Michael Thorbjornsen has recovered from knee surgery and removed his brace in time to shoot an 8-under 64 on the Plantation Course Thursday, sharing the lead with fellow Stanford alum Maverick McNealy at the season-ending RSM Classic on the PGA Tour.
McNealy shot an 8-under 62 on the Seaside Course at Sea Island, which was more exposed to the cold winds that swept through the Golden Isles.
Thorbjornsen was not the only player dealing with knee difficulties and a brace. Ludvig Åberg, the world’s No. 5 golfer, has not competed since the TOUR Championship. He had meniscus surgery and played again at the location where he tied the PGA TOUR’s 72-hole score record.
That record seems secure, at least from him. Åberg’s perfect swing appeared as strong as ever. The short game, specifically chipping and putting, held him back in his round of 73 at the Seaside Course.
“It was hard. Obviously, it was a difficult day. It felt like there was a lot of rust, but the good was pretty decent and the bad was really horrible. A little of everything today, but overall, I’m glad to be back playing golf.” Aberg said.
The same goes for Thorbjornsen, who earned a card as the top-ranked player in PGA TOUR University. He was doing well until he felt a snap in his knee while training for the Black Desert Championship in Utah in early October.
He believed he could walk it off until he could barely walk at all. It turned out to be sprained ligaments in his left knee, which required rest rather than surgery. He returned without missing a beat, relieved to no longer be wearing a bulky brace.
“It’s actually kind of amusing; I was practicing with Ludvig in Sawgrass a little while back, and we both had matching left knee braces. It was somewhat awkward. I believe this is my third day playing without a brace, so it feels wonderful.” Thorbjornsen said.
The RSM Classic is the year’s final tournament, and the focus is on the top 125; this is the last year that the top 125 in the FedEx Cup rankings can earn cards.
The PGA TOUR paired Zac Blair (No. 123), Joel Dahmen (No. 124), and Wesley Bryan (No. 125). Bryan scored 70 on the Plantation, Dahmen shot 73, and Blair shot 72.
The second important number is to finish between No. 51 and No. 60 in the FedEx Cup, which would be the qualification for the $20 million Signature Events at Pebble Beach and Riviera early next year.
McNealy has done enough to secure those positions. He was more focused in how swing modifications were being implemented, and he had some amazing moments. McNealy chipped in from behind the 15th green for an eagle. Given the high wind on the exposed Seaside course, he was drawn to 2 shots that resulted in par.
“Just needed to hit two great shots in the centre of the green.” he said.
On his final hole, the ninth, he faced a strong wind from the right.
“I just steepened left and was able to hit the window and spin the ball a little bit left-to-right to hold the wind, which was a shot I wasn’t particularly comfortable with six months ago.” McNealy said.
Andrew Novak, coming off a second-place finish in Bermuda, shot a 7-under 65 on the Plantation Course. Given his location a week ago in the midst of the Atlantic Ocean, with gusts approaching 50 mph, he thought Sea Island was a breeze.
“Today wasn’t as windy as Bermuda, and I felt like I could get after some putts and get some of them in.” Novak said.
