Ghim sets cracking pace in hunt for maiden PGA title
On a day of low scoring on Thursday, Ghim took a one-shot lead over Max Homa and Austin Eckroat at the TPC Deere Run, where the winning score has been 20-under par or lower 12 of the last 15 years.
He has been around long enough - six years on the PGA Tour, 160 tour starts as a pro - to know it's only a start. The conditions were so ideal Ghim wasn't even sure his 62 would hold up as the lead by the end of the day.
With a little more wind in the afternoon, the best anyone could do was 65 by four players, including Cameron Champ and Mexico Open winner Brian Campbell.
"Honestly, any time you can get to 20 under or better you're going to have a chance," Ghim said. "It's still golf. It's still a challenge. You have to hit fairways. I hit a lot of them today. So just trying to shoot forwards of six under every day and see where that puts me."
South African Aldrich Potgieter, the 20-year-old coming off his first PGA Tour win last week in Detroit, was challenging for the lead until he stalled at the end of his round, took bogey on the par-5 17th and had to settle for a 67.
The John Deere Classic has produced 24 first-time winners, the most of any PGA Tour event since 1970, a list that included Davis Thompson last year, Bryson DeChambeau in 2017 and Jordan Spieth in 2013.
Homa and Eckroat have won before, and both are trying to rediscover their games. Homa gets the most attention, particularly since he played in the last Ryder Cup and reached No.8 in the world until going into a slump that includes new equipment, a new coach and new caddie.
Eckroat won twice in 2024 but it has been a struggle this year. He ended last year at No.35 in the world and now is at No.75, leaving him out of the last two majors. He has yet to finish in the top 10 in 19 starts this year.
Homa ran off four straight birdies early and was tied with Ghim for the lead until he missed his final green at No.9 into a bunker and failed to get up-and-down, his only bogey of the round. Eckroat had a pair of eagles, one on the par-5 second with a shot to 12 feet, the other when he holed out with a gap wedge from 137 yards on the par-4 fifth hole.
Scoring was so low that 18 players were at 65 or better, and more than half of the 156-man field broke 70.
Australians Jason Day (74), Harrison Endycott (76) and Karl Vilips (77) were not among them. They find themselves in the bottom 20 of the field.
Doug Ghim holed out for eagle on the par-4 sixth hole and kept bogeys off his card to post a nine-under 62 in his bid to become the latest first-time PGA Tour winner at the John Deere Classic.
On a day of low scoring on Thursday, Ghim took a one-shot lead over Max Homa and Austin Eckroat at the TPC Deere Run, where the winning score has been 20-under par or lower 12 of the last 15 years.
He has been around long enough - six years on the PGA Tour, 160 tour starts as a pro - to know it's only a start. The conditions were so ideal Ghim wasn't even sure his 62 would hold up as the lead by the end of the day.
With a little more wind in the afternoon, the best anyone could do was 65 by four players, including Cameron Champ and Mexico Open winner Brian Campbell.
"Honestly, any time you can get to 20 under or better you're going to have a chance," Ghim said. "It's still golf. It's still a challenge. You have to hit fairways. I hit a lot of them today. So just trying to shoot forwards of six under every day and see where that puts me."
South African Aldrich Potgieter, the 20-year-old coming off his first PGA Tour win last week in Detroit, was challenging for the lead until he stalled at the end of his round, took bogey on the par-5 17th and had to settle for a 67.
The John Deere Classic has produced 24 first-time winners, the most of any PGA Tour event since 1970, a list that included Davis Thompson last year, Bryson DeChambeau in 2017 and Jordan Spieth in 2013.
Homa and Eckroat have won before, and both are trying to rediscover their games. Homa gets the most attention, particularly since he played in the last Ryder Cup and reached No.8 in the world until going into a slump that includes new equipment, a new coach and new caddie.
Eckroat won twice in 2024 but it has been a struggle this year. He ended last year at No.35 in the world and now is at No.75, leaving him out of the last two majors. He has yet to finish in the top 10 in 19 starts this year.
