When the dust settled on the morning wave Thursday at the PGA Championship, the flags at the top of the leaderboard might have fooled a passerby into thinking he'd accidentally stumbled into a meeting of the Charlotte chapter of the European Union.

Mud balls are dominating the conversation at the PGA Championship. Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele both made double bogey from the middle of the 16th fairway with mud splotches on their golf balls.

Ryan Gerard doesn't have quite the same amount of experience playing Quail Hollow as some of the PGA Tour veterans playing in this week's PGA Championship. But the 25-year-old may be as familiar with the Charlotte course's closing hole as anyone.

Ryan Gerard grew up on public golf courses in the Raleigh area, went to UNC and leads the field into Day 2 at Quail Hollow. Alex Smalley, another NC kid, is tied for second.

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, reacts after missing a putt on the 14th hole during the first round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Thursday, May 15, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt York) AP

A young fan on the tee box had a comical request for Viktor Hovland during his first round at the PGA Championship on Thursday.

Utah's Tony Finau is off to a solid start in the PGA Championship, while the same can't be said of former BYU golfer Patrick Fishburn