Justin Thomas' wild round at the PGA ends with no shoe, no sock and a 73, leaving him 9 shots back

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Justin Thomas' wild round at the PGA ends with no shoe, no sock and a 73, leaving him 9 shots back

2025-05-16 09:31 Last Updated At：09:40

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Justin Thomas’ wild opening round at the PGA Championship ended fittingly enough, with his left sock and shoe off as he contemplated how to hit from an utterly ridiculous lie after his ball came to rest on a one-foot patch of tall grass sandwiched between a large rock and a creek next to the 18th green.

Yeah, it was that kind of a day.

For what it’s worth, Thomas somehow managed to land his chip beautifully on the green by striking down at the ball with his lob wedge, only to miss the 12-foot par putt and finish at 2-over-par 73, nine shots behind leader Jhonattan Vegas.

It could have been worse.

The two-time PGA champion played the first six holes in 4 over before rallying back to 1 over for the day heading into No. 18. By the end of his round, his scorecard had more squares and circles than a kindergarten playroom as he finished with five birdies, five bogeys and a double bogey.

His start was somewhat reminiscent of the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, which he went on to win.

Thomas began that round on the back nine and was 2 over with three holes left. Then he bogeyed the seventh hole when he hit into the water and flew the green on No. 8.

“I could not have been in a worse place,” Thomas said at the time. “I was 7 yards over the green on a downslope. And now I have a chip that I have to get up-and-down or I’m 4 over."

Thomas holed what he called “the most ridiculous flop shot I’ve ever hit” for a birdie to shoot 73.

The following day, he shot 66 and was on his way to capturing the Wanamaker Trophy.

U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley was grouped with Andrew Novak and Maverick McNealy on Thursday, two players who have aspirations of making the team.

Bradley said that wasn't something he requested.

And, he made it clear to both players that he wasn't there to scout them. He told them he would be focused on his own efforts to win the championship.

“I actually kind of felt bad for the boys when I saw it,” said Bradley, who shot a 3-under 68. “I remember my first time playing with a captain, I played with Tom Watson at the Greenbrier, and I was nervous to do that."

Bradley said he liked how Novak and McNealy responded to the pressure. Both shot 70.

“There’s nothing in these two days that’s going to determine yes or no if they’re on this team,” Bradley said. “I’m proud of the way they played today. I’m sure that was definitely a distraction for them. They didn’t show it. They played amazing.”

The threesome will play together again on Friday.

Eric Cole made a hole-in-one on Thursday.

The 36-year-old Cole's tee shot on the par-3 fourth hole bounced four times before finding the cup as Cole raised his arms in celebration and high-fived his caddie. Cole also had a hole-in-one at the Zurich Classic two-man team event in New Orleans two years ago, but that doesn't count in PGA Tour records.

He has two aces on the Korn Ferry Tour.

“I was like right on the edge whether it was enough club or not, so kind of hit a little bigger draw with the wind than I normally do,” Cole said. “I was concerned it might be a touch short, but then when I saw it land, figured it was going to be pretty good.”

Club pro Michael Block grabbed national attention two years ago when he made an ace while playing with Rory McIlroy at Oak Hill. On Thursday, club pro Tyler Collet nearly duplicated the feat when his tee shot on the 13th hole lipped out, coming to rest just a few inches away.

“I honestly thought it went in,” said Collet, who is representing St. John's Golf Club. “I heard the roars kind of build and then kind of go like, aww.”

He caddie then gave him a fake high-five.

“He purposefully juked me out and I’m a little upset about it,” Collet said, “but we’ll get him back tomorrow.”

Collet recorded the best score Thursday of the 20 club pros in the field, a 73.

That shouldn't come as much of a surprise, given that he won the PGA Professional Championship on April 30 by a record 10 shots to qualify for the tournament.

Dustin Johnson was even par through 10 holes when his round fell apart, leaving him in danger of missing the cut in his second straight major.

Double bogeys at Nos. 11 and 17 led to a 78.

Johnson twice three-putted from inside 6 feet. The last came on the 17th hole, when he four-putted from 50 feet. Johnson had to rely on an invitation to play this year because his exemption for winning the 2020 Masters has run out and he has few opportunities to earn world ranking points playing on LIV Golf.

There are players from 12 countries among the top 10 and ties — a major championship record. The previous mark was 11 at the British Open in 1997 (final round), 2002 (second round) and 2006 (first round); and the 2014 PGA Championship (second round).

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Dozens presumed dead and about 100 injured in fire at Swiss Alps bar during New Year's celebration

CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland (AP) — Dozens of people are presumed dead and about 100 injured, most of them seriously, following a fire at a Swiss Alps bar during a New Year’s celebration, police said Thursday.

“Several tens of people” were killed at the bar, Le Constellation, Valais Canton police commander Frédéric Gisler said.

Work is underway to identify the victims and inform their families but “that will take time and for the time being it is premature to give you a more precise figure," Gisler said.

Beatrice Pilloud, attorney general of the Valais Canton, said it was too early to determine the cause of the fire. Experts have not yet been able to go inside the wreckage.

“At no moment is there a question of any kind of attack,” Pilloud said.

Officials called the blaze an “embrasement généralisé,” a firefighting term describing how a blaze can trigger the release of combustible gases that can then ignite violently and cause what English-speaking firefighters would call a flashover or a backdraft.

“This evening should have been a moment of celebration and coming together, but it turned into a nightmare,” said Mathias Rénard, head of the regional government.

The injured were so numerous that the intensive care unit and operating theater at the regional hospital quickly hit full capacity, Rénard said.

Helicopters and ambulances rushed to the scene to assist victims, including some from different countries, officials said.

“We are devastated,” Frédéric Gisler, commander of the Valais Cantonal police, said during a news conference.

The injured were so numerous that the intensive care unit and operating theater at the regional hospital quickly hit full capacity, according to regional councilor Mathias Rénard.

The municipality had banned New Year’s Eve fireworks due to lack of rainfall in the past month, according to its website.

In a region busy with tourists skiing on the slopes, the authorities have called on the local population to show caution in the coming days to avoid any accidents that could require medical resources that are already overwhelmed.

The community is in the heart of the Swiss Alps, just 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of the Matterhorn, one of the most famous Alpine peaks, and 130 kilometers (81 miles) south of Zurich.

The highest point of Crans-Montana, with a population of 10,000 residents, sits at an elevation of nearly 3,000 meters (1.86 miles), according to the municipality’s website, which says officials are seeking to move away from a tourist culture and attract high-tech research and development.

The municipality was formed only nine years ago, on Jan. 1, 2017, when multiple towns merged. It extends over 590 hectares (2.3 square miles) from the Rhône Valley to the Plaine Morte glacier.

Crans-Montana is one of the top race venues on the World Cup circuit in Alpine skiing and will host the next world championships over two weeks in February 2027.

In four weeks’ time, the resort will host the best men’s and women’s downhill racers for their last events before going to the Milan Cortina Olympics, which open Feb. 6.

Crans-Montana also is a premium venue in international golf. The Crans-sur-Sierre club stages the European Masters each August on a picturesque course with stunning mountains views.