X factor: Schauffele (62) again ties major mark

Paolo Uggetti, ESPNMay 16, 2024, 01:36 PM ETLOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Xander Schauffele is picking up right where he left off.For the second time in a less than a year, the third-ranked player in the world tied the record for the lowest round at a major championship by shooting an opening-round 62, this time in the first round of the PGA Championship.A year after he shot a U.S. Open-record 62 in the first round at the Los Angeles Country Club, Schauffele's 9-under round Thursday featured nine birdies and no bogeys and broke the Valhalla Country Club course record of 63 set by José María Olazábal in 2000, which had been tied for the PGA Championship record."I can't nitpick," Schauffele said when asked to compare the two rounds. "I'll take a 62 in any major any day."Schauffele's record round separated him from the rest of the field by 3 shots. Tony Finau, who has 10 top-10 finishes at majors without a win, Sahith Theegala and Mark Hubbard carded 65s, while Rory McIlroy shot a 66 to settle in fo...