Scottie Scheffler one off lead of Taylor Moore and Wilson Furr at PGA Houston Open
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Scottie Scheffler had set the pace for much of March 28 at the at PGA Houston Open as he shook off “a little rust” from his week off last week.
PHOTO: AFP
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LOS ANGELES – World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler started limbering up for the Masters with a bogey-free five-under 65 that put him one off the first-round lead shared by Taylor Moore and Wilson Furr at the Houston Open on March 28.
Moore shook off an opening bogey with an eagle and five birdies at the Memorial Park Golf Course in his bid for his second PGA Tour win after the 2023 Valspar Championship.
He was joined by the 278th-ranked rookie Furr, who closed his round with an eagle at the fifth and birdies at the eighth and ninth holes.
Furr, 25, had made just one cut in his first eight starts on tour.
Scheffler, trying to become the first player since Dustin Johnson in 2017 to win in three consecutive PGA Tour starts, had set the pace for much of the day as he shook off “a little rust” from his week off last week.
He missed the green at his first three holes, but got up and down for par at each before rolling in a 12-foot birdie putt at the 13th.
He added birdies at the 17th, second, third and fifth holes, and while he hit only 11 of 18 greens in regulation, he needed just 25 putts.
“I had a solid round,” Scheffler said. “Bogey-free is always nice, especially around a golf course like this. It’s nice to be able to keep the card clean.”
It was his 28th consecutive round under par in 2024, the most on record, according to the PGA Tour.
Perhaps more importantly, Scheffler, who needed treatment on his neck on his way to victory at the Players Championship, said he was feeling good in his final tune-up for the Masters.
“Neck’s feeling better, body feels good,” Scheffler said. “The week off was good for me to get some rest, get some rehab. I took a couple more days off than I typically would last week, so it was some good recovery time.”
Scheffler’s win at TPC Sawgrass followed a five-stroke triumph at the Arnold Palmer Invitational – his first victory in nearly a year.
He is coming into form with the first Major of 2024 approaching in two weeks at Augusta National, where Scheffler won in 2022.
Scheffler was tied for third with fellow Americans Davis Riley and Joe Highsmith.
After three more birdies on the front nine, Taylor Moore birdied 15 and 16 to seize the lead.
PHOTO: REUTERS
On the LPGA Tour, Pajaree Anannarukarn birdied her last five holes for a nine-under 63 on March 28 to break free atop a log-jammed leaderboard after the first round of the Ford Championship at Gilbert, Arizona.
One shot off the Thai leader were world No. 2 Lilia Vu of the United States, Spaniards Carlota Ciganda and Azahara Munoz, Germany’s Isi Gabsa and Australian Gabriela Ruffels.
“It was a great day out there,” said Pajaree, who claimed the most recent of her two titles at the LPGA Match-Play in 2023.
“I actually was in the zone. I didn’t realise that I holed my fifth birdie in a row on the ninth green. But it was a great day.” AFP