Homa ran off four straight birdies early and was tied with Ghim for the lead until he missed his final green at No.9 into a bunker and failed to get up-and-down, his only bogey of the round. Eckroat had a pair of eagles, one on the par-5 second with a shot to 12 feet, the other when he holed out with a gap wedge from 137 yards on the par-4 fifth hole.
Scoring was so low that 18 players were at 65 or better, and more than half of the 156-man field broke 70.
Australians Jason Day (74), Harrison Endycott (76) and Karl Vilips (77) were not among them. They find themselves in the bottom 20 of the field.
Doug Ghim holed out for eagle on the par-4 sixth hole and kept bogeys off his card to post a nine-under 62 in his bid to become the latest first-time PGA Tour winner at the John Deere Classic.
On a day of low scoring on Thursday, Ghim took a one-shot lead over Max Homa and Austin Eckroat at the TPC Deere Run, where the winning score has been 20-under par or lower 12 of the last 15 years.
He has been around long enough - six years on the PGA Tour, 160 tour starts as a pro - to know it's only a start. The conditions were so ideal Ghim wasn't even sure his 62 would hold up as the lead by the end of the day.
With a little more wind in the afternoon, the best anyone could do was 65 by four players, including Cameron Champ and Mexico Open winner Brian Campbell.
"Honestly, any time you can get to 20 under or better you're going to have a chance," Ghim said. "It's still golf. It's still a challenge. You have to hit fairways. I hit a lot of them today. So just trying to shoot forwards of six under every day and see where that puts me."
South African Aldrich Potgieter, the 20-year-old coming off his first PGA Tour win last week in Detroit, was challenging for the lead until he stalled at the end of his round, took bogey on the par-5 17th and had to settle for a 67.
The John Deere Classic has produced 24 first-time winners, the most of any PGA Tour event since 1970, a list that included Davis Thompson last year, Bryson DeChambeau in 2017 and Jordan Spieth in 2013.
Homa and Eckroat have won before, and both are trying to rediscover their games. Homa gets the most attention, particularly since he played in the last Ryder Cup and reached No.8 in the world until going into a slump that includes new equipment, a new coach and new caddie.
Eckroat won twice in 2024 but it has been a struggle this year. He ended last year at No.35 in the world and now is at No.75, leaving him out of the last two majors. He has yet to finish in the top 10 in 19 starts this year.
Homa ran off four straight birdies early and was tied with Ghim for the lead until he missed his final green at No.9 into a bunker and failed to get up-and-down, his only bogey of the round. Eckroat had a pair of eagles, one on the par-5 second with a shot to 12 feet, the other when he holed out with a gap wedge from 137 yards on the par-4 fifth hole.
Scoring was so low that 18 players were at 65 or better, and more than half of the 156-man field broke 70.
Australians Jason Day (74), Harrison Endycott (76) and Karl Vilips (77) were not among them. They find themselves in the bottom 20 of the field.
Doug Ghim holed out for eagle on the par-4 sixth hole and kept bogeys off his card to post a nine-under 62 in his bid to become the latest first-time PGA Tour winner at the John Deere Classic.
On a day of low scoring on Thursday, Ghim took a one-shot lead over Max Homa and Austin Eckroat at the TPC Deere Run, where the winning score has been 20-under par or lower 12 of the last 15 years.
He has been around long enough - six years on the PGA Tour, 160 tour starts as a pro - to know it's only a start. The conditions were so ideal Ghim wasn't even sure his 62 would hold up as the lead by the end of the day.
With a little more wind in the afternoon, the best anyone could do was 65 by four players, including Cameron Champ and Mexico Open winner Brian Campbell.
"Honestly, any time you can get to 20 under or better you're going to have a chance," Ghim said. "It's still golf. It's still a challenge. You have to hit fairways. I hit a lot of them today. So just trying to shoot forwards of six under every day and see where that puts me."
South African Aldrich Potgieter, the 20-year-old coming off his first PGA Tour win last week in Detroit, was challenging for the lead until he stalled at the end of his round, took bogey on the par-5 17th and had to settle for a 67.
The John Deere Classic has produced 24 first-time winners, the most of any PGA Tour event since 1970, a list that included Davis Thompson last year, Bryson DeChambeau in 2017 and Jordan Spieth in 2013.
