Rocket-ing up leaderboard
Redman’s finish: 7 birdies in final 8 holes
Doc Redman collected seven birdies in his last eight holes to grab a share of the first-round lead with Scott Stallings and Kevin Kisner at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit on Thursday.
Redman, runner-up at last year’s Classic and still chasing a first PGA Tour win, made a quiet start at the Detroit Golf Club, picking up a single birdie on his outward nine.
But after taking his only bogey of the round at the 10th, the 22-year-old caught fire by carding birdies the rest of the way home except the par-five 14th for a 7-under 65.
Redman said he isn’t intimidated by playing alongside the world’s best despite his age.
“I’ve got a lot of experience and I feel very comfortable around the guys and around the courses,” he said.
“I’m just navigating my way around the PGA Tour.”
Stallings got off to a birdie/ bogey start but was error free the rest of the way, capping his round with back-to-back birdies to join fellow American Redman atop the leaderboard.
Starting on the back nine, Kisner got hot late with four birdies over his final five holes to card a seven-under 65 as he looks for this fourth win on the PGA Tour.
Lurking one back on 6-under 66 are seven players including Bryson DeChambeau, who had a roller coaster round that included an eagle, eight birdies and four bogeys.
He would have joined the leaders if not for a bogey on his last.
“There was obviously a lot of highs and a lot of lows,” said the 26-year-old American, who has been crushing balls since adding muscle during the PGA Tour’s threemonth break due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“But if I can keep hitting it straight, hitting some greens and making the putts like I am, it’s going to be a fun week.”
Rickie Fowler headlines a group two behind at 5-under, which includes Canadian Adam Hadwin, while world No. 6 Webb Simpson, the highest-ranked player in the field, returned a 4-under 68 to sit three off the pace.
Simpson won last month’s RBC Heritage in Hilton Head, South Carolina.
AWARD RENAMED
The PGA of America
Board of Directors said it had renamed its Horton Smith Award, which was named for a former PGA president who supported a “Caucasian-only” membership clause.
Smith defended the policy during his tenure as PGA president from 1952 through 1954.
The policy was dropped in 1961.
“The PGA of America is taking ownership of a failed chapter in our history that resulted in excluding many from achieving their dreams of earning the coveted PGA Member badge and advancing the game of golf,” PGA President Suzy Whaley said on Thursday.
The PGA will replace the Horton Smith Award with the PGA Professional Development Award, which recognizes “outstanding contributions to professional education” by PGA members.