Washington (AFP) – Beau Hossler fired a 10-under par 60 to grab a two-stroke lead when darkness halted Friday’s rain-hit first round of the PGA Wyndham Championship. The 29-year-old American took full advantage of a water-soaked course to fire his career-low PGA round by two strokes at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina.
“I hit a lot of greens,” Hossler said. “It felt relatively easy to shoot that number because I hit so many approaches close to the hole.” Hossler made 136 feet of putts and missed only two greens in his quest to be among the few to break 60 in a PGA event. “The ball-striking was elite, especially 7- to 5-iron. I hit a couple of those to tap in,” Hossler said.
A tropical storm dumped more than five inches of rain on the course and wiped out all play on Thursday, delaying the first round to Friday and causing a late start that prevented the round from finishing until Saturday morning. American Billy Horschel birdied the par-3 16th to stand second on eight-under with two holes remaining. On seven-under was Canada’s Nick Taylor with four holes to play. In the clubhouse on 64 were Britain’s Ben Taylor and Americans Brendon Todd, Austin Eckroat, and Matt Kuchar.
From his start of five consecutive birdies followed by an eagle, Hossler was a threat to the all-time PGA Tour record low 18-hole score of 58 posted by American Jim Furyk in the final round of the 2016 Travelers Championship. Another 13 rounds of 59 have been shot on the PGA Tour entering this week, the most recent being by American Hayden Springer at last month’s John Deere Classic. “Obviously one short but played very nicely,” Hossler said. It was the 56th 60 in PGA Tour history and the fourth this season after Americans Nick Dunlap and Wyndham Clark and Canada’s Taylor.
Hossler, seeking his first PGA victory, opened with four birdies in a row and added an eagle at the par-5 fifth. He rolled in a 48-foot birdie putt at the first hole, dropped in another from just beyond 15 feet at the second, sank a putt from just outside 12 feet at the par-3 third, and tapped in a four-footer at the fourth. At the fifth, Hossler landed his second shot two feet from the hole and tapped in for eagle. He added birdies at the eighth on a tap-in and the 10th from just inside eight feet before taking a bogey at 11, his tee shot going way right of a cart path.
Hossler birdied the par-3 12th, missing an ace by 10 inches, and added back-to-back birdies at the 14th from 18 feet and on a tap-in at the par-5 15th. He came up short on a 17-foot birdie putt at 17 and sank a seven-foot par putt at 18 to finish his career-low round on a layout where he had made the cut only once in four prior appearances and where his best prior round was a 67.
“Expectations were to come out and try and get some good momentum. My swing has been feeling great the past month even though the results haven’t been there,” Hossler said. “Today I just kind of put it together a little bit better.” Hossler began the final event of the PGA regular season in 88th on the campaign points list but walked off the 18th green projected at 51st, well ahead of the top-70 placement needed to qualify for next week’s playoff opener.
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