NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — When you think of Aldrich Potgieter, the first thing that comes to mind is raw power off the tee. The 21-year-old South African has built a reputation as one of the longest drivers on the PGA Tour, a player who makes the game look effortless even when he's swinging out of his shoes.

But on Thursday at the 108th PGA Championship, it wasn't his booming drives that stole the show—it was the shortest club in his bag that did all the talking.

Potgieter's putter was on fire at Aronimink Golf Club, rolling in an incredible 137 feet of putts during his opening round. The highlight came at the 11th hole, where he drained a 44-foot birdie bomb that had the crowd buzzing. With six birdies on the day, he carded a 3-under 67 to share the early first-round lead alongside Stephan Jaeger and Min Woo Lee.

"It was nice the putter was warm," Potgieter said with a smile. "I hit it on the right spots on the golf course, especially on the greens. I didn't feel like I had to putt over some of these big slopes we had. So I definitely left myself in really good positions on the green."

That's a welcome change for a player who ranks 122nd in Strokes Gained: Putting this season. But on this day, he was first in the field with the flat stick, proving that in golf, you never know when the magic will strike.

His swing coach, Justin Parsons, wasn't surprised by the performance—just the source. "The speed this kid has," Parsons said. "When he's doing that, he doesn't even look like he's going that hard at it. He does it with ease."

For fans of the game, Potgieter's rise is a reminder that golf is as much about finesse as it is about power. And on a day when the putter saved the show, this young star showed he's more than just a long driver—he's a complete player ready to make his mark on the biggest stage.