In the first round of the John Deere Classic, Jonas Blixt stepped up his game on the back nine at TPC Deere Run on Thursday. He completed his final six holes in 6 under par for a score of 9-under 62 and a two-shot lead over Grayson Murray.
Murray was in the black after 13 holes at 8 under par. He finished with a bogey and a score of 64. The No. 19 player in the field, Cameron Young, also finished with a bogey and was part of a sizable group who were three strokes down.
The 39-year-old Blixt, a three-time TOUR champion, is making his first PGA TOUR debut since the AT&T Byron Nelson in May and only has conditional eligibility. Although he missed the cut last week on the Korn Ferry Tour and spent most of the previous six weeks training at home with his swing coach, he felt like something finally clicked on the range on Tuesday.
“My season has kind of reached the point where I don’t really feel any pressure anymore and just kind of go out and swing at it. Golf is strange. Like, tomorrow, I feel like I can shoot 100, but today was awesome.” Blixt said.
Blixt matched his career-best round of 62 by shooting 7-under 29 on the back nine, his first time breaking 30 for nine holes on the TOUR. On the 14th par-4 hole, a 360-yard drive to the green, he made a 43-foot putt for eagle. He made a closing birdie on the 18th par-4 by hitting his approach shot from a fairway bunker within 5 feet.
The Zurich Classic of New Orleans was where Blixt last achieved victory. Two years later, he had back surgery, and ever since, he has suffered. He was 842nd in the world when the week started.
“I spent several years playing on the PGA TOUR, and I’m really grateful for the opportunity. I met many great players and played on many excellent golf courses with excellent sponsors. You simply have to learn to be content with what you have and the experiences you have rather than constantly dwelling on what may have been. I, therefore, rely somewhat on that. It’s clear that I’m still hungry. I’m not declaring my resignation.” he said.
Murray had not played on the TOUR in three years before his 64.
“On the Korn Ferry Tour, I’ve been playing pretty well. A month ago, I won, and I also finished third. I feel like I’m in a good position to sort of double dip, if you will, and play a little more here knowing that my card is pretty much locked up out there. I’m in a good position out there to lock up my card here soon.” he said.
Murray, a 2017 Barbasol Championship champion, was forced to withdraw from the Bermuda Championship after sustaining a knee injury in a scooter accident in Bermuda in October. He didn’t play again until the Korn Ferry Tour in January, and ever since then, he has sought to make the most of his downtime.
“I make an effort to occupy my time with enjoyable activities apart from the course, such as going to the gym or seeing a movie. We have a lot of downtime, and I would say that in the past I wasn’t very good at setting priorities for it,” he said.
“I am now 29 years old. I’ve been around for a while, and recently I had a small moment of conversion where I realized I had a chance. I’m probably still not at my best.” he said.
Greyson Sigg, Garrick Higgo, Adam Schenk, Nate Lashley, and Richy Werenski joined Young at 65.
