Alex Norén did not slip into the competition on a banana peel, but well on Vaughn Taylor's injured ribs. The American did not like games, which in the last minute gave the reserve Norén a place in the 156 strong starting field at audience-free TPC Harding Park.

Norén, who in recent weeks has shown budding form with a third place and a ninth place on the PGA Tour, impressed during his early morning round on the American west coast. When the Stockholmer put a short entry for eagle on hole 7, he was already four strokes below par - and for a short while in a split lead.

After bogeys on holes 8 and 9, Norén disappeared from the absolute lead, but after 67 strokes - three under par - he went in just two strokes behind the Australian Jason Day, who took an early lead.

Evenly at the top

As the late-starting world stars went around, both Norén's and Days' results turned out to be good. Only one player, American Brendon Todd, could match Day's results in five under par, and the two share the lead ahead of Friday's game.

But it is a very even competition in San Francisco, Norén's two strokes behind the close duo give a shared twelfth place and among the nine players who are beaten from the lead are previous major winners such as Brooks Koepka, Justin Rose and Martin Kaymer.

One stroke behind Alex Norén is Tiger Woods. After only playing one contest after the corona break, Woods got off to a flying start with two birdies on the first four holes. The 15-time major winner then lost momentum, only to come back with three more birdies. After a bogey on the next last hole, Woods had to sign a scorecard with 68 strokes.

Up and down for Stenson

Henrik Stenson's introductory round offered equal parts sweet and salty. A bogey on the first hole was not a fun start, but Stenson played with three birdies before dropping two strokes on the final holes and ending the day on par - 70 strokes.

The competition's third Swede, Marcus Kinhult, got off to a slightly worse start: But after three bogeys on the first seven holes, he played stably until the last two, where he also lost two strokes. In total, he went around on four over par and has to fight to play all four rounds.

The PGA Championship is the first of three postponed men's majors to be played this year. The British Open has been canceled, while the US Open will be decided in September and the US Masters in November.