Scott playing great
Grabs one-shot lead after first round of Safeway Open
Australia’s Adam Scott sank a 54-foot eagle putt Thursday and wound up tied for the first-round lead at the Safeway Open in Napa, Calif.
Scott and Andrew Landry each shot seven-under-par 65 at Silverado Resort’s North Course. Matthew NeSmith and Italy’s Francesco Molinari are tied for third at six under, with Cameron Champ, Adam Long and Chris Baker sharing fifth place at five under.
The laid-back vibe of Napa Valley wine country suits Scott.
“I get the feeling that it’s fairly mellow,” Scott said, according to GolfChannel. com. “I probably should stick around for a bit longer to be able to enjoy all it has to offer.”
The 39-year-old UNLV product is seeking his 14th career PGA Tour win, though he hasn’t topped a tour event since 2016. Scott is appearing in his first event since finishing in sixth place at the Tour Championship at Atlanta’s East Lake in August.
He finished with the eagle, six birdies and one bogey.
Landry produced a bogey-free round. He had five birdies in a seven-hole stretch to end the back nine, which he played first, and he ended up with seven birdies.
Corey Conners and Adam Hadwin were the top Canadians at four under.
They were followed by Nick Taylor (-3), Roger Sloan (-2), David Hearn (-1) and Mackenzie Hughes (+2).
LPGA TOUR
Boosted by a stretch of four consecutive birdies, South Korea’s Mi Jung Hur grabbed the first-round lead at the Indy Women in Tech Championship in Indianapolis.
Hur carded a nine-underpar 63 at Brickyard Crossing Golf Club, giving her a twoshot edge over Japan’s Sakura Yokomine, England’s Bronte Law and Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen.
Marina Alex, Amy Olson and Thailand’s Pornanong Phatlum are tied for fifth at six6 under, with Ally McDonald, Lauren Stephenson, England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff and the South Korean pair of Mirim Lee and Chella Choi sharing eighth at five under.
Hur, 29, is looking for the fourth LPGA win of her career and her second this year after she captured the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open last month.
“After I got a win in Scotland, I got a lot of confidence and (was) playing like a bit more comfy,” she said. “My long game gets better and putting (is going) well, everything (going) well, so had a good year so far.”
Canada’s Alena Sharp was at four under, while Brooke Henderson finished her first round at three under.
WALTERS LEADS BY ONE AT ST ANDREWS
South Africa’s Justin Walters took a one-shot lead with a stunning nine-under par 63 in the first round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews.
Walters sank nine birdies, including five on the back nine, to lead four golfers — France’s Victor Perez, England’s Jordan Smith,
New Zealand’s Ryan Fox and Spain’s Adrian Otaegui — at the Old Course, St Andrews. Otaegui carded 64 at Kingsbarns.
The tournament is played over three courses, with one round played each on Carnoustie, the Old Course and Kingsbarns before the final round at St Andrews.
It was an emotional day for Walters who has struggled with injury and the death of his father this year. But the 38-year-old said he found solace on the same greens he had played on when his mother died.
“I’ve been swinging really well all year, mostly from about the U.S. Open when I qualified,” Walters said. “I got to the Irish Open and tore my calf really badly and really struggled to get right again after a while.
“I finally got over that and then I lost my dad. It was quite hard, I just kind of decided not to feel sorry for myself and... dust myself off and come in here.”