<p>Scottie Scheffler. Picture: PGA of America</p>
Scottie Scheffler came within inches of joining Jimy Furyk in the history books but had to settle for a round of 60 and a one-shot lead at the Travelers Championship in Connecticut.
Only Furyk has shot multiple sub-60 rounds on the PGA Tour, adding a 58 at TPC River Highlands in 2016 to the 59 he shot in the 2013 BMW Championship.
World number one Scheffler fired a 59 at TPC Boston in 2020 but his 26-foot birdie effort for another 59 stopped eight inches short of the hole at the 18th last night.
“It was kind of funny,” the Texan said after making 11 birdies and a bogey in a 10-under round that gave him a one-shot lead over Viktor Hovland, who shot 61, on 16-under
“It was like, ‘Yeah, it would be cool to shoot 59, but somebody has already shot 58 here, so it's not even the course record,’
“You know, Jim kind of takes away a little bit of the ‘special 59’ when you are losing still.”
On a day of low scoring on a rain-softened course, Akshay Bhatia shot 62 to share third with first-round leader Eric Cole, four behind Scheffler on 12-under.
“I’ve put myself in position now this week,” said Scheffler, who is seeking to win for the first time since claiming The American Express in late January.
As for Shane Lowry, he made four birdies in a row from the 14th in a 65 that left him nine shots off the lead, tied for 22nd on seven=under.
It’s also an uphill battle for Leona Maguire in the KPMG Women’s PGA in Minnesota.
She shot a brilliant 69 to make the cut with a shot to spare on level par but goes into the weekend tied for 44th, 12 strokes behind Ina Yoon.
The South Korean added a 69 to her first round 63 to lead by five shots on 12-under from Canada’s Brooke Henderson, Japan’s Nasa Hataoka and compatriots A Lim Kim and Haeran Ryu.
World number one Nelly Korda shot 68 to lurk a shot further back alongside another Korean, Dongeun Lee
Lauren Walsh missed the cut by six shots on seven over after a 78, while Stephanie Meadow finished on 10 over, improving by ten shots on her opening round with a 72.
At the Dick’s Open on the Champions Tour, Padraig Harrington fed off old rival Darren Clarke and matched him with a seven-under 65 to lie just two shots behind leader Dicky Pride in New York.
Bidding for his fourth win in as many appearances in the event, the Dubliner made nine birdies to share second place with Clarke and Tommy Gainey at En-Joie Golf Course in Endicott.
“I played my pro-am yesterday and I was so irritable going around with my caddie, so that's a sign that you're a bit stressed,” Harrington said. “Today I got off to a bad start, made a terrible bogey. Then I made a few birdies, started getting into it.
“I think Darren played very well, started making birdies, and I was kind of trying to keep up, follow suit. There was good momentum in the group in that sense.
“You can't believe how much more relaxed myself and Darren are in each other's company than we would have been back in our heyday.
“There was a rivalry there; he was obviously ahead of me. Now on the Champions Tour, we're so much more relaxed about it all.”
Clarke went bogey-free for his 65 and admitted playing with Harrington and Steve Stricker helped his momentum
“It was great,” Clarke said. “Padraig was playing great there as well. Strick played well in stretches, but when you have somebody else doing the same sort of thing, it tends to drive you along.”
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