PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Let the sun shine — and Kazuki Higa, as well.
The 28-year-old from Japan made the turn at 3 under for an early one-shot lead on the opening day of the weather-delayed PGA Championship at Oak Hill.
With the temperature warming to 55 and under a cloudless sky, Higa enjoyed a four-birdie run through Nos. 11-14 as a a member of the first threesome to tee off on the back nine. After saving par with an up-and-down out of the bunker on No. 16, Higa gave a shot back on the par-4 17th.
The PGA Championship is Higa’s second career major after he missed the cut at The Masters last month.
The opening round was delayed by nearly two hours and everyone was ordered to stay off the lawns. Fairways were covered by a thin layer of frost. Temperatures were right around freezing as dawn broke.
This is what everyone feared about Oak Hill hosting the PGA Championship in May.
Among the other notable players on the course, defending tournament champion Justin Thomas and Masters champion Jon Rahm are tied at 1 under.
Shaun Micheel, who won the 2003 PGA Championship played at Oak Hill, was 3 over through 11 holes after being part of the threesome to open the tournament teeing off from No. 1 following a frost delay of nearly two hours.
The afternoon group, which is scheduled to begin at 2:20 p.m. includes defending U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick, Phil Mickelson and Tony Finau.
The delay likely means the groups in the 156-player field teeing off later in the day may have trouble finishing their rounds on the East Course before darkness.
Defending champion Justin Thomas began his bid for a third PGA championship a little after 10 a.m. Thomas is playing with two-time PGA champion Rory McIlroy and 2020 PGA champion Collin Morikawa.
Masters champion and No. 1 Rahm is playing with British Open champion Cameron Smith and U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick. Scottie Scheffler, the world’s second-ranked player, is in a group that includes two-time PGA champion Brooks Koepka.
