Australian fans were treated to a double delight from their PGA Tour heroes during the first round of the AT&T Byron Nelson event, with Adam Scott firing his lowest Thursday score on tour in nine years and Victorian David Micheluzzi lighting it up in his debut round on the US circuit.
Scott, who won the event in 2008, opened this year’s edition with an 8-under 63 on Thursday, his best opening-round on the PGA Tour since a 62 at the 2014 Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.
Despite the hot round, Scott, whose son is named Byron, was three shots behind lunheralded Korean Noh Seung-yul, who shot a remarkable 60 at TPC Craig Ranch courtesy of two 30s on either nine.
Scott’s recent hard work dialling in his driver paid off with 11 of 14 fairways hit on Thursday. While Scott’s iron play was not as sharp, hitting just 12 greens, he was hot with the putter to secure nine birdies.
Scott’s only blemish came on a hole he was licking his lips at standing on the tee – the 344-yard par-4 sixth, Scott’s 15th hole. Scott’s playing partner and fellow Australian Min Woo Lee almost drove the green from the tee. Scott laid up from the tee with an iron to a perfect wedge range in the fairway, but left his approach in the greenside bunker and failed to save par.
All in all, the former Masters champion was happy with the start.
“It was all really good solid stuff, especially off the tee,” Scott said. “It’s probably the best I’ve driven it in forever. That was a nice way to start every hole. I took advantage of that nicely, certainly out of the gates on some of the long par-4s, birdieing three of the first four holes on that side which was a nice way to start. I was happy to keep it going all the way around.”
Micheluzzi, 26, is in the field at the Byron Nelson courtesy of receiving a sponsor’s invitation based on winning the Australasian tour’s order of merit last season. Along with the invite in Texas, Micheluzzi’s order of merit win came with a spot in next week’s PGA Championship, his major debut, and a DP World Tour card for next season.
On his first competitive round on the PGA Tour on Thursday, Micheluzzi bounced back from an opening hole bogey, at the par-4 10th, with a birdie on the next. After another bogey at No. 16, he birdied the next two holes. Micheluzzi then bagged three birdies and an eagle at the par-4 third to finish the round at an impressive six-under 65.
“Yeah, it’s probably something I’ll never forget,” he said of his debut. “And then the run I went on, which I have been doing that of late in tournaments back home and then one in Korea, as well, where once I got running, like nothing could stop me. It was cool. But I just got to work out all the little things like the little missed putts here and there. I’m just excited.”
Lee, playing with Scott, finished up at two under. Harrison Endycott, Aaron Baddeley, Greg Chalmers and Cam Percy were out in afternoon wave.
