PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Chris Gottapp prolonged his birdie streak to 9 in two rounds on two fully completely different programs.
He ended Thursday’s AT&T Pebble Seashore Professional-Am with an 8-under 64, placing him two forward of Ryo Hisatsune on a day when nearly everybody had low scores attributable to good climate. Scottie Scheffler, who shot an even-par 72, is an exception.
Gotterup, who already has two wins this 12 months, clinched his remaining playoff match final week on the Phoenix Open with three straight birdies. From the heat of the desert to the chilly of the California coast, from carpet inexperienced to poa annua, his sport by no means modified.
He made a brief birdie putt on the primary, sank a 10-foot putt on the par-5 second, and almost hit a wedge on the third, all going nicely. He had six birdies in six holes of the spherical.
“I used to be simply coasting,” Gottapp stated. “You do not understand it in any respect within the second, however you search for and suppose, ‘Wow, I am 6 beneath and in sixth place.’ That is superb.”
He grew to become the primary golfer up to now 25 years to open a PGA Tour occasion with six consecutive birdies after profitable his final begin. Total, he grew to become the eighth golfer up to now 25 years to open a tour occasion with at the least six consecutive birdies or higher.
However it nonetheless wasn’t sufficient to overhaul Hisatsune, who has had a robust two weeks, together with a runner-up end at Torrey Pines to qualify for the $20 million signature occasion. He had three straight birdies early within the spherical, his solely birdie on the par-4 ninth, and completed with three consecutive 62s at Pebble Seashore.
He was one stroke forward of Keegan Bradley and Sam Barnes. Bradley performed at Spyglass Hill, the place the course common was about 1.5 strokes larger than at Pebble Seashore.
Defending champion Rory McIlroy, making his first begin on the PGA Tour this 12 months, had two three-putt double bogeys on the par-5 Spyglass and settled for a 68.
Bradley chipped in from the entrance of the inexperienced on No. 8 at Spyglass, hit birdie, eagle and birdie and remained scoreless the remainder of the course, incomes his finest rating on a course that often performs the toughest in calm situations.
“That is essentially the most superb day I’ve ever seen right here,” Bradley stated. “The greens are delicate, but in addition just a little bumpy, so among the putts are just a little harmful, however the scores are undoubtedly good.”
Pebble Seashore is usually a pushover with out wind, particularly on the primary seven holes. Hisatsune (5 birdies) and Gotterup (6 birdies) made hay there.
Schaeffler, not a lot.
The issue began when a lump of mud caught to the ball on the par-5 second fairway, inflicting the shot to fly about 30 yards to the left of the inexperienced. He solely had one birdie within the first stretch, however then was uncovered to sturdy winds on the best way again. And he wasn’t significantly sharp.
He solely hit two strategy photographs inside 10 ft (each missed) and no putts longer than 8 ft through the spherical.
“I believe the problem is to make numerous birdies, and that was the problem for me at the moment,” Scheffler stated. “I take a look at the leaderboard proper now and it seems like I’m within the prime 10 at 7 beneath, so my rating is fairly low.”
Scheffler struggled within the first spherical of the Phoenix Open, taking pictures a 2-over 73, however bounced again over the weekend to contend for the championship.
That is the primary time for the reason that PGA Championship and Charles Schwab Problem in Could 2021 that he has hit equal or higher photographs within the first spherical of consecutive tour begins.
Burns additionally could not benefit from the early holes. Then, with a daring strategy, he sunk the No. 8 12 ft between the again pin and the correct bunker, crossing the water for birdie. And with the wind choosing up a bit, he began on the again 9 with 5 birdies over a six-hole stretch. That included a pitch-in from slightly below 30 yards on No. 13.
Burns led the best way in placing, making performs from 45 ft on the tenth and 30 ft on the seventeenth to keep away from bogey.
“I made a good quantity of putts and I felt like I hit them fairly nicely. It was a very good mixture at the moment,” Burns stated.
Tony Finau and Patrick Rodgers every scored 64 factors for the Spyglass, tied for fourth with Gotterup. Two former Pebble champions, Nick Taylor and Tom Hoge, joined the group at age 65. Jordan Spieth, who was one level behind, additionally holed out a wedge with a spyglass and made an eagle.
Info from The Related Press was used on this report.
