Scotland’s Martin Laird fired a 7-under-par 64 to take a one-stroke lead after the primary spherical of the Myrtle Seashore (S.C.) Basic on Thursday.
The alternative-field occasion affords 300 FedEx Cup factors, a two-year PGA Tour exemption and a spot in subsequent week’s PGA Championship if not in any other case certified to the winner. The Truist Championship is going down concurrently in Charlotte, N.C.
England’s Aaron Rai, the second-highest ranked participant within the discipline at No. 42, is one stroke behind at 6 underneath, tied with Japan’s Keita Nakajima. Mark Hubbard, John VanDerLaan and Paul Peterson all carded 5-under par 66s, whereas Brandt Snedeker heads a bunch of 10 golfers tied at 4 underneath.
Laird, a four-time winner on the tour however winless for the reason that 2020 Shriners Hospitals for Kids Open, began on the again 9 and blistered it with a 6-under 30. That included an eagle on the par-5 fifteenth, the place he curled in a putt from 16 toes.
Laird bought to eight underneath after a birdie on the par-4 sixth, however gave it again with a bogey at No. 8.
The 43-year outdated Laird not too long ago switched putters and noticed it pay dividends on the Dunes Golf and Seashore Membership.
“I’ve probably not been placing nice for some time, I really feel like I have been telling individuals I am taking part in higher than my scores simply due to my placing not too long ago,” stated Laird. “It was good to lastly have a day the place I made some putts and began out making a pleasant 12-footer on the primary gap and possibly a 15-footer on the second gap, and that form of bought me going.”
Laird, who has been bouncing backwards and forwards between PGA and Korn Ferry Tour occasions, solely realized on Monday that he bought into the match. He admitted to essentially struggling the final a number of years and had ideas of giving up the weekly grind.
“If you end up my age and been doing it 20-odd years, you form of begin pondering, is it price it? I’ve had 4 weeks off, and my spouse was nice. We have been like, ‘Let’s decide. If you are going to preserve taking part in, let’s actually go for it.'”
Rai, who has already certified for subsequent week’s PGA Championship, couldn’t have began his spherical significantly better, recording birdies on the primary 4 holes. He had bogeys on two of the ultimate 4 front-nine holes, however performed a flawless again 9 with 4 birdies earlier than ending his spherical with a bogey.
“I heard loads of actually good issues the final two years,” stated Rai about taking part in in Myrtle Seashore. “I watched the highlights when Chris Gotterup received the primary yr and simply actually preferred the way in which that it seemed. Yeah, it suits the schedule rather well with taking part in forward of the PGA Championship subsequent week, so it was a extremely easy resolution to play.”
Nakajima recorded six birdies and no miscues on his spherical.
Brooks Koepka, essentially the most notable participant within the discipline, shot a 3-under par 68 and is tied with 14 different golfers for seventeenth place.
–Discipline Degree Media
