“Frost Delay” is such a common experience for golfers in western New York, we even have a beer named after it. Another common experience for golfers in the Rochester-Buffalo corridor is three or four seasons in one day. With the eyes of the golf world on the beautiful Oak Hill Country Club’s East course, we decided to provide a taste of our world this weekend. On Thursday morning, you had a wee bit of Winter, followed by some summer. We expect some Spring rain on Saturday, and some cool, Fall vibes in the shoulder hours of late afternoon. Don’t worry, though. This insight does not count as one of the five things that we learned on Thursday at the PGA Championship. Consider it a bonus slice of our pizza, which is the best around. Or, call it a bit more garbage on your RaChaCha Garbage Plate (you may have to look that one up.)

Enough local flavor for now. Let’s get on with five things that we learned on Thursday at the 2023 PGA Championship.

Welcome to the top of the leaderboard, Eric Cole. #PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/MhfbHkLnLD

— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 19, 2023

1. Oak Hill club champion posts one-over 71

It was the best of times, it was the meh of times, for Rory McIlroy. While he may not be the official club champion at Oak Hill, the official member of the club would certainly take on all comers (admit it, wouldn’t you love to a parking space sign for Rors-Club Champ, in the parking lot?) The world’s third-ranked male golfer began his tournament on the second nine, and promptly raced to five pars, followed by three bogies in four holes. Not exactly the start he wanted. That was the meh of times.

On the first nine (Rory’s second…still with us?) the Northern Irishman turned things around. He posted three birdies against a solitary bogey, to finish the day at 71. Things might have been a lot worse, and being five off the lead is not cause for concern.

Par save & a beauty ?@McIlroyRory | #PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/apV0yNmX1G

— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 18, 2023

2. Top Ten is a blend of major champs and major seekers

When do ten equal nineteen? When ties come into the equation. 19 golfers sit under par, within four of the leader. If you look at some of the golfers chasing the top cat, you’ll find three major champions and a bunch of major seekers among the group at between -1 and -3. The only PGA Champion among them is Keegan Bradley (2011 at the Atlanta Athletic Club) but you have a US Open champion (Justin Rose) and a Masters champion (Scottie Scheffler.) Among the seekers are everyone’s favorite to win a major (Viktor Hovland) and a bunch of guys who could certainly join the one-and-done major club that has a penchant for shining at the PGA Championship.

Golfers like Corey Conners and Thomas Pieters are known names among the seekers, while Justin Suh, Hayden Buckley, Sepp Straka, Ryan Fox and many others qualify among the Who Dat brigade. As Shaun Micheel will attest, all it takes is one week and one great swing at the right time. For Micheel, it happened here at Oak Hill. Lightning might strike twice for one of the aforementioned seekers. Despite this swing, however, it probably won’t be Scott Stallings.

And THAT is how you start your #PGAChamp.

Scott Stallings ?? Eagle pic.twitter.com/ovCuku8X7k

— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 18, 2023

3. Three major champions tied for second

It’s no surprise to see Adam Scott, Dustin Johnson, and Bryson DeChambeau near the top of the leader board. Johnson and DeChambeau won majors on northern courses (Oakmont and Winged Foot East, respectively) while Scott owns a ten-year old green jacket. DeChambeau had six birdies in his 66, while Scott found five on the day, and Johnson had four. Excruciatingly, both Scott and Johnson met darkness on the 18th tee, and will need to awaken early on Friday morning, to finish the final hole of their first round.

Adam Scott with this impressive out on 14. He tapped this in to move into a three-way tie for the lead. #PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/V7Hsrt3TCZ

— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 18, 2023

4. Guys who struggled

We’re going to set the struggle bar at four-over par. Currently at that cypher are Tony Finau (through 13 holes) and Patrick Cantlay (through 12 holes.) Both golfers are Ryder Cup fixtures for the USA side, and neither has really made a run at a professional major. Looks like PGA 2023 won’t be that moment, unless they collect themselves and redeem a few stroke-saver coupons coming home.

Poland’s Adrian Meronk has had himself a run on the DP World Tour, including a recent victory. His ascent did not translate into success on day one of the PGA Championship. Meronk had eight bogies against three birdies, and will have to reverse those numbers on day two, to rejoin the chase. Also struggling at plus-five is Cameron Young, a native New Yorker (albeit from downstate.) Young had zero birdies on the card through fifteen holes. With the closing triumvirate of beastly par-four holes ahead, Young’s work was cut out. With grit, the Fordham Prep and Wake Forest alumnus found birdie at the last to post 74 and end on a high note.

Most surprising among the strugglers was world number one Jon Rahm. An opening-hole birdie (the tenth) aroused the crowd, but five bogies in six holes, followed by a bogey-double stretch, dropped the Masters champion to seven-over. Birdie at his penultimate hole salved the wounds a bit, but 76 Trombones was not the song that the great Basque hoped to hear.

One hole. One under. Rahm is off to the races. @JonRahmpga | #PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/xP30mRaDIQ

— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 18, 2023

5. Guy who stunned

Eric Cole made a run at this year’s Honda Classic, losing a playoff to Chris Kirk. Cole’s parents, for golf historians, are Laura Baugh (LPGA) and Bobby Cole (PGA Tour). Each won a national amateur title. Cole has fashioned a five-under card through 14 holes. He’ll begin Friday on the par-four sixth hole, a challenging par four that has hijacked a few runs at championships. Who knows what happens from here? Cole’s only bogey on Thursday came at the Hill of Fame hole, the par-five thirteenth, but he made amends on the course’s other par five hole, to finish his day. Cole’s only other, major-championship appearance came at the 2021 US Open, where he missed the cut. Suffice it to say, he’s figured a few things out since then.

(A wee tip of the cap to PGA professional Michael Block from Mission Viejo, California. After double at ten dropped him to plus-three, most guys would have packed up and headed home. Not this fellow. He notched three birdies coming home to lead the CF PGA Team at even par.)

How about a proper golf clap for Michael Block, PGA?

????????? pic.twitter.com/VANAAC952o

— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 18, 2023