McCarthy leads Travelers after making run at 59

CROMWELL, Conn. — Denny McCarthy got here inches from capturing a 59, settling for a 10-under 60 on Thursday for the bottom spherical of his PGA Tour profession, and Rory McIlroy made his first ace on tour on a day of low numbers on the Vacationers Championship.

Keegan Bradley and Adam Scott additionally made runs at golf’s magic quantity — on a course the place Jim Furyk set the PGA Tour document with a 58 in 2016 — however faltered late. Every shot 62.

Scottie Schefflerthe No. 1 participant on the earth, completed with a 7-under 63.

The 30-year-old McCarthy, who began on the again 9, had 5 birdies on his first six holes and 5 extra coming in.

The Maryland native’s final birdie got here on the 403-yard ninth gap after his 169-yard strategy shot skirted simply left of the cup, eliciting a puff from the group. He holed a 5-footer for birdie.

“I felt constructive from the second I wakened this morning,” stated McCarthy, who’s winless on tour regardless of a number of shut calls, together with on the Memorial this 12 months. “So, the whole lot simply type of clicked as we speak. It was clearly only a nice day.”

Scott was at 9 underneath when his second shot at No. 17 discovered the lake. He made double bogey, then completed with a 20-footer for birdie on No. 18.

“It is a disgrace, nevertheless it’s onerous to be disillusioned with a 62,” the 42-year-old Australian stated.

Shane Lowry, Eric Cole and 2019 champion At Reavie’s every completed with bogey-free 64s.

Eight gamers shot 65, and 91 gamers broke par on a day the place the anticipated rain and wind held off and the solar broke via within the afternoon.

Bradley received issues began within the morning with birdies on his first 5 holes. These included a 75-foot downhill putt from simply off the inexperienced on the seventeenth gap, which stored gaining velocity however hit the flagstick and dropped.

The TPC River Highlands is understood for low scoring. Along with Furyk’s 58, Patrick Cantlay shot 60 as an novice in 2011 and Mackenzie Hughes matched it in 2000. Hughes withdrew with an sickness Thursday after capturing 76.

Bradley, a 37-year-old Vermont native, stated he couldn’t assist however take into consideration matching Furyk’s document.

“Once I made that actually lengthy putt on 17, and it may have gone within the water, I do not know, it crossed my thoughts,” he stated. “I wasn’t excited about it rather a lot, however I actually was going to try to do it.”

The shot of the day got here from McIlroy, whose tee shot on the 214-yard eighth landed just under the outlet and rolled into the cup. McIlroy, the runner-up finally week’s U.S. Open, completed with a 2-under 68.

It was McIlroy’s second ace in competitors. He made one in Abu Dhabi on the European tour in 2015.

“That was one of the best shot of the day that I hit,” he stated. “It is clearly a bonus for it to go within the gap, nevertheless it was actually cool.”

Wyndham Clarkcontemporary off his U.S. Open win, shot 68.

The 29-year-old Denver native, who gained his first PGA Tour occasion final month on the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina, stated he received emotional after being launched on the primary tee because the U.S. Open champion.

“It type of caught me off guard somewhat bit,” Clark stated. “I truly received somewhat nervous. However then I hit an excellent shot and I hit it farther than I feel I might have, simply due to the nerves.”

Clark hit a spectator within the head after slicing his tee shot on the par-3 fifth gap. He holed a 16-foot putt to avoid wasting par.

The Vacationers Championship grew to become one of many PGA Tour’s designated occasions this 12 months, with the purse raised from $8.3 million to $20 million.

The tour’s prime gamers are basically required to play in 16 of the 17 designated occasions, which meant a flight throughout the nation from Los Angeles after the U.S. Open.

“We traveled all day Monday after which I performed 9 holes Tuesday and that is just about it,” Scheffler stated. “Did not follow in any respect.”