AMERICANS BILLY HORSCHEL and Joseph Bramlett shared the first round lead at the PGA Tour’s Honda Classic on Thursday after shooting five-under rounds of 65.
Shane Lowry is just three shots off the lead after carding an impressive two-under 68. The Offaly native started on the back nine and picked up four birdies throughout his opening round, including back-to-back birdies on the sixth and seventh holes. He also had bogeys on the second and 10th holes.
Meanwhile, Pádraig Harrington is further back on two-over after a round of 72 which included three bogeys and a birdie on the 13th hole.
The event at Palm Beach Gardens traditionally marks the start of the Florida Swing but has lost some appeal to many of the top players on the tour due to the changes in the schedule.
None of the world’s top 10 golfers are playing this week and sponsors Honda are ending their 42-year backing for the event after this year.
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Horschel has lamented the decline of the tournament, but the Floridian, who has seven career PGA Tour wins, is hoping to take advantage of the absence of the top stars to finally clinch a win in his home state.
The 36-year-old has been struggling with a sinus infection and said that ailment had counter-intuitively helped him relax for the round, which featured six birdies and a bogey.
Starting on the back nine, Horschel sank 30-foot birdie putts on the par-four 11th and 13th holes but then missed a seven-footer on the par-three 15th to bogey.
He got up and down from the bunker for birdie on the par-five 18th and then after the turn enjoyed a streak of three straight birdies from the third hole on.
Bramlett, searching for a first win on the PGA Tour, was bogey free, starting his round with a 28-foot birdie putt on the par-four 10th before a brilliant 42-footer for birdie on the par-three 5th hole.
The 34-year-old Californian ended with a birdie on the par-four 9th after a fine approach shot from 119 yards landed 14 feet from the hole.
Americans Pierceson Coody and Justin Suh were both in the clubhouse a stroke behind the leaders while Carson Young was one back through 15 holes when darkness stopped play.
Poland’s Adrian Meronk, South Korea’s Im Sung-jae and English pair Matt Wallace and Ben Taylor were among eight players two shots off the lead.
On a tightly packed leaderboard, 13 players shot 68, leaving themselves just three strokes behind Horschel and Bramlett.
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American duo share Honda Classic lead while Lowry sits three shots back
AMERICANS BILLY HORSCHEL and Joseph Bramlett shared the first round lead at the PGA Tour’s Honda Classic on Thursday after shooting five-under rounds of 65.
Shane Lowry is just three shots off the lead after carding an impressive two-under 68. The Offaly native started on the back nine and picked up four birdies throughout his opening round, including back-to-back birdies on the sixth and seventh holes. He also had bogeys on the second and 10th holes.
Meanwhile, Pádraig Harrington is further back on two-over after a round of 72 which included three bogeys and a birdie on the 13th hole.
The event at Palm Beach Gardens traditionally marks the start of the Florida Swing but has lost some appeal to many of the top players on the tour due to the changes in the schedule.
None of the world’s top 10 golfers are playing this week and sponsors Honda are ending their 42-year backing for the event after this year.
Horschel has lamented the decline of the tournament, but the Floridian, who has seven career PGA Tour wins, is hoping to take advantage of the absence of the top stars to finally clinch a win in his home state.
The 36-year-old has been struggling with a sinus infection and said that ailment had counter-intuitively helped him relax for the round, which featured six birdies and a bogey.
Starting on the back nine, Horschel sank 30-foot birdie putts on the par-four 11th and 13th holes but then missed a seven-footer on the par-three 15th to bogey.
He got up and down from the bunker for birdie on the par-five 18th and then after the turn enjoyed a streak of three straight birdies from the third hole on.
Bramlett, searching for a first win on the PGA Tour, was bogey free, starting his round with a 28-foot birdie putt on the par-four 10th before a brilliant 42-footer for birdie on the par-three 5th hole.
The 34-year-old Californian ended with a birdie on the par-four 9th after a fine approach shot from 119 yards landed 14 feet from the hole.
Americans Pierceson Coody and Justin Suh were both in the clubhouse a stroke behind the leaders while Carson Young was one back through 15 holes when darkness stopped play.
Poland’s Adrian Meronk, South Korea’s Im Sung-jae and English pair Matt Wallace and Ben Taylor were among eight players two shots off the lead.
On a tightly packed leaderboard, 13 players shot 68, leaving themselves just three strokes behind Horschel and Bramlett.
– © AFP 2023
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Honda Classic Padraig Harrington Round 1 Shane Lowry