Very content? His score was also a PGA Championship record, and this event is only being played for the 106th time, four times at Valhalla.

Hold on. That ties the record for any major championship, which Branden Grace shot in 2017 Open Championship before Schauffele and Rickie Fowler matched it by shooting 62s in the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club.

Schauffele is 30 years old, a former California state high school champion who played college golf at Cal State-Long Beach and San Diego State. He's been on the tour nine years.

IMAGES | Round 1 of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville

He's won seven events. This is his 28th major championship. You can put him in the discussion of Best Player Who Has Not Won a Major. Second in the Masters. Second in the British Open. Third in the U.S. Open. Nothing better than 10th in this tournament.

"It's a great start to a big tournament," Schauffele said. "One I'm obviously always going to take. It's just Thursday. That's about it."

Actually, that's not about it. A thick, enthusiastic gallery that turned out before 8 a.m. to root, root, root for hometown hero Justin Thomas was inspired to howl its appreciation for Schauffele, who played in the threesome with Swedish pro Ludvig Aberg.

Thomas had a front row seat to history. He played a splendid round, rolling in birdie putts on two of his last three holes to finish with a 2-under 69.

In 2014, the last time they played the PGA at Valhalla, a 69 would have been three strokes off the lead. Ditto for 2000 when Woods won the tournament here.

Thomas shot 69 and found himself seven behind the leader.

"When you're playing with one of the easiest nine-unders you've ever seen, it makes you feel like you're shooting a million," Thomas said.

Schauffele was Michael Jordan at the rim, Tom Brady in the pocket or Sandy Koufax on the mound. Starting his round on hole No. 10, he birdied Nos. 11, 13, 15, 16, 18, 2, 4, 5 and 7.

You read that correct. The only time Schauffele went back-to-back holes without a birdie was his final two holes. Slacker.

"I don't know," Schauffele said. "I can't nit-pick. I'll take a 62 in any major any day."

So would Sam Snead, Lee Trevino or Phil Mickelson. Make a note of this: The first three times this tournament was played at Valhalla, the eventual winner was positioned no worse than tied for fourth place after the opening round.

Rory McIroy shot 66 and was tied for fourth on Thursday when he won in 2014. Woods shot 66 and led in 2000. Mark Brooks shot 68 and was tied for fourth in 1996.

Nobody should expect another 62. But nobody should expect Schauffele to disappear. Thomas certainly does not.

"Xander, he's such a complete player," Thomas said. "This year, he's hitting it even further. As good as he drove it, now he's doing the same, just 15 yards further and faster.

"He's smart. I've always thought he has one of the best demeanors out here, which is obviously something that you can't necessarily just change overnight. He just has no quit in him, and he's always hanging in there and staying patient.

"He's playing really, really great golf right now. So you feel like he's one of those guys every time he tees it up right now, he's going to be in contention."

Especially if Schauffele keeps delivering perfection.

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