Homa and Eckroat have won before, and both are trying to rediscover their games. Homa gets the most attention, particularly since he played in the last Ryder Cup and reached No.8 in the world until going into a slump that includes new equipment, a new coach and new caddie.
Eckroat won twice in 2024 but it has been a struggle this year. He ended last year at No.35 in the world and now is at No.75, leaving him out of the last two majors. He has yet to finish in the top 10 in 19 starts this year.
Homa ran off four straight birdies early and was tied with Ghim for the lead until he missed his final green at No.9 into a bunker and failed to get up-and-down, his only bogey of the round. Eckroat had a pair of eagles, one on the par-5 second with a shot to 12 feet, the other when he holed out with a gap wedge from 137 yards on the par-4 fifth hole.
Scoring was so low that 18 players were at 65 or better, and more than half of the 156-man field broke 70.
Australians Jason Day (74), Harrison Endycott (76) and Karl Vilips (77) were not among them. They find themselves in the bottom 20 of the field.
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The Advertiser
18 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Ghim holes out from fairway again, Thompson hones in
Doug Ghim holed out from the fairway for eagle for the second straight day, sending him to a three-under 68 and a one-shot lead in the John Deere Classic. For the first time in his six years on the tour, he holds the 36-hole lead. Defending champion Davis Thompson (63) and Max Homa (68) were among the five players within one shot of him going into the weekend. Ghim holed out on the short par-4 sixth in the opening round. This time it was from 179 yards away on the par-4 15th. "I guess holing out two days in a row is always nice," Ghim said. "It's been a couple years since I holed out from the fairway. To get two back-to-back days is great." Ghim had a two-shot lead until hitting left into the trees and down a cart path, punching out through the green and chipping to 18 feet, missing the putt to make his second bogey of the round. He was at 12-under 130. Mexico Open winner Brian Campbell (66), David Lipsky (67) and Emiliano Grillo (66) were tied for second Ghim still feels a long way off from a chance to win for the first time at a tournament that has produced more first-time winners than any PGA Tour event since 1970. "The person that's going to win this tournament will be in the 20-under par area, so last time I checked I'm not there yet," Ghim said. "I don't feel like I'm in the lead, and I'm just happy that I get to be teeing off late tomorrow in contention." Homa was tied with Ghim late in the afternoon, when the greens were getting dry and crusty. But on the 18th hole, he pulled his tee shot into a bunker, missing the green to the right and wound up missing a 12-foot par putt to fall one back. He's still in good shape going into the weekend as he tries to get his game turned around. "You're going to have to shoot really low. Somebody can go out there and shoot 11 under out there and jump everybody. So just go do what we did today and play another round of golf. "Just keep waiting until the back nine on Sunday basically." Thompson played in the morning and was the first to reach 11-under 131 as he tries to become the first repeat winner of the John Deere Classic since Steve Stricker won three in a row from 2009 through 2011. Former world No 1 Jason Day fired a five-under 66 for a two-under total, but it came too late after his opening 74 left him three outside the cut. Compatriot Karl Vilips was also brilliant with a 65, but his 77 on Thursday ruined any chance he had. Doug Ghim holed out from the fairway for eagle for the second straight day, sending him to a three-under 68 and a one-shot lead in the John Deere Classic. For the first time in his six years on the tour, he holds the 36-hole lead. Defending champion Davis Thompson (63) and Max Homa (68) were among the five players within one shot of him going into the weekend. Ghim holed out on the short par-4 sixth in the opening round. This time it was from 179 yards away on the par-4 15th. "I guess holing out two days in a row is always nice," Ghim said. "It's been a couple years since I holed out from the fairway. To get two back-to-back days is great." Ghim had a two-shot lead until hitting left into the trees and down a cart path, punching out through the green and chipping to 18 feet, missing the putt to make his second bogey of the round. He was at 12-under 130. Mexico Open winner Brian Campbell (66), David Lipsky (67) and Emiliano Grillo (66) were tied for second Ghim still feels a long way off from a chance to win for the first time at a tournament that has produced more first-time winners than any PGA Tour event since 1970. "The person that's going to win this tournament will be in the 20-under par area, so last time I checked I'm not there yet," Ghim said. "I don't feel like I'm in the lead, and I'm just happy that I get to be teeing off late tomorrow in contention." Homa was tied with Ghim late in the afternoon, when the greens were getting dry and crusty. But on the 18th hole, he pulled his tee shot into a bunker, missing the green to the right and wound up missing a 12-foot par putt to fall one back. He's still in good shape going into the weekend as he tries to get his game turned around. "You're going to have to shoot really low. Somebody can go