Scottie Scheffler and John Pak enjoyed the same start to the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial with eagles on their respective first holes.
The world No. 1 couldn't keep up with the PGA Tour rookie from there.
Four days after winning his third major at the PGA Championship , Scheffler opened his attempt at three consecutive victories with a 2-under 68 Thursday. Pak shot 63 for a three-shot lead over nine players, J.J. Spaun the highest-ranked among them at 27th.
Tommy Fleetwood and 2023 British Open champion Brian Harman were among a group of nine players four back of Pak, and Scheffler headlined the 15 players who were five strokes behind.
Defending champion Davis Riley, who is playing the first two rounds with Scheffler, had two double bogeys on the front nine and shot 3-over 73 on the cozy course made famous by Ben Hogan, the only player to win Colonial in consecutive years 1946-47 and 1952-53. Riley is coming off a runner-up finish to Scheffler at the PGA.