HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — Justin Thomas had a spherical to match the stainless climate Thursday at Harbour City with 11 birdies that allowed him to tie the course report with a 10-under 61 to guide the RBC Heritage.
One of the best shot he hit all day was an 8-iron that dropped close to the pin and settled 5 ft away. He missed that birdie putt, one of many few possibilities he did not convert.
There was little to complain about on a day of hardly any wind, a course in mint situation and heat sunshine that added to the RBC Heritage being the perfect place to decompress from the hectic week on the Masters.
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler, coming off a tie for fourth on the Masters, had little or no stress at Harbour City in a spherical of 64 that seemed simple — which isn’t to say it felt that means.
“I’ll by no means say that golf is simple, ever. Golf is difficult,” Scheffler mentioned with amusing.
However he was out of place solely as soon as off the tee and one different time when he went lengthy of a inexperienced and each occasions he saved par. In any other case, he putted for birdie or higher on the opposite 16 holes and transformed sufficient possibilities for a begin that solely seemed good — not nice — due to Thomas with the bottom rating at Harbour City in 10 years.
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Bay Hill winner Russell Henley additionally had a 64, whereas Wyndham Clark was one other shot again at 65. The group at 66 included former Hilton Head winner Matt Fitzpatrick and Gary Woodland, on the street again from mind surgical procedure and constructing momentum from a runner-up end in Houston.
Fifty gamers within the 72-man area broke par on a course that yielded a mean rating of 69.2
“I felt like when you in contrast my 4 rounds final week to right now, right now could be a a lot much less aggravating spherical of golf by way of scrambling for a par,” Scheffler mentioned. “A variety of the stuff I needed to do final week I felt like I did not should do right now to shoot a superb rating. The golf course is clearly a bit totally different, however I used to be in place many of the day right now.
“Total, yeah, I’d say stress-free day.”
Thomas is winless since capturing his second PGA Championship title in 2022, although his sport has been trending sufficient in the correct route that he’s No. 8 on the planet. The Masters was a disappointment — no spherical decrease than 70, 13 pictures behind in a tie for thirty sixth — however he put in some good work at Hilton Head for 2 days and made it repay.
Six of his birdie putts had been inside 10 ft, and he threw in three birdies from the 35-foot vary, one among them on the seventeenth gap that put him in vary of the course report.
He thought he had it with that 8-iron to a entrance pin on the 18th, which runs alongside the Calibogue Sound, solely to overlook the putt. He additionally missed a 4-foot par putt on the tenth.
“I have been enjoying rather well, actually strong. Felt good about issues,” Thomas mentioned. “I simply did not play effectively final week. Put some actually good work within the couple days main into the beginning right now, and I felt ready. It was nearly going out and doing it, and it was good to take action.”
Amongst those that performed later because the breeze — and nothing greater than a breeze — started to choose up was Justin Rose, who misplaced in a playoff final week. He birdied his final two holes for a 67 to hitch a gaggle that included Jordan Spieth, Patrick Cantlay and Tommy Fleetwood.
Masters champion Rory McIlroy determined to skip this signature occasion even earlier than the Masters bought began. Hilton Head was not a course he felt suited him with its tight, tree-lined angles.
Thomas felt otherwise.
“I adore it. I want we performed extra locations prefer it,” Thomas mentioned. “I believe extra architects ought to design locations like this. It sort of stands of take a look at of time, I believe. Particularly if we proceed to get climate like this and if these fairways get agency — the greens are already getting agency — it’ll be all the things we would like by the tip of the week.”
He bought all the things he might have wished — save for that birdie putt on the 18th — at the beginning of the week.
