Justin Thomas fired a sensational 10-under-par 61 to open up a three-shot lead after the primary spherical of the PGA Tour’s RBC Heritage at Hilton Head in South Carolina on Thursday.
The 31-year-old two-time main champion rattled off 11 birdies with just one bogey on the Harbour City Golf Hyperlinks to make a dream begin to the US$20 million signature occasion.
Thomas, who completed tied for thirty sixth place eventually weekend’s Masters, revelled within the tight fairways and agency situations of the hyperlinks course.
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“I simply performed actually stable,” Thomas stated. “I really feel like I didn’t do something loopy; I simply drove the ball properly and put the ball in a spot that I had numerous good numbers.
“I didn’t play properly final week. Put some actually good work in main into the beginning as we speak and I felt ready — it was nearly going out and doing it, and it was good to take action.”
A star-studded subject is lurking on Thomas’s shoulder, with defending champion and world primary Scottie Scheffler tied for second alongside Russell Henley on seven underneath.
Scheffler, who completed fourth on the Masters on Sunday, three photographs adrift of winner Rory McIlroy, reeled off seven birdies in a bogey-free 64.
“I felt like in case you in contrast my 4 rounds final week to as we speak, as we speak can be a a lot much less annoying spherical of golf by way of scrambling for a par,” Scheffler stated.
“A variety of the stuff I needed to do final week I felt like I didn’t must do as we speak to shoot a superb rating…I used to be in place many of the day as we speak.”
Wyndham Clark is 4 photographs off the lead after carding a six-under-par 65, whereas 5 gamers together with England’s Matt Fitzpatrick and in-form Brian Harman, the not too long ago topped Texas Open champion, are an additional shot again on 5 underneath.
“I’ve been ready on some good golf,” Harman stated after his 66. “I’ve been taking part in quite a bit higher than I’ve been scoring, so simply going to try to benefit of some good kind and see what I could make out of it.”
One other Englishman, Justin Rose, is in a cluster of 11 gamers tied for tenth on 4 underneath.
Rose, who misplaced to McIlroy in an exhilarating playoff finale on the Masters on Saturday, closed with back-to-back birdies on the seventeenth and 18th holes to remain in contact.