Yahoo News USPGA Championship 2020 leaderboard: latest scores from Harding Park
Former USPGA Champion Jason Day is among the early pace-setters in the first major of the year at Harding Park.
Day, who lifted the Wanamaker Trophy at Whistling Straights in 2015, was joined on five-under par by American Brendon Todd with another former USPGA champion Martin Kaymer enjoying a return to form on four-under.
Defending champion Brooks Koepka, who is looking to make history by winning three consecutive USPGAs, is also just one shot off the lead after a hugely promising first-round 66.
Few judges fancied the chances of Tiger Woods this week given his sparse 2020 schedule and the cool weather just outside San Fransisco, but his back looked supple enough in a two-under first round of 68. It was Woods' lowest opening round in a major for eight years.
Woods is using a longer putter and revealed the reasons why after his first round: "It’s difficult for me to bend over at times, and so practicing putting, I don’t spend the hours I used to.
"Wasn’t unusual for me to spend four, five, six hours putting, per day. I certainly can’t log that with my back being fused.
"And so this putter is just a little bit longer and I’ve been able to spend a little bit more time putting.”
Rory McIlroy has not won a major championship since this tournament in 2014, but is still within striking distance after a solid if unspectacular first round 70. Justin Rose leads the English challenge after a four-under 66.
Harding Park is a public course in the Bay Area, with narrow fairways lined by juiced up rough and tall, overhanging cypress trees.
Long-hitters have been tipped to go well, but the presence of players such as Zach Johnson, Alex Noren, Kevin Kisner and Tom Lewis on the leaderboard suggests the more methodical type can also thrive.
