Sahith Theegala was clinging to a one-shot lead with two holes remaining on Thursday when darkness halted play in the first round of the Phoenix Open.
America’s Theegala was seven-under through 16 holes on the TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course.
South Korea’s Lee Kyoung-hoon was the leader in the clubhouse after a six-under 65 that included five birdies and an eagle at the third hole – where he holed out from the left rough.
“It was very nice to keep great momentum,” said Lee, who had birdied the second hole and then on the par-three fourth stuck his tee shot three feet from the pin for another birdie.
“Finishing strong,” said Lee, who added another birdie at his final hole, the ninth. “Great start today, but I have a long way to go, so just keep doing the same thing.”
Theegala opened with a birdie at the 10th hole, then climbed quickly with four straight birdies from the 13th through the 16th – where he rolled in a 16-footer from the fringe to the delight of the massive crowd at the stadium-style hole.
He added birdies at the third and fourth, but in waning daylight was in a fairway bunker off the tee at the eighth.
After firing out into the fairway he reached the green, but will face a 16-foot putt to save par when play resumes Friday morning.
Making the most of a sponsor's exemption. 🗣@SRTheegala gets to -5 on the electric 16th @WMPhoenixOpen. pic.twitter.com/DPqOhBIlvp
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 10, 2022
Defending champion Brooks Koepka fired six birdies to headline a group on five-under-par 66, where he was joined in the clubhouse by Canadian Adam Hadwin and Harry Higgs.
Koepka is looking for his first win since last year’s Phoenix Open, and the former world No 1 said his slide to 20th in the rankings was “embarrassing” even though “a lot of it has to do with injury.”
“I’ve been hurt, on the sidelines. Not playing, playing through injury, you can’t compete with guys out here,” he said. “It’s nice to be somewhat healthy and get out here, and I’m not too worried about it, it will bounce back up.”
World No 1 Jon Rahm, who played college golf at nearby Arizona State University and considers the Phoenix Open a home fixture, had four birdies in a four-under 67, rolling in a 25-footer at 18.
Finishing birdie. Bogey-free 4-under.@JonRahmPGA loves it 💥 pic.twitter.com/WnotmrRpO0
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 11, 2022
Justin Thomas was also in the big group at four-under, nabbing four birdies without a bogey despite finding just five of 14 fairways.
© Agence France-Presse
