BOCA RATON (Fla.) — The first round of Friday’s TimberTech Championship, held at Broken Sound Club in the windy conditions, was a day to “hold on”.
Hold on to your hat. Hold on to your score. Hold on to your spot among the top 36 in the Charles Schwab Cup rankings.
Padraig harrington and David Toms, both former major champions, were tied with four other players for the lead at 4-under-67s. Shane Bertsch, K.J. and they shared the lead. Choi.
Harrington said, “I kept my head down in the wind.” Harrington will be inducted in to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2019. There were some really tough shots. Sometimes I felt I was playing well but at other times I had to do my best to make par.
The Old Course was renovated by Rees Jones, a Hall of Fame architect last year. This caused the players to adjust to both the wind and the renovations. The par dropped from 72 down to 71, while the difficulty level was raised.
Toms explained: “I knew that the setup crew was trying to determine where the pins and tees should be placed, and we as players are trying to do the same thing.” “I made my one bogey at the 11th when they had pins on the back-left. I was trying to be clever and hit the ball back there, making bogey rather than playing to my right and making par. “I paid the price.”
Toms explained: “I knew that the setup crew was trying to determine where the pins and tees should be placed, and we as players are trying to do the same thing.” “I made my one bogey at the 11th when they had pins on the back-left. I was trying to be clever and hit the ball back there, making a bogey rather than playing to my right and making par. “I paid the price.”
Bertsch stated, “It was an excellent round but there was a bit of a rocky finish.” “I lost focus towards the end.” “It was disappointing to miss the 2-footer with a sidewind on the last green, but I still played fantastic.”
Choi’s round was the wildest of the day, with eight birdies and two bogeys. He also made a double-bogey. Choi claimed that back problems were the cause of some errant swings. Mother Nature also played a role.
Choi stated, “I don’t know why but today I felt very confident with a low cut shot.” The conditions were extremely difficult. The narrow fairways make for some difficult shots. The greens are becoming firmer each day. Earlier in the week, they were softer. They are now taking a hard rebound.”
After 68s, Mike Weir, 2003 Masters champion is tied with Stuart residents Ken Duke and Marco Dawson for fifth place. Tequesta’s Justin Leonard, and Vijay Singh are tied with Steven Alker, the 2021 winner, for eighth place after 68s.
Hall of Famers Ernie Els and Bernhard Langer have had a so-so start
Ernie Els, of Jupiter, and Bernhard Langer – a three-time TimberTech champ – both had mediocre starts. Els shot a 1-under-par 70 with two birdies, a bogey and a par. He is tied for the 14th place.
Langer’s scorecard was also uneventful with two birdies, and two bogeys. He is tied for 20th place with a score of 71.
Langer stated, “It was tough there.” Langer said, “I made some great shots and some bad shots. I had to work hard for my score. I had some missed birdie chances, but I also made some pars. I didn’t lose the tournament. It’s a much tougher course now than before.”
Although the Old Course is expected to be a tough test, the conditions should ease up over the weekend. Most of the field has struggled to read the new greens.
Toms stated, “You just have to play solid golf and pick the spots while staying in control of the wind.” “And I have to hit the ball well. It’s always best to hit the ball in the middle of your clubface. If you find yourself in trouble, try to stay calm and not be aggressive.
Four players are in the lead after 18-holes. Who will hold on?
