Knox uses 4-birdie run for a one-stroke lead at Texas Open
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Russell Knox recorded 4 straight birdies on the again 9 and fired a 7-under 65 on Thursday for a one-shot lead after the opening spherical of the Valero Texas Open.
Knox closed out his spherical with a seven-foot putt to avoid wasting par on the par-5 18th at TPC San Antonio, and was one shot forward of Rasmus Hojgaard.
Hojgaard fired a 66 regardless of a double bogey on his closing gap. Matt Kuchar is one other stroke again after a gap 5-under 67 and is amongst a gaggle that features Denny McCarthy, Aaron Rei and J.J. Spaun.
Defending champ Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy completed at even-par 72. They had been exterior the highest 60 after one spherical and will flirt with the minimize line on Friday.
Bryson DeChambeau had a 1-over 73. After holing a bunker shot for eagle on his eleventh gap and following with a birdie on the subsequent, he made bogey on 4 of his final six holes.
Knox, a 32-year-old Scotsman with two profession PGA Tour wins, began his birdie streak at No. 12. All of his birdie putts had been inside 10 toes. On the fifteenth, he was about 20 toes away from a again pin place following his strategy and chipped in from the perimeter. It was his second chip-in within the spherical.
“That was a kind of form of bonus birdies that you just want whenever you’re going to have day,” Knox mentioned. “Clearly thrilled with the spherical. It’s been extra of the way in which I wish to play.”
Hogjaard, a 21-year-old from Denmark and two-rime winner on the European Tour, had his sights on the first-round lead heading to his closing gap. However, his drive sailed properly left of the golf green. It took him 4 photographs to succeed in the inexperienced on the par-4 ninth.
“I needed to chip sideways again into the golf green,” he mentioned. “Simply was a little bit too aggressive after that. Yeah, short-sided myself and I didn’t rise up and down and abruptly you stroll away with double-bogey. Yeah, that was a bit annoying, however it occurs.”
Kuchar was 5 below after 11 holes. Thirty toes away from the pin on the subsequent gap, he did not rise up and down and missed a seven-foot putt for par. He bought a shot again with a birdie on his 14th gap, and parred out, falling brief in a bid to match his season-best spherical of 64 on the Sony Open, the place he completed within the prime 10.
“A whole lot of good and dangerous that may occur right here on this course,” Kuchar mentioned. “I used to be form of managing early on within the spherical after which discovered a little bit one thing on in regards to the fifth or sixth gap. I began having some birdie possibilities and transformed on a couple of late in my first 9.”
Kuchar has gained 9 instances on the PGA Tour. McCarthy, Rai and Spaun are on the lookout for their first.
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