Rory McIlroy finished with four successive bogeys as he made a disappointing start to his US PGA Championship campaign with a four-over par opening round.
Countryman, Shane Lowry, however, rolled in a closing birdie to ensure he was in the red and now just a shot off the lead,
The Offalyman bogeyed his opening hole but got that dropped shot back with a birdie on the sixth. He then bogeyed the tough par-three eighth before a spectaular chip-in for eagle at the ninth ignited his round.
On the back nine, a birdie on the 11th was handed back at the 14th before he rolled in a super birdie putt on the final green of the day to get within a shot of the clubhouse lead.
The man on top of the leaderboard - albeit alongside six others - is world number one Scottie Scheffler.
After a relatively ordinary start, Scheffler slowly picked his way through the course and posted a three-under-par 67 to sit top of the pile alongside Alrich Potgieter of South Africa, the German duo of Stephan Jaeger and Martin Kaymer; Min Woo Lee and Alex Smalley.
The 37-year-old McIlroy, bidding to clinch back-to-back majors after defending his Masters title at Augusta last month, was among the morning starters at Aronimink Golf Club in south-west Philadelphia.
McIlroy unravelled with five bogeys on his back nine to fall away from the clubhouse lead which stood at three under par.
Starting from the 10th hole, McIlroy made a troubled start with an opening bogey, after having to hack out of the rough, but bounced straight back with a birdie at the 11th.
From there it was a run of 10 straight pars for the Holywood man, who is chasing a seventh major title which would take him past Sir Nick Faldo's tally and see him become the most successful European of the modern era.
His birdie putt on 18 fell agonisingly short as he bent double in anguish before he looked on in disbelief as his ball ran back to the front of the first as he made the turn at even par.
The two-time US PGA champion could not find the spark and he showed his frustration as a sloppy drive on the fourth resulted in a second bogey.
Again he hit straight back by sinking a 31-foot putt but it all fell apart from there, with inaccurate tee hosts leading to four bogeys on the spin which decimated his round.
McIlroy had huge support from the vast galleries following his eye-catching group, which also featured Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth – the latter chasing a win here to complete the career grand slam.
Rahm bogeyed the opening 10th and was losing his battle with the daunting and vast greens. His approach to the first ran off the front, as a spectator bellowed: "Welcome to Aronimink, Jon."
The Spaniard failed to get up and down as he made a second bogey, taking out his frustration by slamming a bottle into a bin on the second tee.
But things can turn in an instant and they did for Rahm, whose pitch from 98 yards took two hops and landed in the hole to make his first ever US PGA Championship eagle and draw him back to level par, which is where he finished.
It ignited the fans gathered around the second as Rahm, all smiles, plucked his ball out and tossed it into the galleries.
Spieth, whose last major win came at the 2017 Open, was the one making a move with three birdies on his back nine but two late bogeys left him at one under.
In the group ahead, 2024 winner Xander Schauffele made the early running by birdieing three of his first four holes before finishing at two under.
Like McIlroy, Tom McKibbin and Pádraig Harrington are also on four over after their opening efforts.
McKibbin endured an up and down round featuring seven bogeys including three in succession on 10, 11 and 12. His birdies came on one, 13 and 16.
Harrington, meanwhile, also birdied the latter hole but it was the only one for the three-time major winner who bogeyed four, eight, nine, 11 and 17.
Bryson DeChambeau, runner up in the last two years, endured a torrid round as he posted a six-over par 76.
South Africa’s Garrick Higgo made a one-under 69, impressive given he was penalised two shots for being late to the tee.
Shane Lowry was among the late starters, teeing off in a group with Collin Morikawa and Viktor Hovland.
