Unheralded golfers in prime position to make names for themselves following PGA Championship first round

The 2025 PGA Championship features a who's who of the world's best golfers, but after looking at the top of the leaderboard following the first round, we're left asking, "Who's that?"

Jhonattan Vegas leads by two strokes at 7-under, followed by Cam Davis and Ryan Gerard, who both shot an opening-round 65 (5-under). 

Vegas, the No. 70 player in the world, is playing in just his second major since 2022 and has missed 10 cuts out of his 16 previous major appearances, via DataGolf.

Davis (No. 68) missed the cut at his last three major events, including a 9-over par during the first two rounds of the 2025 Masters. Meanwhile, Gerard (No. 81) is appearing in his first PGA Championship and third major overall.

Five golfers are three strokes behind Vegas, including PGA Tour veterans Luke Donald (No. 871), Ryan Fox (No. 71) and Stephan Jaeger (No. 42).

Donald, 47, made his first major appearance at the 1999 Open Championship. He has eight top-10 finishes in golf's four most prestigious tournaments, with his last coming at the 2013 U.S. Open.

Fox, 38, turned pro in 2012 but has yet to finish in the top 20 at a major. However, coming off a win at the Myrtle Beach Classic, he has the wind at his back.

Jaeger, 35, has three top-10 finishes in his last 25 starts but has never finished higher than 21st at a major (2024 U.S. Open).

The elder statesmen are joined at 4-under by Alex Smalley (No. 120), and Aaron Rai (No. 29). Smalley, 28, is playing in just his fourth career major and missed the cut in two of his previous three, including the 2024 PGA Championship. 

Rai, 30, began his round on the back nine and moved into a tie for fourth place with a birdie on No. 7. He's also seeking his first major trophy, with his previous best a tie for 19th at the 2024 U.S. Open and 2021 Open Championship.

None of the players at or near the top of the leaderboard are household names. They could gain a lot more notoriety by the end of the weekend, but we can't rule out the game's biggest starts making a push.

The top golfers in the world rankings, Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and defending champion Xander Schauffele, lagged behind after the first round but are by no means out of contention.

Scheffler (2-under, tied for 20th) is in the best position to make a push, while McIlroy (3-over, tied for 98th) and Schauffele (1-over, tied for 60th) have more ground to cover.

After the first round, they've ceded the spotlight to several unheralded pros. We might not be as familiar with the PGA Championship's leaders as their more famous competition, but that could soon change.