Tune in at 1:30 PM ET for first round coverage of the PGA Championship. Gino Bottero will be liveblogging for your enjoyment.
Welcome everyone! I'll be live blogging the first round of the 94th playing of the PGA Championship.
The event is being held at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort in Kiawah Island, South Carolina.
The Ocean Course | Par: 72 | Yardage: 7676
The PGA of America's philanthropic mission is to enhance the lives of deserving individuals by using the game of golf to support organizations that focus on youth health, wellness, sports, and education initiatives.
Purse: $8,000,000
Winning Share: $1,445,000
FedExCup Points: 600
Past Champions:
2011: Keegan Bradley
2010: Martin Kaymer
2009: Y.E. Yang
2008: Padraig Harrington
2007: Tiger Woods
Pete Dye certainly knows how to test golfers. The Ocean Course features no fewer than 10 holes that are directly on the Atlantic Ocean with the other eight running parallel and few courses are affected as much by the wind, as the players will be tested by the shifting winds that have been known to change direction with little warning. Add onto that the fact that the 7,676 yard layout is the longest in major championship history. Golf Digest rated The Ocean Course as America's most difficult golf course.
The PGA of America announced that as per course rules, there are no bunkers on the course this week. Instead, the many areas with sand are designated as sandy areas which allows the players to ground their clubs and take practice swings. There are 15 acres of sandy area on The Ocean Course.
We should see some interesting golf this afternoon with the wind expected to pick up and a string of notables teeing off on the 1st:
1:10 PM ET: H. Mahan - A. Scott - S. Garcia
1:20 PM ET: B. Watson - W. Simpson - E. Els
1:30 PM ET: L. Donald - B. Snedeker - Z. Johnson
1:40 PM ET: P. Harrington - P. Mickelson - D. Love III
1:50 PM ET: S. Piercy - G. McDowell - M. Kuchar
Beginning with the 2008 PGA Championship there has been a streak of 16 consecutive different major champions.
Three of the last four major champions have used an anchored putter.
Tiger Woods enters this tournament coming off his first back-to-back top-10 finishes since September of 2009. Tiger last won a major championship at the U.S. Open in 2008. The 2012 PGA Championship will be the 18th major tournament contested since then. Tiger will play his first and second rounds with the last two PGA Championship winners, Keegan Bradley and Martin Kaymer.
Luke Donald has broken par in the opening round of a major championship only three times in his last 25 appearances, with the last coming in the 2009 PGA Championship.
Entering this week, Phil Mickelson had played 14 of his last 17 rounds over par.
Rory McIlroy enters off a top-5 finish in Akron last week with rounds of 67 and 68 on Saturday and Sunday.
Graeme McDowell has been in the final group on Sunday in each of the last two major tournaments.
Webb Simpson, number 5 in the Official World Golf Rankings, missed the cut last year in his first PGA Championship.
Jack Nicklaus was the last player to win both the Masters Tournament and the PGA Championship in the same calendar year. He did so in 1975. Bubba Watson will try to duplicate that feat this year.
PGA Championship Leaderboard:
1. J. Luiten -6
T2. C. Pettersson -5
T2. R. McIlroy -5
T2. G. Woodland -5
T5. G. Ogilvy -4
T5. J. Daly -4
T5. K. Bradley -4
T5. C. Tringale -4
Rory McIlroy and Gary Woodland have posted the lowest numbers thus far with rounds of 67.
John Daly just drained a long par putt on 18 to post a 68. If you're wondering what he's doing here, the PGA Championship offers lifetime entrance to past winners.
PGA Championship Leaderboard:
1. J. Luiten -7
2. C. Pettersson -6
RIght as we get underway, Joost Luiten and Carl Pettersson with birdies on 4 and 16 respectively.
Joost Luiten of the Netherlands is 99th in the Official World Golf Rankings and only has a single top-10 finish on Tour this year.
Let's pick up play on 18 with Tiger Woods.
Par 4 18th: Tiger Woods is at 3-under thus far and looks to get up and down from the front of the green to save par. He opens his stance way up and drops a magnificent shot in behind the hole to leave himself a tap in for par.
Par 3 5th: Joost Luiten with another birdie on 5 to get to 8-under.
Tiger Woods tapped in for par to complete his round of 3-under 69.
Last year's PGA champion Keegan Bradley played with Tiger today and he's in at 4-under after a round of 68.
A 67 on the card for Rory McIlroy in a bogey-free round.
229 yard Par 3 17th: Cark Pettersson's tee shot missed left of the green and into the sand.
Par 4 1st: Ernie Els pushes his par putt right. He'll tap in for an opening bogey.
Phil Mickelson has been announced on the 1st tee. He's playing with Davis Love III and Padraig Harrington.
396 yard Par 4 1st: Phil Mickelson missed left of the fairway from the tee.
Par 4 6th: Joost Luiten makes his second shot from the center of the fairway and his ball came to rest in the front-left corner of the green. He'll face a long putt for birdie.
Par 4 1st: Phil Mickelson's second shot came up short of the green.
Par 3 17th: Carl Pettersson gets a practice shot in the sandy area that looks suspiciously like a bunker, then gets off a brilliant shot up onto the green, leaving himself little more than a tap in for par.
Luiten is puttin together a round. #GetJoostby NoobMike via twitter 8/9/2012 5:38:08 PM
apparently Joost Luiten doesn't know how difficult the Ocean course is.by bbradydawgs via twitter 8/9/2012 5:38:47 PM
Joost Luiten is going absolutely bananas. Still has 4 to play.by mrewanmurray via twitter 8/9/2012 5:41:22 PM
Your PGA leader right now is Joost Luiten. This is not Dutch for "Tiger Woods." #pgaby jgbensmith via twitter 8/9/2012 5:41:26 PM
I'm going to assume that I am not the only massive golf fan wondering who Joost Luiten isby theryantalbot via twitter 8/9/2012 5:45:07 PM
Joost Luiten is running wild all over #TheOceanCourseby tylerwhalen via twitter 8/9/2012 5:45:41 PM
I hope Phil Mickelson shoots 104 today..by FauxTWoods via twitter 8/9/2012 5:48:31 PM
