Carson Young flew to the Puerto Rico Open lead with three eagles in a nine-under-par 63 at Rio Grande on Thursday.
The Tour rookie, who has made just three cuts in a dozen starts, had a three-shot lead over fellow Americans Akshay Bhatia and Max McGreevy in the tournament being played opposite the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in Florida.
“I drove it pretty well and I made a lot of putts, especially early,” Young said. “To get four or five under through four or five holes was nice, especially in this wind. Couldn’t ask for a better round today so I’m pleased with that.
Young, who shared the first-round lead in the Honda Classic last week before finishing tied for 29th, had two eagles on the front nine and added another at the 15th – where he drilled a three-wood to about 10 feet.
“I had about 255 [yards], straight into the wind, trees in front of me,” Young said. “The wind was so strong I decided to just hit this high, draw three-wood over the trees and I flushed it.”
Young added four birdies and a bogey, and said he was happy to be playing a course where he made his Tour debut two years ago.
In his other 12 starts this season he was playing courses for the first time.
“At least I’ve seen this course, whereas the West Coast swing, it was a bunch of courses that I’ve never seen and a bunch of practice rounds,” he said.
PGA Tour veterans Bill Haas and Scott Piercy were among those at 67, while former PGA Championship winner Jason Dufner was among a group on 68.
South Africans Erik van Rooyen and MJ Daffue shot 71 and 72 respectively.