out there and shoot 11 under out there and jump everybody. So just go do what we did today and play another round of golf. "Just keep waiting until the back nine on Sunday basically." Thompson played in the morning and was the first to reach 11-under 131 as he tries to become the first repeat winner of the John Deere Classic since Steve Stricker won three in a row from 2009 through 2011. Former world No 1 Jason Day fired a five-under 66 for a two-under total, but it came too late after his opening 74 left him three outside the cut. Compatriot Karl Vilips was also brilliant with a 65, but his 77 on Thursday ruined any chance he had. Doug Ghim holed out from the fairway for eagle for the second straight day, sending him to a three-under 68 and a one-shot lead in the John Deere Classic. For the first time in his six years on the tour, he holds the 36-hole lead. Defending champion Davis Thompson (63) and Max Homa (68) were among the five players within one shot of him going into the weekend. Ghim holed out on the short par-4 sixth in the opening round. This time it was from 179 yards away on the par-4 15th. "I guess holing out two days in a row is always nice," Ghim said. "It's been a couple years since I holed out from the fairway. To get two back-to-back days is great." Ghim had a two-shot lead until hitting left into the trees and down a cart path, punching out through the green and chipping to 18 feet, missing the putt to make his second bogey of the round. He was at 12-under 130. Mexico Open winner Brian Campbell (66), David Lipsky (67) and Emiliano Grillo (66) were tied for second Ghim still feels a long way off from a chance to win for the first time at a tournament that has produced more first-time winners than any PGA Tour event since 1970. "The person that's going to win this tournament will be in the 20-under par area, so last time I checked I'm not there yet," Ghim said. "I don't feel like I'm in the lead, and I'm just happy that I get to be teeing off late tomorrow in contention." Homa was tied with Ghim late in the afternoon, when the greens were getting dry and crusty. But on the 18th hole, he pulled his tee shot into a bunker, missing the green to the right and wound up missing a 12-foot par putt to fall one back. He's still in good shape going into the weekend as he tries to get his game turned around. "You're going to have to shoot really low. Somebody can go out there and shoot 11 under out there and jump everybody. So just go do what we did today and play another round of golf. "Just keep waiting until the back nine on Sunday basically." Thompson played in the morning and was the first to reach 11-under 131 as he tries to become the first repeat winner of the John Deere Classic since Steve Stricker won three in a row from 2009 through 2011. Former world No 1 Jason Day fired a five-under 66 for a two-under total, but it came too late after his opening 74 left him three outside the cut. Compatriot Karl Vilips was also brilliant with a 65, but his 77 on Thursday ruined any chance he had. Doug Ghim holed out from the fairway for eagle for the second straight day, sending him to a three-under 68 and a one-shot lead in the John Deere Classic. For the first time in his six years on the tour, he holds the 36-hole lead. Defending champion Davis Thompson (63) and Max Homa (68) were among the five players within one shot of him going into the weekend. Ghim holed out on the short par-4 sixth in the opening round. This time it was from 179 yards away on the par-4 15th. "I guess holing out two days in a row is always nice," Ghim said. "It's been a couple years since I holed out from the fairway. To get two back-to-back days is great." Ghim had a two-shot lead until hitting left into the trees and down a cart path, punching out through the green and chipping to 18 feet, missing the putt to make his second bogey of the round. He was at 12-under 130. Mexico Open winner Brian Campbell (66), David Lipsky (67) and Emiliano Grillo (66) were tied for second Ghim still feels a long way off from a chance to win for the first time at a tournament that has produced more first-time winners than any PGA Tour event since 1970. "The person that's going to win this tournament will be in the 20-under par area, so last time I checked I'm not there yet," Ghim said. "I don't feel like I'm in the lead, and I'm just happy that I get to be teeing off late tomorrow in contention." Homa was tied with Ghim late in the afternoon, when the greens were getting dry and crusty. But on the 18th hole, he pulled his tee shot into a bunker, missing the green to the right and wound up missing a 12-foot par putt to fall one back. He's still in good shape going into the weekend as he tries to get his game turned around. "You're going to have to shoot really low. Somebody can go out there and shoot 11 under out there and jump everybody. So just go do what we did today and play another round of golf. "Just keep waiting until the back nine on Sunday basically." Thompson played in the morning and was the first to reach 11-under 131 as he tries to become the first repeat winner of the John Deere Classic since Steve Stricker won three in a row from 2009 through 2011. Former world No 1 Jason Day fired a five-under 66 for a two-under total, but it came too late after his opening 74 left him three outside the cut. Compatriot Karl Vilips was also brilliant with a 65, but his 77 on Thursday ruined any chance he had.
