Three tied atop leaderboard at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Favourite Dechambeau one shot back, Canada’s Hadwin firmly in the hunt
Something about the Detroit Golf Club suits Doc Redman’s eye.
The 22-year-old former amateur champion posted a 7-under-par 65 on Thursday to share the lead with Kevin Kisner and Scott Stallings after the first round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
It was Redman’s best round at the Detroit Golf Club, which is saying something considering the three consecutive 67s he carded after an opening 68 in finishing runner-up last year. That remains Redman’s best career finish on the PGA Tour.
He did arrive in Detroit showing good form after closing with a 63 at last week’s Travelers Championship.
“I’ve come off two good finishes and a really good finish last year at this event, which has never really happened to me,” Redman said after closing his opening round with seven birdies over his final eight holes. “So I’ve never had this kind of expectation externally or even internally if I let it, so just trying to make it the same as every other week.
“I think I feel very comfortable because I’ve played well here and been here, so it just comes down to playing golf and doing the best I can.”
Stallings also carded eight birdies against a lone bogey during his opening round as scores remained low despite the longer rough on the course this year. Kisner was bogey-free in posting the low round of the afternoon wave.
The trio will have to fend off Bryson Dechambeau, the pre-tournament favourite who eagled the par-five 14th hole en route to a 31 on the back nine and a 6-under 66 for the day. He was tied for the lead before dropping a shot on the 18th hole, one of four bogeys on his card.
“There was obviously a lot of highs and a lot of lows,” Dechambeau said. “Very frustrated about some of the decisions we made and some of the shots I executed.
“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.”
Rocket Mortgage ambassador Rickie Fowler is among a large pack of players, that includes Canadian Adam Hadwin, at 5-under 67.
Webb Simpson, the highest ranked player in the field at No. 6, is in a large group at 4 under that includes England’s Tyrrell Hatton. Simpson said his 68 was about the worst score he could post considering how his game felt, including a lip-out on his final hole of the day.
“A bit frustrating,” said Simpson, who is competing at the Detroit Golf Club for the first time. “I think, all in all, a good start at a place I’ve never been to.”
Fowler would have been tied for the morning lead if not for a double bogey out of thick rough on the 18th hole, his ninth of the day after starting on the back side. He has missed consecutive cuts while working on some changes with new swing coach John Tillery that he said led to bad blisters at the RBC Heritage two weeks ago.
“There’s a lot of positives I could take from it. I know it kind of is weird saying that, missed cut and taking positives,” Fowler said. “It always sucks not being there on the weekend. You’ve got to take the positives from it, which we’ve done.
“It’s nice to get off to a good start here in Detroit. Go rest up and ready for tomorrow afternoon.” NOTES: Defending champion Nate Lashley holed out from a greenside bunker on his final hole of the day to post a 1-under 71 . ... The Detroit event is in its second season on the PGA Tour, having replaced the D.c.-area Quicken Loans National
on the schedule . ... Wyndham Clark withdrew on Thursday due to a back injury.