Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau both stumbled out of the gate Thursday at the 2026 PGA Championship, turning a marquee opening round into an early scramble against the cut line at Aronimink Golf Course. McIlroy, fresh off his Masters win and still managing a blister that disrupted his preparation, opened with a bogey and finished with a 4-over 74. DeChambeau, who arrived amid fresh speculation about LIV Golf's uncertain future and his place as the league's biggest star, went even deeper into trouble and ended at +6.
The damage came fast. DeChambeau made four bogeys in his first nine holes and then added a double-bogey on his second-to-last hole of the day, a start that left him staring at a difficult path just to make the weekend. McIlroy's round never fully recovered after the opening hole, and his score left him in the group fighting to stay inside the line that decides who reaches Saturday's third round.
That line was already tight by 8:51 p.m. ET on Thursday, when the projected cut sat at +2 based on the scores of the top 70 golfers and ties on the live leaderboard. Only the top 70 golfers and ties advance to the weekend at the PGA Championship, and Datagolf.com projected +3 as the most likely cut line, giving that number a 39% chance. The same model put the odds of the cut holding at +2 at 34.8%, while a move up to +4 carried a 13.4% chance by the end of Friday's second round.
Aronimink is already forcing the field to take stock. McIlroy arrived as the Masters champion, but a blister and a slow start have made the first day harder than expected. DeChambeau came in with a different kind of pressure, as LIV Golf's future remains uncertain and his status inside that story makes every round feel heavier. The cut will decide who gets two more days to fight for the championship, and both stars now have work to do before Friday closes.
