In Thursday’s first round of The American Express, J.T. Poston shot 10-under 62 to lead Justin Lower by 1 stroke.
On the Nicklaus Tournament Course at La Quinta, California, Poston recorded 9 birdies and an eagle. Jason Day, Joel Dahmen, Chris Kirk, J.J. Spaun, and Matti Schmid were among the 8-under players who trailed Lower by 1 shot.
At The American Express, Poston tied for 6th place in 2023 and tied for 11th place the previous year, demonstrating their proficiency on the 3 largely spacious courses used for this event. The native of North Carolina won in Las Vegas last autumn and has performed well in other deserts.
“I believe I have all the strokes, can get the ball near the hole, and can really take advantage of those scoring clubs when I’m hitting it well. A tournament like this kind of plays into my belief that I can go out there and make a lot of birdies, like I did today.” Said Poston , a three-time PGA Tour winner.
At La Quinta Country Club, Lower had a bogey-free 63 with back-to-back eagles.
“I’ve never taken that action. I don’t even believe I’ve accomplished that in a tournament round, much less a regular one. Yes, it does boost the score whenever you can make consecutive eagles.” He said.
Nick Taylor, a Canadian, shot a 65 at the Pete Dye Stadium Course on Sunday, building on his triumph at the Sony Open in Hawaii. Patrick Cantlay shot 68, Justin Thomas shot 67, and Tony Finau shot 7 under.
Blades Brown, a 17-year-old prodigy on a sponsor exemption, shot 72 in his first round as a professional. The Nashville, Tennessee, high school junior made 3 consecutive birdies before finishing with 12 straight pars after bogeying his 2nd and double-bogeying his 3rd.
“Because my adrenaline was running high, the first few holes were difficult. Our distances weren’t travelling as far as we had anticipated because I hit the ball really far whenever it occurs. Then, however, a bad shot on No. 3 put me in danger. I was really happy that I was able to fight back.” Brown said.
As a holdover from the event’s lengthy history as the Bob Hope Desert Classic, the American Express is the third event of the new PGA TOUR season and one of just two pro-ams scheduled.
Scottie Scheffler, the top player in the world, had intended to compete but withdrew 10 days ago to allow his right hand injury to heal.
In his return to the tournament, defending champion Nick Dunlap shot a 67 at La Quinta, making history as the first amateur to win on the PGA TOUR in 33 years.
“Having a plan for the first week (as a pro) and not having to figure out everything for the first time makes it pleasant to be back.” Dunlap said said at the beginning of the week.
Dunlap, who is now 21 years old, went straight from the secluded life and camaraderie of the Alabama golf team to the PGA TOUR after turning pro a week after winning in the desert. He was voted the TOUR’s Rookie of the Year after securing another victory at the Barracuda Championship in Truckee, California, despite his periods of difficulty.
“Whether it was on or off the golf course, I had a lot of things happen that came at me pretty quickly, and some of it I was prepared for, and some of it I wasn’t, so I was a little bit caught off guard. My life was sped up a little bit, but in a good way. I’m out here, I’m living my dream, and I wouldn’t change a thing, but it doesn’t just happen easily or smoothly.” Dunlap said.
