Lebioda powers to Pebble Beach first-round lead, Bale impresses on PGA Tour debut
The 33-year-old Bale and professional partner Bramlet closed with a seven-under-par 65 to end tied 18th on the amateur leaderboard at the Spyglass Hill course
Hank Lebioda was firing on all cylinders on Thursday, firing nine birdies in an eight-underpar 63 to take the first-round lead in the US PGA Tour Pebble Beach Pro-am.
Lebioda said it “felt like everything” was working for him at Monterey Peninsula, the par-71 course that is one of three in use over the first three rounds along with Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill — both par-72 layouts.
“I hit a lot of great iron shots. I made the puts when I was close. It was a really nice day,” added the 29-year-old American, who is ranked 420th in the world and in search of a first US PGA Tour title.
Lebioda, who hasn’t made a cut on Tour since the 3M Open in July, tied his career-low score and was a stroke clear of England’s Harry Hall and Americans Kurt Kitayama and Chad Ramey.
Hall and Kitayama both carded seven-under 64s at Monterey Peninsula while Ramey posted a seven-under 65 at Pebble Beach.
Lebioda said recent work on his puting was finally starting to pay off.
“For probably the last couple weeks or so I felt like my puting had really turned a corner,” he said.
Hall teed off on 10 at Monterey Peninsula and his seven-under effort featured an eagle at the 16th hole and a string of five straight birdies from the third through the seventh, a run that ended with his second bogey of the day, at the eighth.
“Kept it in play off the tee,” Hall said. “Hit a lot fairways. Hit a lot of greens.”
ater failing to take advantage of two early par-fives, he hit driver off the tee at 16 and a hybrid second shot that let him a 20-foot eagle put.
“The birdie streak on the front was prety cool because I think I went bogey and then had a par on the second hole and then had five in a row from three onwards. So it was really good,” he said.
Hall was especially pleased to find himself in the clubhouse one off the lead since “coming down the last two holes it started to blow 45 miles an hour.
“It was crazy,” he said, and more wind and possible rain was in the forecast for the rest of the week.
The blustery winds were just another challenge in the tournament that features not only the complication of three courses but the addition of amateurs playing alongside the pros.
Former Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale impressed on his PGA Tour debut on Thursday as he made a swit switch from his glitering soccer career into following his passion for golf.
The celebrities teeing it up this year include such sports stars as Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and recently retired Bale.
The 33-year-old Bale and professional partner Joseph Bramlet closed with a seven-under-par 65 to end tied 18th on the amateur leaderboard at the Spyglass Hill course.
A highlight of Bale’s first round was a recovery shot off a path to save par on the second hole, the BBC reported.
Defending champion Tom Hoge, who outdueled Jordan Spieth last year to win his first PGA Tour title, carded a one-under 71 at Pebble Beach. Spieth posted a one-under round at Spyglass Hill.