Defending champ Steele tied for lead at Safeway Open
NAPA, CALIF. » Brendan Steele opened his Safeway Open title defense Thursday with a 7-under 65 for a share of the lead with Tyler Duncan and Tom Hoge in the PGA Tour’s season opener.
Lucas Glover, Chez Reavie, Emiliano Grillo and Jamie Lovemark were two shots back at 67.
Steele had an eagle, six birdies and a bogey. Last year at Silverado, he birdied the final three holes to overcome a four-shot deficit and beat Patton Kizzire by a stroke for his second PGA Tour title.
“A little bit of everything worked for me today,” Steele said. “I had a really good ball-striking day. I don’t think I missed a green, so that really helps. And then I had a good putting day as well, so you put that together and it’s going to be pretty good.
Duncan, making his first start as a PGA Tour member, also had six birdies, an eagle and a bogey.
“I thought the course would fit my game because hitting the fairways is important,” said Duncan, whose only other PGA Tour event was the 2015 U.S. Open. “There are a lot of sections in the greens that you’ve got to hit into and to hit it into those the rough is pretty challenging.”
Hoge, beginning his fourth PGA Tour season, had seven birdies. He had a back-nine 30 with six birdies.
“I played really well the whole day,” said Hoge, whose PGA Tour career best is a tie for fourth in August at the Barracuda Open. “I was in a lot of fairways, on a lot of greens and the made a few putts.” sections from
British Masters winner leads Alfred Dunhill
ST. ANDREWS, SCOTLAND » Paul Dunne picked up where he left off at Newcastle-upon-Tyne as he led the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship with Nicolas Colsaerts after the first round on Thursday.
Four days after winning the British Masters, Dunne shot a 5-under-par 67 in the three-course event on the Old Course. Colsaerts’ 67.