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Scottie Scheffler’s bid to develop into the primary participant to win three consecutive PGA Tour occasions for seven years began impressively with a bogey-free 65 in the course of the opening spherical on the Texas Kids’s Houston Open.
The in-form world No 1 has received on his final two appearances, on the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Gamers Championship, and is aiming to develop into the primary participant since Dustin Johnson in 2017 to win three consecutive tournaments on the tour in his ultimate outing earlier than The Masters, dwell from April 11-14 on Sky Sports activities.
Scheffler, who had shaved off his beard since his Sawgrass triumph, began on the tenth and missed his first three greens, however picked up pictures on the thirteenth and seventeenth to succeed in the flip at two beneath.
A birdie on the par-three second was adopted by two extra within the subsequent three holes as Scheffler completed at 5 beneath, one shot behind joint leaders Wilson Furr and Taylor Moore.
“I had a strong spherical. Bogey-free is all the time good, particularly round a golf course like this,” Scheffler instructed reporters. “It’s good to have the ability to maintain the cardboard clear.”
It was the American’s twenty eighth consecutive spherical beneath par to start out the 12 months, which the PGA Tour has confirmed is essentially the most on document since 1983.
Scheffler had been scuffling with a neck drawback at Sawgrass, the place a closing 64 noticed him take the title by one stroke, however hopes he’s now on the mend.
“(The) neck is feeling higher, physique feels good. The off week was good for me to get some relaxation, get some rehab,” he mentioned.
“I took a pair extra days off than I usually would final week, so it was some good restoration time.”
Moore had began his spherical with a bogey, however quickly constructed some momentum following an eagle on the par-five third to show in 31. A pair extra birdies noticed him house at six beneath and into the early clubhouse lead.
“After the primary gap, simply tried to see what number of greens I may hit,” Moore mentioned. “Bought off to a bit little bit of a bounce begin there on 3, chipped in for eagle and birdied 4. Simply received into the spherical.”
Beginning his spherical in a while Thursday, Furr punctuated a powerful end with a virtually 20-foot birdie putt to affix Moore with a six-under 64.
Furr, a PGA Tour rookie ranked No 278 on this planet coming into this week, began his spherical on the again 9 earlier than making his transfer on the entrance. After a birdie on the third, he holed out from the fifth fairway for an eagle and completed his spherical birdie-birdie, together with his lengthy putt on the par-three ninth.
Davis Riley and Joe Highsmith sat alongside Scheffler in a tie for third, whereas England’s Aaron Rai was amongst a gaggle of gamers from the early starters at 4 beneath.
Watch the Texas Kids’s Houston Open all dwell on Sky Sports activities. Early protection of the second spherical begins on Friday from 12.30pm on Sky Sports activities Golf, forward of full protection from 8pm. The Masters is then completely dwell from April 11-14 completely on Sky Sports activities. Stream the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, majors and more with NOW.
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