Michael Thorbjornsen posted an eight-under 64 on the Plantation Course to share the lead to par with Maverick McNealy at the PGA Tour’s season-ending RSM Classic.
McNealy had an eight-under 62 on the Seaside Course at Sea Island, which was more exposed to the chilly wind that ripped through the Golden Isles.
Ludvig Åberg, the No 5 player in the world, had not competed since the Tour Championship, taking time off for meniscus surgery and returning to the site where he tied the PGA Tour’s 72-hole scoring record.
That record appears safe, at least from him. Åberg’s flawless swing looked as strong as ever. It was the short game – chipping and putting – that held him back in his round of 73 at the Seaside Course.
“It was hard,” Åberg said. “Obviously, it was a rough day. It was a lot of rust I felt like, but I also felt like the good was pretty good but the bad was really bad. A little bit of everything today, but all in all, pretty happy to be back playing golf again.”
Ditto for Thorbjornsen, who earned a card as the top-ranked player in PGA Tour University. He was going along well until he felt a pop in his knee while getting ready for the Black Desert Championship in Utah in early October.
He thought he could walk it off until he could hardly walk at all. It turned out to be sprained ligaments in his left knee, which required time off instead of surgery. He returned without missing a step, thankful to no longer be wearing a thick brace.
“It’s actually kind of funny, I was practicing with Ludvig a little bit back in Sawgrass and we both had like matching left knee braces,” Thorbjornsen said. “It was a little embarrassing. I think this is my third day playing without the brace on, so it feels good.”
The RSM Classic is the final tournament of the year, and the focus is on the top 125 – this is the final year the top 125 in the FedExCup standings earn cards.
Photo: Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images
– Edited report from PGA Tour website
