Sam Saunders has seen this before.
At last year’s Genesis Open, he got everyone’s attention with a first round 64.
He had to wait an extra day to try and follow up on it.
“I had the lead for a couple of days because we sat in the hotel and watched it rain (on Friday) and then I had a really bad second round and then just kind of hung around for the weekend.”
Saunders will have a chance to do better. He opened with a four-under par 67 on Thursday and there’s no rain in the forecast this year for day two.
Saunders, grandson of the late Arnold Palmer, knows his grandfather won this event three times (’63, ’66, ’67) but is trying to stay focused on his own performance.
“I’m sure right now he’d (Palmer) say ‘you can go ahead and start winning golf tournaments because it’s about time.'”
Saunders held the early lead but later joined Tom Hoge and Dominic Bozelli in the group that is a shot behind co-leaders Patrick Cantlay and Tony Finau.
For Saunders, it’s a chance to contend and at worst, get himself another top 10.
He’s in his fourth year on tour and thus far has just six top 10s.
