McIlroy shoots 62 to take an early lead at the Travelers
CROMWELL, Conn. (AP) — Rory McIlroy fought off a sinus bug to shoot an 8-under 62 on Thursday for a share of the first-round lead with J.T. Poston in the Travelers Championship.
Coming off a fifth-place tie Sunday in the U.S. Open after winning the Canadian Open the previous week, the second-ranked McIlroy had a bogey-free morning round — highlighted by a 47-foot birdie putt on the par-4 seventh. McIlroy matched the lowest opening round of his PGA Tour career.
Poston had five straight birdies on Nos. 13-17 and made the turn at 6-under 29, giving rise to thoughts of Jim Furyk’s record 58 on the same TPC River Highlands course in 2016. Poston added birdies on Nos. 7 and 9.
In Gee Chun shoots 64, races to big lead at Women’s PGA
BETHESDA, Md. (AP) — In Gee Chun breezed to an 8-under 64 and jumped out to a record-tying five-stroke lead in the first round of the Women’s PGA Championship.
Chun’s lead is tied for the biggest ever after the first round of a women’s major. Mickey Wright led this tournament by five after the first round in 1961. Chun is a two-time major champion, most recently at the Evian Championship in 2016.
Most of the field slogged through the day on the wet Blue Course at Congressional. But Chun birdied seven of eight holes during one stretch.
Pornanong Phatlum and Hye-Jin Choi each shot 69, and no one else broke 70.
Haas shoots 67 at 68 for share of US Senior Open lead
BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) — Jay Haas has been shooting his age or better for the last three years. He’s just never done on it on a stage quite like the U.S. Senior Open. The 68-year-old Haas did one better. He opened with a 67 at Saucon Valley and shared the 18-hole lead with Mark Hensby.
It’s the seventh time Haas has shot his age or better. And he becomes the fifth player in U.S. Senior Open history to shoot his age. Haas and Hensby have a one-shot lead over a group of four players that include Steve Stricker and Rocco Mediate.
