JUSTIN THOMAS DRAINED four consecutive birdies to post a seven-under 64 and grab a share of the first round lead at the US PGA Tour’s Phoenix Open on Thursday.
Thomas, who began on the back nine, birdied the last hole of his front nine and then added three straight to begin the back. He also had six birdies in seven holes during the middle of his round to finish in a tie with fellow Americans Rickie Fowler and Harold Varner.
Waterford’s Seamus Power — teeing off his first round on the back nine — will have to work hard to make the cut after a level-par 71 which included three birdies and three bogeys.
“It was very, very hard to get the balls close to the pin early in the round,” said the nine-time PGA Tour winner Justin Thomas, meanwhile. “But I just continued to try to stay patient and was driving it well to where I had wedges and I made some very low-stress birdies.”
Thomas, who was one of the pre-tournament favourites, tied for 17th last year. He also missed the cut twice in this event.
Fowler eagled the par-five 13th as part of a four-under score for his first eight holes, while Varner caught the leaders with three birdies on his final six holes.
JT Poston and Scotland’s Martin Laird are both one shot back after shooting 65s.
You can’t have a photo description like that and not even refer to it in the article!! Whatever about using an Irish man in the click bait title when most of the article is about a different golfer, at least explain the boos?!?
@JarvisOFlaherterahry: Clearly you have never watched this golf tournament before if you don’t know why a player is being booed for missing a putt on 16????
@James O’Donoghue: clearly not. What’s it about?
Whoever that is in the photo he definitely isn’t Seamus Power!!
@Sean Dalton: Seamus Power is the cut of Jason Kokrak
Headline should be changed. Power is even par and currently T71 which is 1 shot and 1 place outside the proposed cut mark.
Horrible to see the boos but it is the phx open after all. been a few times (couldn’t get near the 16th) and it’s like a music festival where these non golf fans are drinking in the sun since early morning singing and chanting while the players play.
@Ardmore02: He’s doing rightly.