Perth Now
20 hours ago
- Perth Now
Ghim holes out from fairway again, Thompson hones in
Doug Ghim holed out from the fairway for eagle for the second straight day, sending him to a three-under 68 and a one-shot lead in the John Deere Classic. For the first time in his six years on the tour, he holds the 36-hole lead. Defending champion Davis Thompson (63) and Max Homa (68) were among the five players within one shot of him going into the weekend. Ghim holed out on the short par-4 sixth in the opening round. This time it was from 179 yards away on the par-4 15th. "I guess holing out two days in a row is always nice," Ghim said. "It's been a couple years since I holed out from the fairway. To get two back-to-back days is great." Ghim had a two-shot lead until hitting left into the trees and down a cart path, punching out through the green and chipping to 18 feet, missing the putt to make his second bogey of the round. He was at 12-under 130. Mexico Open winner Brian Campbell (66), David Lipsky (67) and Emiliano Grillo (66) were tied for second Ghim still feels a long way off from a chance to win for the first time at a tournament that has produced more first-time winners than any PGA Tour event since 1970. "The person that's going to win this tournament will be in the 20-under par area, so last time I checked I'm not there yet," Ghim said. "I don't feel like I'm in the lead, and I'm just happy that I get to be teeing off late tomorrow in contention." Homa was tied with Ghim late in the afternoon, when the greens were getting dry and crusty. But on the 18th hole, he pulled his tee shot into a bunker, missing the green to the right and wound up missing a 12-foot par putt to fall one back. He's still in good shape going into the weekend as he tries to get his game turned around. "You're going to have to shoot really low. Somebody can go out there and shoot 11 under out there and jump everybody. So just go do what we did today and play another round of golf. "Just keep waiting until the back nine on Sunday basically." Thompson played in the morning and was the first to reach 11-under 131 as he tries to become the first repeat winner of the John Deere Classic since Steve Stricker won three in a row from 2009 through 2011. Former world No 1 Jason Day fired a five-under 66 for a two-under total, but it came too late after his opening 74 left him three outside the cut. Compatriot Karl Vilips was also brilliant with a 65, but his 77 on Thursday ruined any chance he had.
