Adam Scott’s close to ace on the iconic island inexperienced par 3 seventeenth surprised however fellow previous champion Jason Day is main the Australian cost following the primary spherical of The Gamers Championship at TPC Sawgrass.
Day shot a two-under par 70, closing with an outstanding birdie courtesy of an excellent chip in close to darkness on the par 5 ninth, to sit down three photographs behind leaders Sepp Straka, Sahith Theegala, Maverick McNealy, Lee Hodges and Austin Smotherman.
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For a lot of the spherical, the Australian focus was all on Scott, however the veteran finally signed off on an excellent par 72 – the identical rating as countryman Min Woo Lee.
Day, in the meantime, reached the flip even par after discovering the water on the infamous island inexperienced par 3 seventeenth undid his early birdies at 12 and 15.
However the former world No.1 recovered from that errant tee shot that sailed lengthy and left, and was rock strong for the rest of his spherical.
He didn’t drop one other shot and earned photographs again with birdies at 4 and 9 to make sure he’ll begin his second spherical inside placing distance of the main pack.
LEADERBOARD: Stay scores from The Gamers
Scott virtually breaks Ace drought | 00:59
Lee was equally spectacular on his second 9.
The 27-year-old obtained off to a nightmare begin with a double bogey on the first and a bogey on the third on his method to a entrance 9 39.
The West Australian fought again strongly on the again 9, nevertheless, making birdies at 11, 13, 16 and 17 earlier than a bogey on the final introduced him again to even par.
Lee struck a cracking tee shot on the island inexperienced seventeenth to offer himself a tap-in birdie in one of many highlights of the day.
However missed the golf green proper on the final in a bid to keep away from the water and being within the pine needles price him a shot.
Min Woo Lee: The Gamers – Spherical One | 15:37
On a day the place wind and rain performed havoc on the seventeenth, Scott caught his tee shot to 2 ft from the cup on the infamous 143-yard gap.
Solely Ludvig Aberg’s try within the morning discipline was nearer than Scott’s pearler.
The 45-year-old would have headed into the clubhouse kicking himself, nevertheless, as he ended with a double bogey on the 18th – the toughest ranked gap on the course.
Scott pulled his tee shot into the water that hugs the left hand aspect of the closing gap and value himself the prospect of beginning the second spherical inside touching distance of the leaders.
Adam Scott: The Gamers – Spherical One | 15:13
The Australian was not the one one to really feel the sting of the final gap with European Ryder Cup star Shane Lowry ending his spherical with a quadruple bogey eight.
Lowry dumped two balls into the water – one off the tee and one together with his method into the inexperienced – in an all too acquainted collapse.
The Irishman price himself the Cognizant Basic lower than two weeks in the past with two moist balls when main by three photographs with three holes to play within the closing spherical.
Like Scott, Lowry’s closing gap meltdown additionally adopted a birdie at 17.
Lowry’s quadruple bogey eight on 18 | 00:44
Scott opened with a bogey free, two-under par entrance 9 with birdies at 5 and 9.
The previous world No.1 was dialled in together with his irons and wedges – sitting inside the highest three for strokes gained with approaches to the inexperienced.
However let himself down off the tee and on the greens – ranked exterior the highest 100 in each classes.
Earlier, two-time major-winner Collin Morikawa withdrew after one gap with a again harm.
Morikawa, who gained his first PGA Tour title since 2023 at Pebble Seaside final month, parred his opening gap at TPC Sawgrass, the tenth, however a observe swing on the eleventh tee had him backing off in some discomfort.
Adam Scott: The Gamers – Spherical One | 15:13
The American consulted his coach and after just a few extra swings withdrew.
“I felt positive in warm-up,” Morikawa stated. “Like nothing’s been any indicators of again issues. And teed it up on 11, and took one observe swing, and I simply knew it was gone.
“Like I simply had the sensation earlier than when it’s occurred. And I simply, I can’t swing via it. Belief me, I might play if I may. It’s simply the worst factor on this planet.”
