Day, Jones hot start at PGA

World No.4 Jason Day and compatriot Matt Jones sit in a tie for second midway through the opening round of the US PGA Championship at Whistling Straits.

Day and Jones both fired solid four-under-par rounds of 68 to be just two shots off early pace-setting American Dustin Johnson, who shot 66.

Americans Harris English, Russell Henley and JB Holmes, along with New Zealander Danny Lee, joined Day and Jones in second place.

Day started slowly with a run of pars on gettable holes before draining a 25-foot birdie on the 14th, his fifth hole.

It kick-started his assault and another birdie on the 16th left him two under at the turn.

A stunning approach shot to the par-five second to just 10 feet led to an eagle, and Day hit five under with a birdie on the fifth, only to give one back on the sixth.

“Happy with a 68. I think it is a good start,” Day said as he chases a maiden major title.

“One down, three to go.”

Jones was hot early, getting to four under through seven holes.

A bogey on the ninth was his only blemish, but a birdie on the 13th ensured he’d join Day at four under in the clubhouse.

Johnson, who famously was penalised two strokes on the final hole of the 2010 PGA Championship at this venue to miss out on a playoff, was in control from the outset.

Playing with Day and Rickie Fowler, Johnson opened with consecutive birdies and then eagled the 16th hole, his seventh of the round to be four under at the turn.

Further birdies at the first, second and fourth holes were only soured by his third-hole bogey.

“I thought I did a great job of just staying patient, hitting the shots that the course allowed me to hit. And I struck the ball well today. So I was very pleased,” Johnson said.

Geoff Ogilvy was the only other Australian out in the morning wave, shooting a 74.

He was one better than former world No.1 Tiger Woods, who struggled to a 75.

Adam Scott, Marc Leishman, Brett Jones, John Senden, Cameron Smith and Steven Bowditch are out in the afternoon, as are world no.1 Rory McIlroy and No.2 Jordan Spieth.

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