Billy Horschel and Joseph Bramlett are tied for the lead at 5-under 65 with the first round mostly completed yesterday at the Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Twelve players, including PGA Tour rookie Carson Young (4 under through 15), were still on the course at PGA National Resort when play was suspended due to darkness.
Bramlett posted a bogey-free card, while Horschel used a string of three straight birdies on his second nine to move to 5 under.
After starting his round on the back nine with three birdies and one bogey, Horschel, a seven-time PGA Tour winner, rolled in three birdies at Nos. 3-5. He stuck his approach at the par-4 fourth inside 3 feet and landed his tee shot at the par-3 fifth about 6 feet from the pin.
Horschel said he shot his 65 — his lowest career round at PGA National — despite fighting a sinus infection.
“There’s a saying: Beware of the injured or sick golfer,” Horschel said. “I’m not like super, super sick, but I’m just not like 100 percent. I think you just sort of, you’re a little bit easier on yourself. You’re sort of not worrying about everything.”
Bramlett also opened on the back nine and made a 29-foot birdie putt at his opening hole, the par-4 10th. He made his fifth birdie on his final hole, making a 14-footer at the par-4 ninth.
In between, Bramlett knocked in an uphill-downhill birdie from 43 feet at the par-3 fifth.
“I thought my speed on the greens was the biggest thing I took away from today,” Bramlett said. “I felt like I had really good feel for speed all day. I kept it out of trouble off the tee. So when I do those two things I usually score pretty well.”
Tied for third with Young with rounds of 4-under 66 were Pierceson Coody and Justin Suh.
It is Coody’s first tournament since turning professional, and he and his twin brother, Parker Coody, are playing in a PGA Tour event together for the first time. Pierceson Coody, the former No. 1 amateur in the world, is in the field on a sponsor’s exemption, while Parker Coody Mnday qualified Monday.
Parker Coody opened with a 4-over 74. “My dad’s caddieing for Parker and my mom’s out here just watching,” Pierceson Coody said. “Our agent, Mike Chisholm, just happened to be scheduled for this event on his calendar. So it’s turning into a cool event for everyone.”
South Korea’s Sungjae Im shot a 3-under 67, as did Tyler Duncan, Adam Schenk, Ryan Brehm, Eric Cole, Englishmen Ben Taylor and Matt Wallace plus Poland’s Adrian Meronk.
Defending champion Sepp Straka of Austria opened with a 1-under 69. Ireland’s Shane Lowry, who finished second last season by a single shot, shot a 2-under 68.
—Field Level Media
