Storming 61 lifts Munoz to top at Greenbrier, Love two behind
>> WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS: Colombia’s Sebastian Munoz fired a sizzling nineunder-par 61 on Thursday to seize the first-round lead at the US PGA Tour’s Greenbrier Classic.
Munoz, a 24-year-old in search of his first tour title, stormed past early pace-setter Davis Love, and finished the day with a two-stroke lead over the 53-year-old American, who had seven birdies without a bogey in his seven-under 63.
Munoz climbed swiftly up the leaderboard with four birdies in a row at the second, third, fourth and fifth holes. He picked up another stroke at the seventh, and moved within a stroke of early leader Love with a 15-foot birdie putt at the 10th.
A bogey at the par-four 13th proved just a hiccup, as Munoz responded with birdies at the next four holes.
Love, seeking his first tour title since his 2015 Wyndham Championship win made him the third-oldest winner in PGA Tour history, was also quick out of the blocks on the Old White TPC course in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.
Four of Love’s birdies came in the first five holes and he added three more coming in.
“That’s about as good as it gets,” Love said of a start that included a birdie from within two feet at the first and an 11-footer at the second. After parring the third, Love made another birdie from within two feet at the fourth and rolled in a five-footer at the fifth.
A 30-foot birdie at the 14th gave Love a share of the lead and he chipped in from in front of the green at 17.
Love was one stroke in front of half a dozen players sharing third place on six-under 64.
The group included New Zealand’s Danny Lee, who won the most recent edition of the tournament in 2015 for his only PGA Tour title to date.
Lee was joined by Americans Ben Martin and Xander Schauffele, Canadians Nick Taylor and Graham DeLaet and Sweden’s David Lingmerth.