Scottie Scheffler went full robot in the opening round of this week’s Byron Nelson tournament. He closed the final round with an incredible 10-under-par 61. Scheffler capped things off in grand fashion, coming through the front nine with a blistering 29. With that pwesh performance, he set a new second round lead of two shots off of Rico Hoey and Jhonattan Vegas.
Scheffler’s round began with an electrifying start. He opened with birdies on four straight holes on the front nine, showing determination and impressive talent. Prior to making the turn, he picked up another birdie. He then rounded out his front nine by holing an eagle putt from inside five feet at the par-5 ninth hole, moving to seven under par.
Throughout the round, Scheffler was able to keep his momentum going. He caught up to another big-time talent having a great day in Rico Hoey with a birdie on 13. Scheffler regained the lead with a brilliant tee shot to the stadium hole, the par-3 17th. His final ball landed within three feet of the pin!
Looking back on his performance and after winning, Scheffler said he was glad to be back at his hometown event.
“Jordan and I love playing here. This tournament has meant a lot to us over the years,” – Scottie Scheffler
The battle was just as close as Hoey and Vegas authored bogey-free rounds. Hoey, 29, from the Philippines, is in search of his first PGA Tour win. He finished strong with an eagle on the 18th hole, completing his round with an impressive 8-under score over his final ten holes. Remarkably, Hoey had suffered a dreadful start with eight pars in a row on the back nine.
Jhonattan Vegas, another competitor vying for a comeback like Scheffler, closed in a similar fashion with a bogey-free round. As a Texas alum, he had an especially strong connection to the tournament and the local crowd.
Cameron Champ just replaced Gary Woodland when Woodland withdrew from the tournament. He took the golf world by storm, showing up on leaderboards and playing well early on. Champ made all the right moves out there today, his 7 under par scorecard was no accident. He finished tied with five other players sharing 16th place, including medalist Stephan Jaeger and Michael Thorbjornsen.
Despite Champ’s recent challenges, nothing could keep him from playing his best game of the season. Looking back on what he got done — or didn’t, really — over the past two years thus far, he owned the difficulties he’s encountered. He just feels better prepared, he says.
“Considering last year, how many cuts I missed by one, it was like 11 or 12 or something, I haven’t really been playing that bad,” – Cameron Champ
Second, he specifically mentioned how diligently he’s focused on his skill development throughout this hiatus.
“The last two years is probably the hardest I’ve ever worked. Feel like my physical abilities are there. It’s just getting back to the right mental state,” – Cameron Champ
Having won this event in 2022, defending champion Taylor Pendrith made a great start to his title defense with a 67. Pendrith, unbelievable enough, had already had an excellent tour for his worth. He struggled mightily in the final two years of his career, making just 20 of 55 cuts.
Kim capped off an exhilarating effort with a chip-in eagle to close his round on the par-5 18th hole. He celebrated his achievement with a triumphant joyous backflip, joyously executing the roll onto his back.
As the tournament goes on, all eyes will again be on Scheffler. He hopes to build on his early lead and come away with a win on his home turf.
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