2023 PGA Championship Day 1 recap: Player arrivals

PITTSFORD, N.Y. (WHEC) – The 2023 PGA Championship started with a bang, with players getting their first official crack at the restored Oak Hill Country Club.

Defending PGA Champion Justin Thomas, Oak Hill C.C. legend Shaun Micheel, and former world No. 1 Rory McIlroy were among the 100+ players out on the course on Monday.

Perhaps no one is as recognizable at Oak Hill than Micheel, who won the 2003 championship thanks to a famous approach shot to the 18th green on Sunday.

Micheel revisited the moment 20 years later.

“That was my first PGA. At that point I was I think still pretty green around the ears with major championship golf, so I look back and probably just making the cut I think would have been a goal,” said Micheel.

Thomas, the defending champion, also won in 2017, but as never played in a tournament at Oak Hill. With the exception of someone like Micheel, he thinks a lot of the players are coming into this week not knowing what to expect.

“I’m sure some of the holes are similar for the guys that have played it, but people that are trying to learn the redesign, I’m trying to learn the golf course, so I think a lot of people are in very similar circumstance,” said Thomas.

Fans in attendance were able to watch Thomas, Micheel, and their other favorites from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. They’ll get two more chances on Tuesday and Wednesday, before the actual tournament starts on Thursday morning.