Fiery start by Burns
LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Sam Burns birdied the last three holes to seize a two-stroke lead over fellow American Max Homa and England's Matthew Fitzpatrick after Thursday's opening round of the PGA Genesis Invitational.
Burns, a 24-year-old chasing his first tour victory, fired a seven-under-par 64 at Riviera Country Club for his third top-four start in his past four starts.
"I think just being patient out here (is key)," Burns said. "This golf course at times doesn't offer you a lot of opportunities, so I think just with that mindset going in we were just going to kind of take what we could get."
Fitzpatrick matched his best US PGA first round with a 66 to equal Homa in second with a pack on 67 including Sweden's Alex Noren, Australian Matt Jones, Chile's Joaquin Niemann and American Patrick Cantlay.
"Really pleased," Fitzpatrick said.
"To get off to a start like that in the first round, I'm delighted." Burns eagled the par-5 first hole on a 19-foot putt and birdied the fifth then answered a bogey at the par-3 sixth by dropping his approach inches from the cup for a tap-in birdie at the par-4 seventh. He closed the front nine with a 16-foot birdie putt.
It was massive.
World No. 147 Burns took a bogey at 12 after finding a greenside bunker but birdied 13 and then reeled off his fantastic finish — a birdie putt from just inside 20 feet at the par-3 16th, another frpom 10 feet at the par-5 17th and a final birdie at 18 after leaving his approach within four feet of the hole.
'Hot start'
"Off to a hot start there with eagle on the first hole," Burns said. "We were just pretty consistent throughout the round. We knew we were going to have a tough stretch there to kind of start the back nine."
Fitzpatrick shined despite only reaching 8-of-18 greens in regulation.
"It was a good day overall," he said.
"I felt like I played probably better than my tee-to-green stats would suggest. My swing actually felt pretty good. There's a couple loose ones in there, but on the whole it's a great start, couldn't ask for any better."
Fitzpatrick, who began off the 10th tee, birdied the 11th and answered a bogey at 13 by sinking a 43-foot birdie putt at the par-3 14th and rolling in a 10-footer for birdie at the par-3 16th.
He reached the green in two at the par-5 first and rolled in a 25-foot eagle putt and added a three-foot birdie putt at the seventh for his 66. "It was massive," 20th-ranked Fitzpatrick said of his eagle.
"To get off to a start like that was great. Feel really comfortable with where it's at. It's nice to see all the hard work pay off. Hope it continues."
World No. 8 Cantlay, also a back-nine starter, birdied four of his last eight holes.
"Four-under on the second nine today was really good," he said. "My game is in a good place and hopefully I can keep it going the next three days."
World No. 1 Dustin Johnson, the reigning Masters champion, opened on 68 with defending champion Adam Scott of Australia shooting 69 and second-ranked Spaniard Jon Rahm on 70.
Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy opened on 73.
South Korea's Kim Tae-hoon, who opened on 69 playing on a sponsor's exemption, made a hole-in-one at the 168-yard par-3 16th hole with a 7-iron.
It was a second eagle in his first seven holes that won the world number 291 a new car.