Last week it was new English star Danny Willett capturing The Masters.
On Thursday, it was the old English star — Luke Donald — showing up in a big way at the Harbor Town Golf Links.
Donald got out early before the afternoon winds came up and came in with a five-under par 66 to share the first-day lead at the RBC Heritage with Branden Grace.
“I played really nice golf today,” said Donald. “One of those rounds you wish you had every day.”
Grace came in later with his 66.
Jason Day was ready to join them late in the day but made a mistake on his second shot at the 18th. His approach came up short and buried under the lip of the green’s front bunker. He got up-and-down for bogey after taking an unplayable lie. “A little bit unlucky but I shouldn’t have been in the bunker in the first place,” said the world’s No. 1 player.
Shot of the day went to Tony Finau at the 330-yard ninth hole, his last of the day. He pulled driver and launched one of his signature blasts that found its way a mere four-feet from the hole. He made the putt for eagle two and got himself into the group at four-under with Day, Matt Kuchar and David Lingmerth.
“I was hitting my driver good all day,” said Finau, who won earlier this year at Puerto Rico. “I was trying to get it in the front bunker and it jumped up there. A great way to finish.”
Bryson DeChambeau made his professional debut with a one-under par 70 and after the lightning-fast greens at Augusta National last week, he struggled with the slower speeds.
The field will find conditions considerably tougher on Friday when winds are expected to blow up to 30 miles per hour.
