US PGA Championship 2023: Scottie Scheffler, Viktor Hovland and Corey Conners head leaderboard, Jon Rahm battles

Jon Rahm struggled to make the cut at the US PGA Championship, with Scottie Scheffler, Viktor Hovland and Corey Conners heading the leaderboard.

Justin Rose had three birdies and three bogeys in his round of 70 on a day of mixed fortunes for the Englishman.

Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “This is tough, I have struggled to get the ball in play off the tee so to be under par is a pretty stellar effort.

“It’s been such a quick turnaround. I don’t think any of us got more than five-and-a-half hours’ sleep.”

Meanwhile, after a challenging first round, Rory McIlroy opened with a par to stay at one over after a putt clipped the edge of the hole.

Round one leader Bryson DeChambeau was one of the last to tee off at four under, and he almost secured a stunning birdie only to settle for par on the first hole. Scheffler moved in front by one after playing five holes and was five under par.

McIlroy was having a tough start and played his sixth shot into the water, but managed to rescue his effort with a bogey thanks to an excellent putt after chipping the ball onto the green.

DeChambeau continued his steady momentum and set himself up with an excellent tee shot on the par-three fifth hole, but failed to convert his dropped shot and stayed at three under.

After ten holes, Conners was leading at five under, while DeChambeau slid down the leaderboard after a poor bunker shot on the sixth which resulted in a double bogey. This moved him to one under par and four off the lead at that point, and he finished three under. Rival Brooks Koepka was two under.

McIlroy made a 45-foot birdie on the ninth to come back to two over with a halfway score of 36, but could not take an easier birdie putt on the tenth. The Northern Irishman finished at one over. Jon Rahm struggled throughout and finished four over.

Conners took a two-shot lead on the 11th to move six under, two ahead of the field in a convincing start for the Canadian.

Scottie Scheffler cut the lead to one with a putt on the 14th with a birdie to keep in touch with Conners. The day finished with Scheffler, Conners, and Hovland five under.