Friday 27 March 2015 10:44, UK
Charley Hoffman fired a five-under 67 in strong winds to hold a one shot first round lead at the Valero Texas Open.
Strong winds played havoc with the scoring at TPC San Antonio, with over three quarters of the field signing off over-par and 31 players, including two-time major winner Martin Kaymer, posting first round scores of 80 or higher.Part of the afternoon group playing in slightly improved conditions, Hoffman posted two birdies from his first three holes before making three further gains from less than 12-feet in a blemish-free round to move one shot clear of Australia’s Aaron Baddeley.
The world No 259, without a PGA Tour title in four years, opened with back-to-back gains and recovered from missing an eight-foot par-save putt at the seventh by making a third birdie at the next.
Baddeley picked up two further strokes in his back nine, including a remarkable birdie at the 17th where he took a penalty and returned to the tee after striking his initial shot into trees, only to hole his third shot from over 330 yards.
Max Homa finished with successive gains in a first round 69 containing six birdies to stay within two of the lead, with Phil Mickelson also having a birdie-birdie finish to join the group a further stroke back.
The five-time major winner lost the head of his 8-iron when it snapped off as he played his bunker shot at the 13th but finished strongly with three late birdies, while seven players including Jordan Spieth and Zach Johnson ended one-under.
Four years on from posting a PGA Tour record 16 at the par four ninth, Kevin Na found the cup in par to reach the turn two-over, making two gains in a bogey-free back nine to sit alongside Matt Kuchar and FedEx Cup winner Billy Horschel in a ten-man group level par.
“It was extremely tough,” Kuchar told Sky Sports 4. “This golf course is a great challenge in still conditions, so you throw on 30mph winds and it becomes really hard.
“It’s hard, if you get out of place here you’re really struggling and I was glad to just walk off with a bogey on the ninth today.”
Wind swept
With low scores hard to come by, Marc Warren missed two 10-foot par putts in his first three holes and also made bogeys at the eighth and the par three 13th, where his five-foot par putt ended further away from the cup than it started.
The Scot was able to post two birdies to close with a two-over first round, telling Sky Sports 4: “Really pleased with that start, as it was a really tough day. The front nine seemed to be the more difficult of the two and seemed to go on forever.”
Graeme McDowell was one of three players forced to withdraw through during the opening round, with the Northern Irishman five-over through nine when dropping out with an ankle injury.
The unwanted title of highest round when to amateur Sam Burns, who failed to register a single birdie in an opening day 89, with the American reaching the turn 12-over and making five more bogeys on the back nine.
Watch day two of the Valero Texas Open on Friday live from 7pm on Sky Sports 4 – your home of golf.
