Zach Johnson makes 10 birdies, shares 1st-round lead with Alex Noren at The American Express
Zach Johnson made seven of his 10 birdies on the front nine on the way to a 10-under 62 and a share of the lead with Sweden’s Alex Noren after the first round of The American Express
LA QUINTA, Calif. (AP) — Zach Johnson made seven of his 10 birdies on the front nine on the way to a 10-under 62 and a share of the lead with Sweden's Alex Noren after the first round of The American Express on Thursday.
Postcard-perfect desert conditions and the straightforward nature of this tournament's three courses in the Coachella Valley unsurprisingly led to low scores from some of the world’s top players.
Rico Hoey and Christiaan Bezuidenhout are one shot back of the leaders, and 22 golfers shot 65 or better, including Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas and former champion Si Woo Kim.
Johnson, the 2007 Masters champ and last year's U.S. Ryder Cup captain, made six consecutive birdies to close out his front nine at La Quinta Country Club. He added three more birdies down the stretch, getting the 47-year-old off to a bogey-free start in his quest for his first PGA Tour victory since the 2015 British Open.
