A powerful mixture of golfers are in Japan this week for the ZOZO Championship, however many PGA Tour stars discover themselves nowhere close to the highest of the leaderboard after day one.
Xander Schauffele carded a 3-over 73 on Thursday and sits in a tie for seventieth—solely three pictures higher than lifeless final on this 78-man subject. The reigning PGA Championship winner made an uncharacteristic eight on the par-4 ninth gap, as his drive landed subsequent to a tree root, main to a whole meltdown. He known as himself an “fool” after the spherical and that this “cussed” mistake ‘bit him within the ass.’
Max Homa, in the meantime, additionally struggled to get acclimated in Japan on Thursday. He additionally posted a 3-over 73, a spherical that featured six bogies. He hit solely 4-of-13 fairways after which ranked 76th in strokes gained method, so it’s no surprise he struggled mightily. Homa has not posted a top-10 end because the Wells Fargo Championship in early Could.
On the flip aspect is Taylor Moore, who has just one profession PGA Tour victory however performed beautifully on Thursday. The previous Arkansas Razorback shot a 7-under 63, and leads Eric Cole, Nico Echavarria, and Max Greyserman by a stroke. Humorous sufficient, Moore performed faculty golf at Arkansas with Echavarria.
“I’d say simply very stable total,” Moore mentioned after.
“, I did a fairly good job hitting fairways and greens for probably the most half. Yeah, a few chip-ins as nicely, which at all times helps. Yeah, total, very stable.”
Moore holed out from the sand on the eleventh after which chipped in for an eagle on the par-5 18th. Having began on the again 9, he made the flip with a 4-under 32 after which made 4 extra birdies on the entrance aspect to seize the lead by one.
Extra importantly, at this juncture, he has put himself able to maneuver up the FedEx Cup Fall rankings. Moore arrived in Japan ranked 67th within the FedEx Cup Fall, however these gamers who sit between 51st and sixtieth on the finish of the RSM Basic in November obtain invitations to play within the first two Signature Occasions subsequent season. It’s a giant deal—one Moore hopes to play his means into. Ought to he go on to win, Moore would transfer as much as 51st.
After which, three strokes again of Moore is Justin Thomas, who shot a 4-under 66. He even modified putters this week, going again to a mallet.
“[The switch] was good. I made some good putts—even some that I missed I felt like they had been good. I burned a few edges,” Thomas mentioned.
“When greens have this a lot break, you actually must be exact along with your pace and match every thing up. I really feel like I did a extremely good job of that. I made some good cleans up from 4, 5, six ft.”
Two notables who didn’t have their finest stuff on Thursday are native fan-favorite Hideki Matsuyama and defending champion Collin Morikawa. Matsuyama shot a 1-over 71, and Morikawa bested him by two, posting a 1-under 69.
“I simply type of went by way of somewhat lull, missed a few numbers, began lacking some fairways,” Morikawa defined.
“Out right here, in the event you miss the fairways, it simply performs somewhat bit more durable, and also you simply can’t get near the pins. I didn’t actually make any putts, so I didn’t actually save my spherical. But it surely was good to only have a clear again 9 and end within the crimson, nonetheless be in it. It is a robust golf course and I do know I can nonetheless make quite a lot of birdies, simply received to be affected person.”
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By means of. Make sure you take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You may comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as nicely.
