CROMWELL, Conn. -- Denny McCarthy came inches from shooting a 59, settling for a 10-under 60 on Thursday for the lowest round of his PGA TOUR career, and Rory McIlroy made his first ace on TOUR on a day of low numbers at the Travelers Championship.
Denny McCarthy tees off on the fifth hole during the first round of the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands on Thursday in Cromwell, Conn. Frank Franklin II/Associated Press
Keegan Bradley and Adam Scott also made runs at golf's magic number -- on a course where Jim Furyk set the PGA TOUR record with a 58 in 2016 -- but faltered late. Each shot 62.
Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world, finished with a 7-under 63.
The 30-year-old McCarthy, who started on the back nine, had five birdies on his first six holes and five more coming in.
The Maryland native's last birdie came on the 403-yard ninth hole after his 169-yard approach shot skirted just left of the cup, eliciting a gasp from the crowd. He holed a 5-footer for birdie.
“I felt positive from the second I woke up this morning,” said McCarthy, who is winless on TOUR despite several close calls, including at the Memorial Tournament this year. “So, everything just kind of clicked today. It was obviously just a great day.”
Adam Scott was at 9 under when his second shot at No. 17 found the lake. He made double bogey, then finished with a 20-footer for birdie on No. 18.
“It's a shame, but it's hard to be disappointed with a 62,” the 42-year-old Australian said.
Shane Lowry, Eric Cole and 2019 champion Chez Reavie each finished with bogey-free 64s.
Eight players shot 65, and 91 players broke par on a day where the expected rain and wind held off and the sun broke through in the afternoon.
The TPC River Highlands is known for low scoring. In addition to Furyk's 58, Patrick Cantlay shot 60 as an amateur in 2011 and Mackenzie Hughes matched it in 2020. Hughes withdrew with an onset of kidney stones Thursday after shooting 76. " I went to hospital when I got here to get the diagnosis after feeling pain in my back on the flight. I hate to withdraw from one of my favourite events, but I am in a lot of pain"
As for the other Canadians, Corey Conners shot -3 67, Adam Svensson T107 +1 71 and Taylor Pendrith T107 +1 71.
The shot of the day came from McIlroy, whose tee shot on the 214-yard eighth landed just below the hole and rolled into the cup. McIlroy, the runner-up at last week's U.S. Open, finished with a 2-under 68.
It was McIlroy's second ace in competition. He made one in Abu Dhabi on the DP World Tour in 2015.
The Travelers Championship became one of the PGA TOUR's elevated events this year, with the purse raised from $8.3 to $20 million.
pgatour.com (AP)
Bryan Angus (edit)
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