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- The Advertiser
Ghim sets cracking pace in hunt for maiden PGA title
Doug Ghim holed out for eagle on the par-4 sixth hole and kept bogeys off his card to post a nine-under 62 in his bid to become the latest first-time PGA Tour winner at the John Deere Classic. On a day of low scoring on Thursday, Ghim took a one-shot lead over Max Homa and Austin Eckroat at the TPC Deere Run, where the winning score has been 20-under par or lower 12 of the last 15 years. He has been around long enough - six years on the PGA Tour, 160 tour starts as a pro - to know it's only a start. The conditions were so ideal Ghim wasn't even sure his 62 would hold up as the lead by the end of the day. With a little more wind in the afternoon, the best anyone could do was 65 by four players, including Cameron Champ and Mexico Open winner Brian Campbell. "Honestly, any time you can get to 20 under or better you're going to have a chance," Ghim said. "It's still golf. It's still a challenge. You have to hit fairways. I hit a lot of them today. So just trying to shoot forwards of six under every day and see where that puts me." South African Aldrich Potgieter, the 20-year-old coming off his first PGA Tour win last week in Detroit, was challenging for the lead until he stalled at the end of his round, took bogey on the par-5 17th and had to settle for a 67. The John Deere Classic has produced 24 first-time winners, the most of any PGA Tour event since 1970, a list that included Davis Thompson last year, Bryson DeChambeau in 2017 and Jordan Spieth in 2013. Homa and Eckroat have won before, and both are trying to rediscover their games. Homa gets the most attention, particularly since he played in the last Ryder Cup and reached No.8 in the world until going into a slump that includes new equipment, a new coach and new caddie. Eckroat won twice in 2024 but it has been a struggle this year. He ended last year at No.35 in the world and now is at No.75, leaving him out of the last two majors. He has yet to finish in the top 10 in 19 starts this year. Homa ran off four straight birdies early and was tied with Ghim for the lead until he missed his final green at No.9 into a bunker and failed to get up-and-down, his only bogey of the round. Eckroat had a pair of eagles, one on the par-5 second with a shot to 12 feet, the other when he holed out with a gap wedge from 137 yards on the par-4 fifth hole. Scoring was so low that 18 players were at 65 or better, and more than half of the 156-man field broke 70. Australians Jason Day (74), Harrison Endycott (76) and Karl Vilips (77) were not among them. They find themselves in the bottom 20 of the field. Doug Ghim holed out for eagle on the par-4 sixth hole and kept bogeys off his card to post a nine-under 62 in his bid to become the latest first-time PGA Tour winner at the John Deere Classic. On a day of low scoring on Thursday, Ghim took a one-shot lead over Max Homa and Austin Eckroat at the TPC Deere Run, where the winning score has been 20-under par or lower 12 of the last 15 years. He has been around long enough - six years on the PGA Tour, 160 tour starts as a pro - to know it's only a start. The conditions were so ideal Ghim wasn't even sure his 62 would hold up as the lead by the end of the day. With a little more wind in the afternoon, the best anyone could do was 65 by four players, including Cameron Champ and Mexico Open winner Brian Campbell. "Honestly, any time you can get to 20 under or better you're going to have a chance," Ghim said. "It's still golf. It's still a challenge. You have to hit fairways. I hit a lot of them today. So just trying to shoot forwards of six under every day and see where that puts me." South African Aldrich Potgieter, the 20-year-old coming off his first PGA Tour win last week in Detroit, was challenging for the lead until he stalled at the end of his round, took bogey on the par-5 17th and had to settle for a 67. The John Deere Classic has produced 24 first-time winners, the most of any PGA Tour event since 1970, a list that included Davis Thompson last year, Bryson DeChambeau in 2017 and Jordan Spieth in 2013. Homa and Eckroat have won before, and both are trying to rediscover their games. Homa gets the most attention, particularly since he played in the last Ryder Cup and reached No.8 in the world until going into a slump that includes new equipment, a new coach and new caddie. Eckroat won twice in 2024 but it has been a struggle this year. He ended last year at No.35 in the world and now is at No.75, leaving him out of the last two majors. He has yet to finish in the top 10 in 19 starts this year. Homa ran off four straight birdies early and was tied with Ghim for the lead until he missed his final green at No.9 into a bunker and failed to get up-and-down, his only bogey of the round. Eckroat had a pair of eagles, one on the par-5 second with a shot to 12 feet, the other when he holed out with a gap wedge from 137 yards on the par-4 fifth hole. Scoring was so low that 18 players were at 65 or better, and more than half of the 156-man field broke 70. Australians Jason Day (74), Harrison Endycott (76) and Karl Vilips (77) were not