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It’s a disappointing setback for Morikawa, who has been in positive kind to start out the season.
Along with his win at Pebble Seaside, the 29-year-old completed in a tie for seventh at Riviera and shared fifth within the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.
“Truthfully, coming into this 12 months I had a whole lot of confidence,” Morikawa stated.
“I put a whole lot of work into my physique simply to get stronger usually, get more healthy, get robust, get fitter.”
Morikawa has battled again bother earlier than, together with on the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and in 2023, when he needed to withdraw from the Memorial.
It was additionally disappointing for alternate John Parry, who would have nabbed a spot within the discipline had Morikawa’s harm occurred earlier than he teed off.
Englishman Parry was the fourth alternate after Patton Kizzire and Seamus Energy had been elevated to the sphere to spherical out the teams of three, whereas David Ford changed New Zealand’s Ryan Fox, who was hospitalised with kidney stones.
Rory McIlroy managed to beat the again situation that compelled him to withdraw from final week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational on the morning of the third spherical after saying on event eve {that a} “game-time determination” can be required to find out his health.
The defending champion made fairly the assertion on the primary tee, smashing a 300 metre bomb with driver to dismiss the issues about his again.
That highly effective swing didn’t function a launching pad for his opening spherical, nevertheless.
Wayward tee photographs repeatedly left McIlroy in awkward positions and he made only one birdie for the day.
The Northern Irishman finally signed off on a two-over 74, leaving him in peril of lacking the minimize.
Wild climate was one of many greatest speaking factors of the primary spherical with the morning teams enjoying via a storm till play was suspended for 21 minutes shortly after noon native time.
The afternoon tee instances had been pushed again half an hour and spent roughly an hour or so getting drench once they started their rounds.
The delay additionally meant that play needed to be suspended due to darkness with a number of teams nonetheless out on track.
The horn blowing left Austin Smotherman within the uncommon place of getting to return again tomorrow morning with a close to 15-foot putt for the outright lead on the closing gap of his first spherical.
However the disruption didn’t cease Maverick McNealy.
The 30-year-old American fired a five-under par 67 to carry the clubhouse lead for a number of hours earlier than he was joined by Hodges, Straka and Theegala.
McNealy holds early lead on the Gamers | 01:51
McNealy’s lead seemed shaky when he missed the golf green proper on the 18th, however a humorous interplay together with his caddie Scout, who additionally occurs to be his youthful brother.
“I feel at present I simply mastered the variability of what the golf course threw at us very well. It was a blended bag of all the things, felt like 4 completely different seasons on the market,” McNealy stated.
“When that wind flipped I knew 16 was going to be type of my final birdie alternative, so I had 8-iron into that gap and I used to be glad to make the most of that, after which held on very well the final two.
“I feel Scout and I talked via that par save on 18 very well, and he stated he was going to push me within the water if I attempted to chop one onto the inexperienced, so I made a decision to punch out.”
Scottie Scheffler birdied the final to shoot an ever par 72 – the identical quantity Brooks Koepka carded in his Gamers return.
However the world No.1 was not happy together with his efforts, and took to the vary afterwards within the pouring rain.
“I imply, I did some good issues, altering climate on the market, however general I felt like I gave away some photographs,” Scheffler stated.
“Hoping to wash it up just a little bit the following few days.”
He added: “I imply, birdieing the final is good. It doesn’t style nearly as good if you bogey the sixteenth and seventeenth holes.
“However yeah, I felt like I struck my irons higher at present once more, in order that’s good.
“I’ve obtained a distinct driver within the bag than I did final week. Type of attempting to wash issues up.”
Scottie hits the vary within the rain | 00:08
Australian teen Karl Vilips endured a tough opening with a six on the par 4 first gap and was three-over after 15 holes.
Cam Davis shot a five-over par 77 and the Sydneysider felt the total drive of the island inexperienced par 3 seventeenth’s brutality.
Davis’ group all dumped their tee photographs into the water and had been compelled to move to the drop zone.