When the groupings for the 2025 PGA Championship were released earlier this week, it was obviously exciting to see that world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, second-ranked Rory McIlroy, and world No. 3 and defending champion Xander Schauffele would be teeing it up together for the first two rounds at Quail Hollow Club.
But this talented trio didn't exactly provide the fireworks golf fans were expecting during Thursday's opening round.
Scheffler was the best of the bunch, grinding his way to a 2-under round of 69, and will enter Round 2 just a few shots out of the lead.
Schauffele saved his round with a steady second nine, making eight pars and a birdie en route to a 1-over 72.
McIlroy was the biggest surprise of the day, as the four-time winner at Quail Hollow struggled to find the fairway and finished with a 3-over 74, putting himself in a position where he'll need a strong second round just to make the cut.
So, again, the round didn't go nearly the way we all thought it would. But things obviously would've been a bit different had it not been for the 16th hole, which is ridiculously challenging, what with it being a 535-yard par-4 and all.
Now, double bogeys happen in golf, even for the best players in the world. That said, though, it's not often at this level where every single player in a threesome makes double on the same hole, especially when those players are the three best golfers on the planet.
But that's exactly what happened on Thursday.
Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and Xander Schauffele all made double bogey on the 16th at Quail Hollow in the opening round of the 2025 PGA Championship
Having just made an eagle at the par-5 15th, which was the group's sixth hole of the day, Scheffler held the honor at the 16th and striped a drive 322 yards into the fairway, leaving himself roughly 213 yards to the hole.
However, with no preferred lies in place, even with all the rain Charlotte got this week, Scheffler was forced to hit a mudball for his second, and it didn't go well, as his ball sailed left into the water.
After taking his penalty drop, Scottie hit his fourth well past the hole, leaving himself a 52-foot putt for bogey, which he left seven feet short. Luckily for him, he rolled the seven-footer in for six.
Schauffele played the hole almost the exact same way, finding the fairway with a 323-yard drive before also hitting his second into the drink. He hit his fourth past the hole as well, left his bogey effort short, and holed a five-and-a-half-footer for double.
McIlroy's golf ball stayed dry for the entire hole, but he still made a mess of it, starting with his tee shot, which missed the fairway to the left. He nearly fell down taking his second, slipping when he swung, thus only advancing his ball about 65 feet.
Rory still failed to find the putting surface with his third, instead finding the right rough. He hit his fourth to just under 12 feet but failed to convert the bogey putt, ultimately tapping in for double.
It was quite the wild ride to say the least and something each will have to block out when they take their next crack at the 16th on Friday afternoon.