Scott leads the Aussies after US Open R1
Golf: Adam Scott leads the Aussies with a score of -11 after round one of the US Open, while stars McIlroy and Scheffler struggled.
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Free Malaysia Today
a day ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Venezuelan Vegas birdies 5 of last 6 to grab PGA lead
World No 70 Jhonattan Vegas has never finished in the top 20 at a Major. (AP pic) CHARLOTTE : Venezuela's Jhonattan Vegas birdied five of his last six holes, ending with a spectacular 27-foot birdie putt to seize a two-stroke lead after yesterday's opening round of the PGA Championship. The 40-year-old South American, who snapped a seven-year win drought by capturing last year's PGA 3M Open, fired a seven-under-par 64 to grab the lead at Quail Hollow. 'It feels amazing,' Vegas said. 'It's what we dream of, what we train for, what we work for every day.' World No 70 Vegas, whose lowest prior Major round was a 67, has never finished in the top 20 at a Major. 'I've been really working on prioritising playing well at Majors,' he said. 'Getting older, getting wiser, not putting so much pressure on myself, that's the approach I've been taking and it worked out today. 'The game is there. We've just got to repeat what we did today.' Australian Cam Davis and American Ryan Gerard shared second on 66 while a pack on 67 included German Stephan Jaeger, England's Luke Donald and Aaron Rai, New Zealand's Ryan Fox and American Alex Smalley. While Vegas had a dream start, it was a grind for the feature group of top-ranked Scottie Scheffler, defending champion Xander Schauffele and Masters champion Rory McIlroy. Scheffler fired 69, Schauffele shot 72 and McIlroy stumbled in on 74 at a course where he has won four times. 'I didn't feel like I hit it my best,' Scheffler said. 'Did a good job keeping a level head out there and grinding out a good score.' AdChoices ADVERTISING Vegas, whose round began with a bogey at the 10th hole, chipped in from 34 feet to birdie the 18th, then closed with his astonishing front-nine birdie run, capped by an 18-foot birdie putt at eight and his stunner at the ninth. 'Greens were getting a little bit bumpy at the end of the round so it was kind of tough,' but said after his birdie at eight, 'I knew something special was happening.' 'Nine was a bonus for everything happening in the day, one of those you don't expect to make but we'll take anything we can get.' World No 68 Davis, a 30-year-old from Sydney, and 81st-ranked Gerard, a 25-year-old from nearby Raleigh making only his third Major start, grinded out solid rounds. 'Very happy with my work,' Davis said. 'It's still a four-round event but you can definitely help yourself a lot by having a good first round.' In his PGA Championship debut, Gerard reeled off four birdies to start the back nine and chipped in for eagle from nearly 60 feet on the par-five 15th but closed with back-to-back bogeys. 'It's kind of a dream,' Gerard said. 'But to make that a reality… it's a little bit extra special.' Davis made seven birdies against two bogeys, highlighted by a 29-foot putt at the par-five 10th and a 21-footer at the par-three sixth. 'The swing is feeling a little better but I rolled in a lot of good putts,' Davis said. 'I was reading them well and made a lot of good distance putts to keep the momentum going.' Europe Ryder Cup captain Donald, chasing his first Major title at age 47, can become the first Englishman since Jim Barnes in 1919 to win the PGA Championship, as could five other English players in the top 20. Donald sank a clutch nine-foot par putt on the 18th hole to finish the day's only bogey-free round. 'Very pleased with the score. It was a pleasant surprise,' Donald said. 'I didn't hit a ton of greens but my putter was really good.' Only four Europeans have ever won the title, most recently by Northern Ireland's McIlroy in 2014. Top-three flop Scheffler, second-ranked McIlroy and third-ranked Schauffele all made double bogeys at the par-four 16th. Scheffler and Schauffele found water from the fairway and complained of mud clinging to fairway balls. 'It's frustrating to hit the ball in the middle of the fairway and get mud on it and have no idea where it's going to go,' Scheffler said. American Jordan Spieth, seeking a victory to complete a career Grand Slam, fired a 76 to stand 10 adrift. Witness football history in Malaysia as Manchester United take on the Asean All-Stars – it's the clash you can't afford to miss. Book your seat now at before they're gone!
News.com.au
2 days ago
- News.com.au
Scott leads the Aussies after US Open R1
Golf: Adam Scott leads the Aussies with a score of -11 after round one of the US Open, while stars McIlroy and Scheffler struggled.
Reuters
2 days ago
- Reuters
Walking on egg shells pays off for US Open leader Spaun
OAKMONT, Pennsylvania, June 12 (Reuters) - J.J. Spaun could not escape the talk about how punishing a setup Oakmont Country Club is, and while that left him plenty nervous, the unheralded American felt the threat of danger at every turn helped power him to the first-round U.S. Open lead on Thursday. Spaun, three years removed from his lone win on the PGA Tour, did not just outplay the game's biggest stars in the opening round of the year's third major but carded only the eighth bogey-free round in a U.S. Open at Oakmont. After signing off for a four-under-par 68 that left him with a one-shot lead over South African Thriston Lawrence, Spaun admitted to feeling uneasy going into only his second U.S. Open. "I was actually pretty nervous. But I actually tried to harness that, the nerves, the anxiety, because it kind of heightens my focus, makes me swing better," said Spaun. "I kind of get more in the zone, whereas if I don't have any worry or if I'm not in it mentally, it's kind of just a lazy round or whatever out there." Despite being nervous, Spaun was a picture of calm as he made his way around a course that has a reputation for being kick-your-teeth-in tough given the dense rough that lines the skinny fairways which lead to super-slick greens. Spaun, who began his day on the back nine, left his approach at the par-four 10th in thick rough beside the green but calmly chipped in from 20 feet away and never looked back. "It was a nice little wake-up call at 7:10 in the morning or whatever it was," said Spaun, who added three more birdies before the turn and then parred each hole on his inward nine. "It was a nice way to start the day, and I obviously kind of rode that momentum throughout the day." Spaun, who missed the cut at the 2021 U.S. Open and earned a career-best major finish at the 2022 Masters where he earned a share of 23rd place, is hoping his near-misses on the PGA Tour this year have made him a more confident player. The 34-year-old American finished runner-up to world number two Rory McIlroy at The Players Championship in March two weeks after earning a share of second place at PGA National Resort. "To go head-to-head with Rory on Sunday, and then the playoff was great for my confidence," said Spaun. "Unfortunately, I didn't win, but it was great for me to kind of lean back on that experience and know that I can perform on the biggest of stages and handle it with the pressure. "There's going to be a lot of pressure this week, too, and hopefully I can rely on those experiences."
