Kentucky native Norman starts the tournament

He didn't play as well as he might have hoped, but Kentucky native Brian Norman enjoyed a moment he'll never forget during Thursday's opening round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club.

At 7:30 a.m., Norman hit the first shot of the tournament off the No. 1 tee.

"It was an unbelievable experience," he said. "I did get it airborne and somehow in the fairway, which was awesome. I struggled a bit today but steadied the ship on the back nine and played a little better."

Norman finished with a 7-over-par 78, carding a 6-over 41 on the front nine before finishing with a 1-over 37 on the back nine.

Norman is a 2001 Henderson County High School product who went on to play in college at John A. Logan and Southern Illinois. He spent six years in the golf business in Illinois and now is the PGA Professional at The Lakes at Castle Hills in The Colony, Texas.

Norman, one of the 20 club pros who qualified, said he lost count of the number of friends and family who followed him at Valhalla on Thursday.

"A ton," he said. "I had a good following, which was fantastic. There were so many good friends and family and people I haven't seen in years. It's been really nice."

Jason Frakes can be reached at (502) 582-4046 and followed on Twitter @kyhighs.