Denny McCarthy leads Keegan Bradley and Adam Scott after the opening day of the Travelers Championship, with world number 1 Scottie Scheffler in fourth; Rory McIlroy shoots the first hole-in-one of his PGA Tour career en route to the first round 69; watch all week on Sky Sports Golf
Denny McCarthy has a two-shot lead after a low-scoring opening round at the Travelers Championship, when Rory McIlroy shot the first hole-in-one of his PGA Tour career.
McCarthy scored 10 birdies on an impressive bogey-free 60 in the par-70 layout at TPC River Highlands, the site that saw Jim Furyk’s historic ’58th round’ in 2016, to top the standings ahead of big winners Adam Scott and Keegan Bradley.
McIlroy joins Xander Schauffele and US Open champion Wyndham Clark at two under par, with the former world number 1 scoring a hole-in-one at par-three eighth, along with five birdies and five bogeys during a first round packed with events.
McCarthy opened with four straight birdies and two putts from 60 feet to get another on the 15th, having reached the par-four green, then began his second nine with a run of three consecutive birdies.
The American moved up and down from the sixth green to add a ninth birdie of the day and move into the solo lead, before nearly holed out on his approach to the final green to set up a closing birdie.
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Scott made four birdies in a five-hole stretch from second and nullified a bogey at seventh with a shot at ninth, seeing him turn at 31, then moved up the ranks with five straight birdies from eleventh.
The 2013 Masters champion saw his hopes of an under-60 round dwindle when he hit the water with his approach to the par-five 17th hole, though the Australian birdied the last hole to join Bradley at eight under par.
Keegan Bradley is two behind after an opening round 62 in Connecticut
Bradley had threatened a historic round when, starting on the back nine, he birdied his first five holes and added three more in a five-hole stretch from the 17th, with the 2011 PGA champion canceling a bogey on the second. fifth by draining a 20-footer in seventh.
Scottie Scheffler’s opening-round 63, which put him in fourth place, included four birdies over the last six holes, while Shane Lowry is four shy of the early lead after getting off to a flawless start on his 64.
Shane Lowry is chasing his first world victory since the BMW PGA Championship in September
McIlroy’s ace is part of a mixed start
McIlroy birdied 10 feet on the second but missed a chance from mid-range on the next, with the world number 3 bogeying the next two holes and sliding over par until his moment of brilliance at the eighth par three.
“Five iron at 215 yards, slightly upwind from the right,” McIlroy explained. “As far as holes-in-one go, I’ve had them in the past where it’s been a good shot and you get a bit lucky.
“That was the best shot of the day I took. Obviously a lead for me to go into the hole, but it was really cool. I played pretty average up to that point and I felt like that hole-in-one got me going.” a bit.”
McIlroy nearly holed out his next approach from a bunker to set up a bunt birdie, the first of back-to-back gains around the turn, only to bogey the par-five 13 after hitting water off the tee.
He responded with successive birdies from 14th, before two bogeys on his last three holes saw him post a 68 and fall eight shots behind McCarthy at the top of the standings.
Watch the Travelers Championship all week long live on Sky Sports. Early coverage continues on Friday from noon via the red button on Sky Sports Golf, before full coverage from 8:00pm on Sky Sports Golf.
