Aldrich Potgieter and Kevin Roy share PGA lead in Detroit with course-record 62s
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Kevin Roy of the United States lines up a putt on the 18th green during the first round of the Rocket Classic on June 26.
PHOTO: AFP
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WASHINGTON – Aldrich Potgieter and Kevin Roy fired course-record 62s at Detroit Golf Club on June 26 to share the first-round lead in the PGA Tour’s Rocket Classic.
Roy, a 35-year-old American chasing a first PGA Tour title, followed his eagle at the 17th with his eighth birdie of the day to be the first in the clubhouse on 10 under.
Less than 10 minutes later, South Africa’s Potgieter put the finishing touches on a round that also included an eagle and eight birdies.
Potgieter and Roy both broke the previous course record of 63 – matched on June 26 by Australian Min Woo Lee and Americans Max Greyserman and Mark Hubbard.
“Just one of those days everything was clicking,” said Roy, who had seven birdies in the first 14 holes, then chipped in from off the green for eagle at the 17th after his five-wood second shot from the fairway rolled off the putting surface.
“I was shocked my five-wood went that far. I had 279 (to) pin. I don’t hit a five-wood that far, but maybe a little adrenaline or something going on... Certainly a bonus.”
That caught the attention of Potgieter, who had teed off on the 10th and surged up the leaderboard when he picked up five strokes in a four-hole span, starting with his fourth birdie of the day at No. 16.
He followed that with a 10-foot eagle at No. 17, a 10-foot birdie at the 18th and a tap-in birdie at the first. He reached 10 under with back-to-back birdies at holes 7 and 8, and was finishing his round at the ninth when he saw Roy’s score.
“I was standing on the last hole and I looked at the leaderboard and saw someone else at 10, so I was real eager to make that putt at the last,” said Potgieter, who had a 12-foot birdie attempt but settled for a tap-in par.
The long-hitting 20-year-old is also seeking a first PGA Tour title, having come close in February only to fall to Brian Campbell in a play-off at the Mexico Open.
Australia’s Lee, who claimed his first US tour title at the Houston Open in March, had set an early target.
He teed off on No. 10 and opened birdie-bogey. He made nine birdies the rest of the way, including three in a row to cap his round.
“Everything was pretty solid,” said Lee. “I think the putter was working quite nicely.”
Greyserman and Hubbard both played late, Hubbard firing nine birdies without a bogey and Greyserman posting 10 birdies and one bogey to join Lee on nine under.
Andrew Putnam was alone in sixth on 64 with seven players tied on 65. AFP
