Cameron Percy Leads Following Rainy First Round of the 2025 Senior PGA Championship

BETHESDA, Md. – On an afternoon when rain squalls made frequent visits and pelted down, and players battled to even hold steady to their umbrellas in gusting winds, there was one thing lending comfort to competitors in the 85th Senior PGA Championship at Congressional Country Club.

“The course was set up great,” said Steve Stricker, who signed for level-par 72.

Thomas Bjorn, who played one group behind Stricker and was equally drenched and cold and uncomfortable, concurred.

“Oh, yeah,” said the Great Dane, who held steady to shoot 2-under 70, one of 34 sub-scores on a demanding day. “(But) when we came here on Monday and the golf course with the (tight) windows there, the firmness of the greens and the way it was, it was impossible. It was impossible to shoot good numbers.

“I said to Kerry Haigh early in the week, ‘Just remember who you’re dealing with.’”

The smile on Bjorn’s face offered a verdict it was mission accomplished for the Chief Championships Officer of the PGA of America. It wasn’t that players were given a soft touch, said Bjorn; instead, Haigh and his team had produced what is always asked for at a major – challenging, but fair, and if great play is put forth, let it be rewarded.

“Nobody is shooting 7-, 8-, or 9-under,” said Bjorn. “The golf course, you can get at it, but it’s still a tough golf course.”

When first-round play had ended and 156 players had negotiated the ups-and-downs of the Congressional Country Club test, dark clouds still dominated one side of the sky as a scintillating setting sun was at the other side.

Such a perfect picture of the day because there surely were many good performances against many other rough spots.

At the most positive side, Australian Cameron Percy came home with an eagle at the 526-yard, par-5 sixth and a birdie at the 357-yard, par-4 eighth to shoot 5-under 67. He seized the clubhouse by one over unheralded South African Keith Horne, who had a morning 68.

A group at 3-under 69 consisted of morning starters (Mario Tiziani, Stricker’s brother-in-law, and three other internationals – Ernie Els and fellow South African Darren Fichardt, and Englishman Simon Khan.)

What came next was a 17-player group at 2-under 70, one of them being the defending champ, Richard Bland, who agreed that the weather made for a serious challenge. Like so many, he was wet, he was a tad on the cold side, and thankful that the round was over.

“Terrible, everything was terrible,” said Bland. He was referring not to the set up, but to his disappointing score and his finish, because after making birdies on his 14th, 15th and 16th holes to get to 3-under, last year’s winner bogeyed his 18th hole, a par-5, no less.

Sort of the way of the day – tough weather, fair test.