Xander Schauffele breaks the Valhalla course record and matches lowest EVER round at a major championship with incredible nine-under-par start at the PGA Championship

Xander Schauffele stormed into a huge lead at the PGA Championship and broke the Valhalla course record with an incredible nine-under-par 62 on Thursday.

The American headed out onto the course early for the first round and quickly birdied his second hole, never looking back as he extended a lead over his rivals.

He was five-under-par at the turn and only continued to shine on the back nine, eventually carding a nine-under par round of 62, one better than the course record set by Jose Maria Olazabal at the 2000 PGA Championship.

As he headed to the clubhouse, Schauffele held a four-shot lead at the top of the very early championship standings, ahead of Scotland's Robert MacIntyre, Tony Finau and the embattled Rory McIlroy. 

Perhaps even more impressively, Schauffele also became the first player to shoot 62 in a major since... himself, at last year's US Open.

Xander Schauffele was smiling - and for good reason - during his PGA Championship round

The American shot an eight-under-par 62 to break the course record at Valhalla on Thursday

Schauffele became the first player to shoot 62 in a major championship since himself last year

Only three players have ever shot 62 at a major championship, with South African Branden Grace becoming the first to do it at the 2017 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.

Rickie Fowler became the second man to do it at last year's US Open at LACC, before Schauffele matched him just minutes later, on June 15 last year.

Incredibly, Schauffele has now achieved the feat for a second time.