JORDAN Smith faces an uphill task to make the cut at the US PGA Championship in Missouri after a difficult first day at Bellerive today.
The Derry Hill man, playing in only his third major championship after finishing tied ninth in this event at Quail Hollow last year, carded a four-over-par 74 to slip towards the back of the field in St Louis.
Smith had a tough start to his opening round, dropping a short at the long par-four 10th and despite steadying the ship, another shot went at the 18th - his ninth.
The Wiltshire man appeared to be limiting the damage, although he was unable to card a birdie on day one - and back-to-back bogeys at the seventh and eighth cost him two more shots.
He lay nine shots off the early leader, America's Rickie Fowler.
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