among them. They find themselves in the bottom 20 of the field. Doug Ghim holed out for eagle on the par-4 sixth hole and kept bogeys off his card to post a nine-under 62 in his bid to become the latest first-time PGA Tour winner at the John Deere Classic. On a day of low scoring on Thursday, Ghim took a one-shot lead over Max Homa and Austin Eckroat at the TPC Deere Run, where the winning score has been 20-under par or lower 12 of the last 15 years. He has been around long enough - six years on the PGA Tour, 160 tour starts as a pro - to know it's only a start. The conditions were so ideal Ghim wasn't even sure his 62 would hold up as the lead by the end of the day. With a little more wind in the afternoon, the best anyone could do was 65 by four players, including Cameron Champ and Mexico Open winner Brian Campbell. "Honestly, any time you can get to 20 under or better you're going to have a chance," Ghim said. "It's still golf. It's still a challenge. You have to hit fairways. I hit a lot of them today. So just trying to shoot forwards of six under every day and see where that puts me." South African Aldrich Potgieter, the 20-year-old coming off his first PGA Tour win last week in Detroit, was challenging for the lead until he stalled at the end of his round, took bogey on the par-5 17th and had to settle for a 67. The John Deere Classic has produced 24 first-time winners, the most of any PGA Tour event since 1970, a list that included Davis Thompson last year, Bryson DeChambeau in 2017 and Jordan Spieth in 2013. Homa and Eckroat have won before, and both are trying to rediscover their games. Homa gets the most attention, particularly since he played in the last Ryder Cup and reached No.8 in the world until going into a slump that includes new equipment, a new coach and new caddie. Eckroat won twice in 2024 but it has been a struggle this year. He ended last year at No.35 in the world and now is at No.75, leaving him out of the last two majors. He has yet to finish in the top 10 in 19 starts this year. Homa ran off four straight birdies early and was tied with Ghim for the lead until he missed his final green at No.9 into a bunker and failed to get up-and-down, his only bogey of the round. Eckroat had a pair of eagles, one on the par-5 second with a shot to 12 feet, the other when he holed out with a gap wedge from 137 yards on the par-4 fifth hole. Scoring was so low that 18 players were at 65 or better, and more than half of the 156-man field broke 70. Australians Jason Day (74), Harrison Endycott (76) and Karl Vilips (77) were not among them. They find themselves in the bottom 20 of the field. Doug Ghim holed out for eagle on the par-4 sixth hole and kept bogeys off his card to post a nine-under 62 in his bid to become the latest first-time PGA Tour winner at the John Deere Classic. On a day of low scoring on Thursday, Ghim took a one-shot lead over Max Homa and Austin Eckroat at the TPC Deere Run, where the winning score has been 20-under par or lower 12 of the last 15 years. He has been around long enough - six years on the PGA Tour, 160 tour starts as a pro - to know it's only a start. The conditions were so ideal Ghim wasn't even sure his 62 would hold up as the lead by the end of the day. With a little more wind in the afternoon, the best anyone could do was 65 by four players, including Cameron Champ and Mexico Open winner Brian Campbell. "Honestly, any time you can get to 20 under or better you're going to have a chance," Ghim said. "It's still golf. It's still a challenge. You have to hit fairways. I hit a lot of them today. So just trying to shoot forwards of six under every day and see where that puts me." South African Aldrich Potgieter, the 20-year-old coming off his first PGA Tour win last week in Detroit, was challenging for the lead until he stalled at the end of his round, took bogey on the par-5 17th and had to settle for a 67. The John Deere Classic has produced 24 first-time winners, the most of any PGA Tour event since 1970, a list that included Davis Thompson last year, Bryson DeChambeau in 2017 and Jordan Spieth in 2013. Homa and Eckroat have won before, and both are trying to rediscover their games. Homa gets the most attention, particularly since he played in the last Ryder Cup and reached No.8 in the world until going into a slump that includes new equipment, a new coach and new caddie. Eckroat won twice in 2024 but it has been a struggle this year. He ended last year at No.35 in the world and now is at No.75, leaving him out of the last two majors. He has yet to finish in the top 10 in 19 starts this year. Homa ran off four straight birdies early and was tied with Ghim for the lead until he missed his final green at No.9 into a bunker and failed to get up-and-down, his only bogey of the round. Eckroat had a pair of eagles, one on the par-5 second with a shot to 12 feet, the other when he holed out with a gap wedge from 137 yards on the par-4 fifth hole. Scoring was so low that 18 players were at 65 or better, and more than half of the 156-man field broke 70. Australians Jason Day (74), Harrison Endycott (76) and Karl Vilips (77) were not among them. They find themselves in the bottom 20 of the field.
