B.C. golfer grabs share of tourney lead
Sloan with two others 8-under at Wyndham
The unlikely trio of Harold Varner III, Tom Hoge and Canadian Roger Sloan share the lead at 8-under 62 during a weather-interrupted first round at the Wyndham Championship at Greensboro, N.C., on Thursday.
Although the three golfers have never won a PGA Tour event, each is certainly off to a good start after one trip around Sedgefield Country Club.
The round was suspended due to inclement weather that included thunderstorms in the area at 6:08 p.m. ET. It will resume on Friday, while the second round will start as scheduled.
Varner recorded eight birdies during a bogey-free round, Hoge carded one eagle, seven birdies and one bogey, and Sloan made nine birdies and one bogey.
Harris English is two shots back after a 6-under 64 that consisted of seven birdies and one bogey.
Sloan’s round was a career best, while Varner and Hoge matched their top efforts.
Varner, who turns 30 on Saturday, had four birdies on both the front and back nine.
“I hit it really well, just capitalized on the chances I got,” Varner said after the round. “I had a lot of looks and that’s all you’re trying to do out here since you’ve got to shoot so low.”
Hoge became just the third player to card multiple rounds of 62 at the Wyndham Championship since 2008. Sweden’s Carl Pettersson (2008, 2012) and Brandt Snedeker (2015, 2018) are the others.
Hoge carded five birdies during a six-hole stretch on the front nine. He had two more on the back side, where his eagle on the par-5, 15th hole was the highlight. He reached the green in two shots and then knocked in a 14-foot putt.
The 31-year-old Hoge had his lone blemish with a bogey on the par-4, 18th hole.
“I feel like I found that form again that I had before the coronavirus hit,” Hoge said during a television interview. “It’s been a rough two months until this point. I’m ready to play some golf again.”
The 33-year-old Sloan, of Merritt, registered birdies on six of the first eight holes, but he bogeyed No. 9. He made three more birdies on the back nine, including at 16 and 17.
“It was kind of my putter,” Sloan said. “I just hit the ball in great spots and was able to fill it up today. I’m really cherishing today’s round because it was a big cup.”
Among other finishers, Patrick Reed was one of five players who carded a 65, Webb Simpson shot 66, Spain’s Sergio Garcia posted a 67, Jordan Spieth shot 70, Brooks Koepka struggled to a 2-over 72 and England’s Justin Rose shot 73.
“I definitely came out flat,” a disappointed Koepka said in a television interview. “But I got to play. There’s no other option.”
Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont., turned in a 3-under 67, while Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., carded a 1-under 69 and David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., was at 2-over 72.