Varner, Hoge, Sloan Lead After Wyndham Championship First Round
The PGA TOUR season is winding with the Wyndham Championship providing plenty of fireworks in the first round of the TOUR’s final regular-season event before the FedEx Cup playoffs get underway next week.
Harold Varner III, Tom Hoge and Roger Sloan each shot 8-under 62 on Thursday at Sedgefield Country Club.
Hoge, who won two events in college while playing at TCU, was on 59 watch after following an eagle on 15 with a birdie on 16, but a closing bogey dropped him into a tie with playing partner Sloan and Varner, who had posted his 62 in the morning wave.
“I really haven’t played well since the restart at all, but I felt like last week was kind of a big step forward for me,” Hoge said. “I felt like I probably played a little better than I scored at Harding Park, and then to play with Tiger on Sunday and get a little confidence from that, so I felt like things were going in the right direction again.”
Varner set the early pace for the day when the North Carolina native fired his 62 that matched his best career PGA TOUR round.
“I feel good,” Varner said. “I love coming back home and playing anytime. It’s nice to get in your car, you don’t really have to do too much, I can go home tonight. Yeah, it will be good.”
Harris English shot 66 to sit two shots back of the leaders while Wesley Bryan got off to an early start and ended up with a 65.
“I would say I got a lot out of it,’ Bryan said. “I left a few out there for sure, but overall can’t be too upset when you look at the leaderboard. They’re coming off the last green and see there’s only one guy in front of you, I guess.”
Patrick Reed is among the group tied with Bryan at 5-under.
Webb Simpson, who won the RBC Heritage in the second tournament of the PGA TOUR restart, fired a 66 and sits in a tie for 13th.
“It’s a golf course you can make a lot of birdies, so as hard as it is in the moment, you’ve just got to stay patient and I did that,” Simpson said. “I knew I had 15 coming up, birdie opportunities at 16 and 17. I was able to get those and, you know, turned in 1 under after being 2 over, so that was kind of a good hanging in there for me.”
Jordan Spieth shot an even-par 70 and is a tie for 88th.
Brooks Koepka fired a two-over 72 and is in a tie for 123rd with some work to do to make the cut and improve his FedEx Cup standings heading into next week’s Northern Trust at TPC Boston.
“Pretty flat,” Koepka said. “You know, being in contention the last two weeks playing, what, maybe sixth week in a row. A bit tired, to be honest with you, so definitely came out flat. But I’ve got to play, I’ve got no other option.”
Justin Rose was one shot worse than Koepka at three-over 73.
Defending champion J.T. Poston shot a four-over 74.
