LA QUINTA, Calif. — J.T. Poston shot a 10-under 62 to take a one-stroke lead over Justin Decrease within the opening spherical of The American Categorical on Thursday.
Poston carded 9 birdies and an eagle on the Nicklaus Event Course at PGA West within the Palm Springs-area desert. Decrease was one stroke forward of an 8-under pack that included Jason Day, Joel Dahmen, Chris Kirk, J.J. Spaun and Matti Schmid.
Poston excels on the three principally beneficiant programs used for this occasion, ending tied for sixth at The American Categorical in 2023 and tied for eleventh final yr. The North Carolina native has additionally accomplished nicely in different deserts, profitable in Las Vegas final fall.
“After I really feel like I am actually hitting it good, I really feel like I’ve received all of the pictures and may get the ball near the opening and actually benefit from these scoring golf equipment,” stated Poston, a three-time PGA Tour winner. “I really feel like I can go on the market and make a bunch of birdies like I did at the moment, so a match like this type of performs into that.”
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Decrease shot a bogey-free 63 at La Quinta that included consecutive eagles.
“I’ve by no means accomplished that,” he stated. “I do not even suppose I’ve accomplished it in only a common spherical, however not to mention a match spherical. Yeah, any time you can also make back-to-back eagles, it definitely helps the rating.”
Canadian Nick Taylor constructed on his victory within the Sony Open final Sunday with a 65 on the Pete Dye Stadium Course. Tony Finau was 7 beneath, whereas Justin Thomas shot 67 and Patrick Cantlay shot 68.
Blades Brown, a 17-year-old prodigy taking part in on a sponsor exemption, shot 72 in his first spherical as knowledgeable. After bogeying his second gap and double-bogeying his third, the highschool junior from Nashville, Tennessee, calmed down and strung collectively three consecutive birdies earlier than ending with 12 straight pars.
“It was difficult the primary couple of holes, simply because my adrenaline was up,” Brown stated. “At any time when that occurs, I hit the ball tremendous far, so our distances weren’t going precisely what we thought they had been going to go. Then a poor shot on Gap 3 left me within the hazard, sadly. I used to be in a position to battle again, and I used to be tremendous pumped about that.”
The American Categorical is the third occasion of the brand new PGA Tour season and one in every of solely two pro-ams on the calendar, a carryover from the occasion’s lengthy historical past because the Bob Hope Desert Traditional.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler deliberate to play, however he dropped out 10 days in the past to provide his proper hand damage extra time to heal.
Defending champion Nick Dunlap shot a 67 at La Quinta in his return to the match the place he grew to become the primary newbie in 33 years to win on the PGA Tour.
“It is good to be again,” Dunlap stated earlier this week. “It is good to know the place I am going for the primary week [as a pro]. I haven’t got to search out the whole lot for the primary time.”
Now 21, Dunlap turned professional one week after profitable within the desert and jumped straight from the camaraderie and cloistered lifetime of the Alabama golf crew into the cauldron of the PGA Tour. Though he struggled in stretches, he was ultimately named the tour’s rookie of the yr after amassing one other win on the Barracuda Championship in Truckee, California.
“I’d undoubtedly say it was overwhelming,” Dunlap stated. “I had loads of stuff occur, whether or not it is on the golf course or off the golf course, that all of it got here at me fairly fast, and a few of it I used to be prepared for, a few of it I wasn’t, and received blindsided a little bit bit. My life received sped up a little bit bit, and in a great way. I am out right here, I am residing my dream, and would not change it for something, nevertheless it all does not simply occur simple or easily.”
