The world No. 1 is off to a flying start at the 2026 PGA Championship, and this time, there's no early drama to overcome. Scottie Scheffler carded a crisp 3-under 67 at Aronimink Golf Club on Thursday, firing five birdies to land in a seven-way tie for the first-round lead. It's a milestone moment for the defending champion: his first time holding or sharing the lead after 18 holes in a major.

"Is it really a lead when you're tied with six or seven guys?" Scheffler joked. "I mean, it's a really tight leaderboard. At this moment, it's anybody's tournament."

But history suggests he might want to embrace the position. According to ESPN's Michael Eaves, Scheffler is just the third defending PGA champion to lead or co-lead after the opening round. The other two? Tiger Woods and Brooks Koepka. Both went on to win the title. Not bad company to keep.

For Scheffler, who has finished runner-up in his last three starts, this clean start is a welcome change of pace. "Definitely the best start I've gotten off to this year, maybe besides American Express," he said. No need to dig out of a big deficit this time around.

The round didn't begin smoothly on a chilly, windy afternoon. An early bogey at the fourth hole could have derailed lesser players, but Scheffler quickly steadied the ship. He got the stroke back at No. 6, pitching to 9 feet and rolling in the putt. Then came the spark: a 38-foot bomb for birdie at the seventh hole. "Always nice to see one go in from distance," he said with a grin.

From there, he was just heating up. At the 10th hole, he rammed in a 28-foot birdie putt that circled the cup before dropping, prompting a pumped right fist. At 11, he showed his signature creativity, hitting a low-flighted pitch into the slope that skipped and stayed on the top level, setting up his fourth birdie in six holes.

Scheffler gave a stroke back with a three-putt from 58 feet at the 13th, but even that came with a laugh. After watching Matt Fitzpatrick's putt on a similar line break left and miss, Scheffler played his 4-footer for a right-center break—only to watch it curl sharply to the right. "There's just something about these greens that keeps you guessing," he said.

With a crowded leaderboard and three more rounds to play, Scheffler knows the work is just beginning. But for the first time in a major, he doesn't have to play catch-up. And if history is any guide, that's a very good place to be.