Former main champion Wyndham Clark grabbed the early lead on the PGA Tour’s WM Phoenix Open, as world No 1 Scottie Scheffler bounced again from a gradual begin in Arizona.
Clark fired seven birdies in a bogey-free 64 at TPC Scottsdale, his lowest opening spherical on the PGA Tour since his 2023 US Open success, to maneuver one forward of compatriots Lee Hodges and Taylor Moore.
The world No 7, who missed the minimize on the American Categorical and struggled in final week’s title defence on the AT&T Pebble Seashore Professional-Am, rolled in an eight-foot birdie on the first and began a run of 4 consecutive birdies by holing from 15 ft on the eighth.
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Wyndham Clark carded an opening-round 64 to set the early tempo in Phoenix
Clark additionally birdied each par-fives on the again 9 and recovered from discovering water off the tee on the driveable par-four seventeenth to save lots of par, with a closing par leaving him seven below and holding a first-round lead for the primary time since The Gamers final March.
“You can’t necessarily control the score and what happens to your golf ball, but you can control your thoughts,” Clark mentioned. “It was a good reminder for me to get back to, hey, when I’m playing my best, I look at the glass more half full than I do half empty.”
Hodges recovered from two bogeys in his first 4 holes to card two eagles and 4 birdies in his opening-round 66, with Moore – additionally beginning on the again 9 – briefly main earlier than dropping tied-second when he bogeyed the fourth and completed with 5 consecutive pars.
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Sepp Straka noticed a drive go a outstanding 404 yards after a lucky bounce off a cart path throughout his opening spherical on the WM Phoenix Open
Justin Thomas is within the group of six gamers sitting two strokes again that incorporates European Ryder Cup participant Nicolai Hojgaard, whereas Thomas Detry was inside three of the lead with one gap to complete when play was suspended at 6.13pm native time because of darkness.
Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre and former world No 1 Jordan Spieth each card three-under 68, as pre-tournament favorite Scheffler recovered from an erratic opening stretch to salvage an opening-round 69.
Scheffler dropped a shot on the first, three-putted for par on the downwind par-five third and shanked a bunker shot on his solution to a bogey on the par-four fifth, earlier than cancelling out a birdie on the sixth by dropping a shot on the ninth.
The 2-time Phoenix Open champion holed out from a fairway bunker to eagle on the par-four tenth however double-bogeyed the par-three twelfth after hitting his tee shot into the water, leaving him two over for his spherical with six to play.
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Watch this unbelievable shot from Scottie Scheffler, the place he claimed an eagle with a hole-out from the golf green bunker on the par-four tenth
Scheffler birdied the par-five subsequent and rolled in an eight-foot eagle on the par-five fifteenth to get again below par, with the reigning Masters champion then getting up and down for birdie on the par-four seventeenth.
There have been 9 gamers unable to finish their spherical earlier than play was suspended, with the primary spherical resuming at 8.15am native time on Friday (3.15pm UK time). The second spherical will start as scheduled at 7.20am (2.20pm UK time).
Watch the WM Phoenix Open all through the week stay on Sky Sports activities. Early protection continues on Friday from 2.15pm on Sky Sports activities Golf forward of full protection from 9pm. Get Sky Sports activities or stream with no contract on NOW.
