SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — A tough begin to the season had Wyndham Clark digging by means of previous notes, listening to previous books — something to get his thoughts out of the adverse.
The mindset reset paid off within the opening spherical of the Phoenix Open, notably after a late tee shot into the water threatened to derail his day.
Clark saved par after hitting his tee shot into the water on the par-4 seventeenth gap and shot a bogey-free 7-under 64 on Thursday to take a one-shot lead within the first spherical.
“You’ll be able to’t essentially management the rating and what occurs to your golf ball, however you’ll be able to management your ideas,” Clark mentioned. “So it was reminder for me to get again to, ‘Hey, once I’m enjoying my greatest, I take a look at the glass extra half full than I do half empty.'”
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Clark was among the many gamers who crammed it up on a day of excellent climate a 12 months after rain turned TPC Scottsdale right into a soggy, wild mess.
He opened with a birdie and added 4 straight beginning on No. 8 on a day win during which 24 gamers shot 68 or higher earlier than play was suspended by darkness.
Lee Hodges had two eagles on the again 9 — his entrance — and added three straight birdies beginning at No. 1 to shoot 65. He was tied with Taylor Moore, who eagled the par-5 third gap to cap a 7-under stretch in seven holes.
Justin Thomas had six birdies and was amongst six gamers who shot 66. Jordan Spieth escaped from some tough spots to shoot 68 in his second match since offseason wrist surgical procedure.
High-ranked Scottie Scheffler had a wild experience, holing out from a fairway bunker on No. 10 in a 69 in his second begin since puncturing his hand whereas making ravioli for Christmas dinner.
Clark completed eighth within the FedEx Cup standings final 12 months and tied for fifteenth at The Sentry. He did not fare so nicely the subsequent two weeks, lacking the minimize in La Quinta and tying for 73rd as reigning champion at Pebble Seaside final week.
Clark bought off to an ideal begin, opening with a birdie earlier than rolling in 4 straight beginning on the par-4 eighth. The 2023 U.S. Open champion two-putted for an additional birdie on the par-5 thirteenth and hit his third shot to tap-in vary on the par-5 fifteenth to achieve 7 underneath.
Clark was clearly annoyed after pulling his tee shot left into the water on the reachable par-4 seventeenth, however hit an impressive pitch shot to avoid wasting par earlier than closing with a simple par on 18.
“Evidently that is a birdie gap, and to hit it within the water and not likely have a birdie look is type of unlucky,” he mentioned. “However to return away with a par was superior — that was big.”
Clark additionally held the first-round lead on the 2020 Phoenix Open and joined Dudley Hart (2005, 2007) and Steve Jones (1991, 1997) as solely golfers since 1990 to have solo lead on the match by means of the primary spherical a number of occasions.
Beginning on the again 9, Thomas took benefit of the benign circumstances within the morning wave, overcoming a bogey on the par-3 twelfth with consecutive birdies on Nos. 14-15. He two-putted for birdie on the par-5 third and rolled in a 45-foot birdie on the par-4 fifth after having to hit his method shot round a tree.
Thomas closed out a 3-under 32 on his again 9 with a 15-foot birdie on No. 9.
“I really feel like staying affected person is essential out right here as a result of you can also make a whole lot of birdies, however if you happen to possibly get slightly aggressive or tackle some pointless dangers you can also make bogeys fairly quick,” Thomas mentioned. “I simply type of plotted my manner round and tried to get some once I might.”
Scheffler opened with a bogey, did not benefit from the downwind par-3 third and took one other bogey when he shanked a bunker shot on the par-4 fifth. Scheffler by no means appears to remain down for lengthy and set off one of many loudest roars of the primary spherical when he holed out a 104-yard fairway bunker shot for eagle on No. 10.
The 2-time Phoenix Open champion made a double bogey on the par-3 twelfth after hitting his tee shot within the water, however birdied the par-5 thirteenth and rolled in 7-foot eagle putt on No. 15. He bought up and down for birdie from proper of the par-4 seventeenth and simply missed one other on 18.
The famed par-3 sixteenth at TPC Scottsdale performed to a 13-over complete, the Tenth-hardest on the course Thursday. There have been 14 birdies, 93 pars, 23 bogeys, and a couple of doubles. The closest to the opening was Kurt Kitayama at 1 foot, 3 inches. He was the one participant within the opening spherical to his his tee shot on the sixteenth inside 5 ft.
Info from ESPN Analysis and The Related Press was used on this report.
