Scottie Scheffler's bid to defend his US PGA Championship title hit an early snag on Friday as the world number one stumbled through the opening holes of his second round at Aronimink. The 29-year-old, who entered the day sharing the lead in a historic seven-way tie—marking the first time he's ever led after a major's opening round—quickly dropped two shots, highlighting the brutal test awaiting the morning starters in south-west Philadelphia.

Scheffler's shaky start was far from an isolated incident. The challenging conditions sent scores climbing across the leaderboard, offering a glimmer of hope to chasing stars like Rory McIlroy. The Northern Irishman, still hunting his seventh major title, finished day one seven shots back after what he bluntly called a "s***" opening round. With the leaders struggling to pull away, McIlroy—teeing off at 2:05 PM local time (7:05 PM BST)—now has a golden opportunity to claw his way back into contention.

Aronimink proved a stern test for the game's elite on day one, with no player able to break free from the pack. A staggering 33 players, including 12 major champions, stood within two shots of the lead, all locked at three-under par. The pressure was palpable as the morning wave took to the course.

German Martin Kaymer, seeking to recapture the magic of his two major victories—the last coming 12 years ago—was among the first leaders to falter, dropping two early bogeys. European hopefuls Shane Lowry and Robert MacIntyre also felt the sting, each bogeying their opening holes to slip to one-over.

All eyes soon turned to Scheffler, playing the back nine in a star-studded group with Matt Fitzpatrick and Justin Rose, both starting at level par. Trouble found all three. Rose's opening drive found a fairway bunker at the 10th, and his escape attempt slammed into the lip, leading to a double bogey. Scheffler and Fitzpatrick both missed lengthy par-saving putts, opening with bogeys of their own.

The world number one's woes continued at the 12th, where he found the rough off the tee and could only hack out on his way to a second dropped shot. Meanwhile, Rose began to steady the ship with a beautiful approach shot, moving back in the right direction. As the morning wore on, the leaderboard remained tight, setting the stage for a weekend of high drama at the season's second major.