Charlotte, N.C. - The strongest area of the Grand Slam gave way to some surprises in Thursday's PGA Championship, starting with Jhonattan Vegas, with 7 shots below 64, the world's top ten players didn't find a lead in the Quail Hollow's top 10.
The long day was filled with sunshine and mud balls ended in Las Vegas in the penultimate group, with the best golf balls that few people have ever seen.
As Las Vegas hit five birdies in the nearest six holes, the briefly vibrant crowd mostly left, ending with 8-foot 8 and 25-foot ninth foot.
This is Las Vegas' best result in 45 rounds. Venezuela has never finished the top 20 in the professional top 20, nor has it been qualified within three years.
He took a two-stroke lead on North Carolina-grown PGA Tour rookie Ryan Gerard, who was the only other player to row in his last two holes. Australia's Cam Davis joined the 66-year-old.
The largest group falls into the top three in the world, and it’s not as inspiring as four of the last five Grand Slams they combined to win.
Masters champion Rory McIlroy did not birdie in his last 12 holes and had nothing to say in three games over 74.
Scottie Scheffler and defending PGA champion Xander Schauffele had a lot to say on the serving field, especially on the 16th hole, which were given double bogeys. Scheffler shot at least two shots from the green green, one for Birdie and one for Eagle, who sent him into the 69 with 6-shot 215 yards to 9 feet of 6 iron.
"I did a good job and kept my level in the day, and there were certainly some challenging aspects," Scheffler said. "I posted a number on a day when I didn't have the best stuff and did a great job."
The supergroup of the world's No. 1, 2 and 3 players may be tough in this way on the final PGA Championship rankings.
For at least 30 years, after the top ten of the chief, the professional top ten scores do not include anyone in the world's top 10.
In their place is Las Vegas, which he resumed in order only when he won the game in Minnesota last year, and there are many other surprises.
Alex Smalley, the first replacement, found himself on the court about 15 hours before he drove it away, rolling on a 70-foot hawk putt until he was 67. New Zealand's Ryan Fox of New Zealand, who qualified for the Myrtle Beach Classic, is also 67 years old.
They joined a large group that included Luke Donald, the 47-year-old Ryder Cup captain in Europe, who is the only player without bogey. Captain America Keegan Bradley is behind again.
"It's always fun, and in a big tournament, without bogey in a course, it's ideal for me," Donald said.
Considering the championships produced by professionals in recent years, the ranking is more like a classic at Myrtle Beach. None of the top eight players won the major and never seriously argued.
Gerard looked comfortable, facing the family crowd. He scored tough par on the solid ninth hole and then ran four consecutive birdies on the back nine link, with seven of his game after the 60-foot-high Eagles at 15-5 5-15.
Davis had seven birdies and missed a 10-foot par putt on his last hole. Not bad for those who have recently ended their five straight winning streaks, those who haven't ranked in the top 10 since early February.
"It's just a constant attempt to get back to something that works, trying to keep the head in a place that doesn't feel like you've been hitting the wall all the time," Davis said. "It makes it come organically - good process, good routine, all of these small percentiles end up adding up to be good golf."
The others at 67 are Stephan Jaeger and Aaron Rai, who became their first PGA Tour champions last year.
The PGA in the United States definitely decided to play because it was in the first round of Quail Hollow. The players did not over-appreciate the call on Thursday.
Scheffler's 69-year-old is the best result for anyone in the world's top ten.
McIlroy, a four-time winner of Quail Hollow, competed in the PGA title, and they believe last month’s stimulating Masters title made him a major in his career, and whatever he does from here, his career will be a highlight of his career.
A sloppy round, especially on the tee, won't change that. It was just as surprising to see his fight at Quail Hollow, the highest leg since 76 rounds in the second round of the 2018 Wells Fargo Championship.
Schauffele ended the match with a score of 72 in the PGA Championship.
Jordan Spieth may have to wait until next year to try out a professional grand slam at Aronimink. The three-time main champion lacked only the Wanamaker trophy, earning his main collection, running a three-link run in the last nine games and shooting 76.