Aussie world number one Jason Day has carded a bogey-free round of 63 in the first round of the Players Championship, as other Aussies struggled on the course.
Day’s nine-under par round score equals the course record at TPC Sawgrass, becoming one of just five golfers to ever achieve the feet.
The 28-year-old joins fellow Australian Greg Norman (1994) in the record books, as well as double Players Championship winner Fred Couples (1992), Roberto Castro (2013) and most recently, two-time major and Players Championship winner Martin Kaymer.
Day will unsurprisingly take the lead into the second round, holding on to a two-shot lead over five other players, in what was an uncharacteristically low-scoring day for one of the most notorious courses on the PGA circuit.
Starting the morning on the back nine, Day shot out of the blocks, sinking a 30-foot putt for birdie on the first green of the morning. He wasted no time in hitting two more back to back to set the early crowd alight.
The highest ranked player in world golf wasn’t done with a 32 on the opening nine holes, scooping up another five birdies on the back half of the course to get one finger on the US$1.89 million winner’s purse (roughly $2.58 million AUD).
To put things in perspective, Day shot an 81 at the same course just last year, a whole 18 strokes behind today’s first round effort.
The heat of Day’s record round certainly got to his playing partner, the man vying for his top ranking, Jordan Speith. The 2015 Masters winner stumbled with three bogeys and a double bogey on the last to finish with an even-par 72, leaving him in a tie for 83rd.
The next best Aussies are Aaron Baddeley (-3) and Marc Leishman (-2), while former world number one and 2013 Masters champion Adam Scott is reeling at +1, a dangerous ten shots off the pace.
At the complete opposite end of the spectrum to Day though is Newcastle-born (NSW) Steven Bowditch, who fired in three double bogeys to finish the first round in outright last (144th), with eight over par.
Day seems to be the lone wolf for the Aussie contingent after hitting every single green in regulation and putting for birdie on every hole of the day.
Baddeley and Leishman are hanging around, but it’s Queensland-born Day that has a hold on the Championship after the first round.
Machooka
Roar Guru
Pretty cool way to start a 5th Major eh Connor? And as we all now know that 1st round gave Day the momentum to go through and win his 10th tournament. And although he's said he wants more, it's still a good showing thus far. The most amazing thing besides his opening 63 was after the 3rd day the speed at which the greens were playing. Scary stuff indeed! I saw Nobilo pouring a small bottle of water on a slight downhill approach and couldn't believe my eyes as it beaded and ran, and ran down the slope. It gives credence to the saying... 'like putting on the top of a car bonnet.'!!
Benjamin Conkey
Editor
Sensational performance by Day. This tournament is considered the fifth major for a reason, as like the Masters there's a chance for disaster at every corner of the course. Just ask Russell Knox and all the other players who found the water on numerous times on the 17th..or Adam Scott who shot an 8 on the par-4 18th during round 1.