The weather at the AT&T Pro-Am was marvelous on Thursday and so was Pat Cantlay.
Cantlay came into Pebble Beach as the best player in the field, ranked a lofty 11th and he knew he better get off to a good start — it’s a simple formula at Pebble — make something happen over the first seven holes and that’s exactly what the California kid did.
“I think I one-putted every green on the front nine,” said Cantlay, who was seven-under par through eight holes and as he made the turn in just 29 strokes, had the 59 watch going. But the last nine holes at Pebble Beach are tougher but on a day when there was sunshine, little to no wind and friendly, receptive putting surfaces, Cantlay cooled off a bit but not before he finished birdie-birdie for a 10-under par 62 that tied the course record. Tom Kite shot 62 back in 1983 and David Duval hit the mark in 1997.
“You want to get off to a good start on those first seven holes,” said Cantlay after putting on a marvelous ball-striking display. He hit 16 of 18 greens and had just 24 putts on his way to the first round lead. Last year Nick Taylor shot 63 the first day and never looked back on his way to the championship.
“My ball striking’s been good,” said Cantlay, who is known for his solid iron play. His driver worked well as he hit 10 of 14 fairways.
Cantlay’s on a roll. His last round at the AmEx saw him shoot 61 and he admitted after making 10 birdies on Thursday — “I’m in a groove.”
Major understatement.
He was in total control of every aspect of his game. “I had a lot of good looks,” he pointed out. He missed a couple of birdie attempt inside 10 feet or there could have been a new course record.
Still, he had a two-shot lead over 19-year-old Akshay Bhatia and Henrik Norlander, who got a piece of second at The Farmers.
Another Good Round For Jordan Spieth:
The Jordan Spieth Revival Show continued on Thursday. Spieth opened with a seven-under par 65 that was highlighted by a wedge shot from 113 yards at the par four 10th that found its way into the hole for an eagle two.
Spieth continued to look good most of the day and said after his round that he was pretty comfortable at Pebble Beach.
“It was a good start,” Spieth said. “With possible weather changes coming, you had to step on the gas today. I felt real comfortable on the greens — putted decent. My game’s in a good spot, I feel really comfortable. I got bested by three today, I have to keep my foot on the gas.”
Phil Mickelson Slumps At Spyglass:
As the Phil Mickelson Evaluation Tour continues, Lefty is looking less and less competitive on the PGA Tour. Thursday was no exception.
Lefty played at Spyglass for his opening round. Two double-bogeys and two birdies put him in with a two-over par 74, tied for 118th. He’ll need a low round at Pebble on Friday to stick around for the weekend.
Will Gordon Low Man At Spyglass:
Spyglass played at least two shots harder than Pebble on day one. Low man over at Spyglass was Will Gordon, who shot a six-under par 66 that tied him for sixth and he’ll have the advantage of playing Pebble Beach for his second round.
All-in-all, it was a birdie-friendly first round but that can change as quickly as the weather.
One noticeable difference this week is the pace of play. Without the amateurs in the field, things went quicker and with no spectators, the loudest sounds came from the crashing waves on the finishing holes at Pebble Beach.
Nice.
 Ties Course Record At Pebble Beach){kind=link}
2 Comments
baxter cepeda
Damon hack and I called this one.
It’s gonna take some serious misfortunes for Cantlay to lose this one. Spyglass is more protected from wind but not protected from going into forests. It can also be a lot trickier then Pebble, considering the best score was a 66 compared to Cantlays 62 at pebble beach.
The Again Cantlay is that good.
Jordan’s isn’t quite that good but it’s becoming evident he is well on his way back.
It’s always fun to identify a new star in pro golf and Bhatia is one. 18 GIR at pebble, even with perfectly revel ting greens. He just got away from the arm lock putter and it looks
Like the golf gods hanging around Carmel appreciate it.
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Finally, for my boy Peter Jacobsen :
Amateurs are appreciated at pebble. We understand their important role. They all deserve this great experience —from Larry the cable guy to the fed ex guy — we at home just don’t want to watch so much of them on tv unless they are a really big stars —think Madonna or something like that — stars that will really drive people to the game; as opposed to driving established viewers away from the coverage.
Accept This is no longer the clam bake. Has t been for a while. There just are not enough real celebrities at pebble to give them so much air time at the expense of loyal fans enjoying the pro competition on one of the best tracks in the world.
Tom Edrington
Geez, picking the highest-ranked player in the field? Hope you and Damon enjoy those REALLY THICK limbs!!