Michael Block and the Corebridge Financial Team Highlight Exciting First Round

The first round of the 108th PGA Championship brought the excitement.

Braden Shattuck, PGA, from the Philadelphia PGA Section, had the honor of kicking off the Championship with the opening tee shot. The action continued with unforgettable shots and moments featuring members of the Corebridge Financial Team — The 20 PGA of America Golf Professionals who earned a place at Aronimink via a top-20 finish at the PGA Professional Championship at Bandon Dunes. Jesse Droemer reigned victorious there as the 2026 PGA Professional Champion.

At the end of the day, Michael Block, PGA, led the Corebridge Financial Team, shooting an even-par 70 with four birdies, and is sitting at T-34. Ben Polland, PGA, was also making moves, including an impressive birdie at the 16th hole, and finished at T-95.

There were a number celebrities in attendance for round one. The Larry O’Brien Trophy and the Stanley Cup got together with the Wanamaker Trophy for a special Champions moment. On the PGA Championship Range Show presented by T-Mobile, Phillies legend Ryan Howard made an appearance and talked about his love for the game and received some swing tips. Golf fans can get expert tips on their swing on the show like Ryan by texting their swings to 564-999-8248. Awesome people will be there all week so stay tuned.

Aronimink was another star of the show; the course showed off its impressive design and challenging greens, keeping players guessing all day. There's a 7-player logjam at the top of the leaderboard at -3, including Aldrich Potgieter, Min Woo Lee, 2010 PGA Champion Martin Kaymer and Defending Champion Scottie Scheffler

Round Two can't come soon enough.