Keegan Bradley got things started off in a great was on Wednesday at the Byron Nelson Championship, taking the lead with a course record in the opening round of 16 after shooting 10 under par and he puts himself in a great position to win.
The tournament is at the TPC Four Seasons Resort Las Colinas and the 26 year old golfer now has the advantage without names like Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy not in attendance. Bradley looked comfortable on the course and apart from two bogeys he was nearly perfect. He won here in 2011 and previously won a major after that and he has some good luck on the course following him as Thursday play begins.
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Former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel of South Africa opened with a seven-birdie 63 while Americans Harris English and Ted Potter Jr. and Swede Robert Karlsson carded 64s. Bradley shrugged off two bogeys around the turn to set a course record with a blistering 10-under-par 60 in Thursday's opening round of the Byron Nelson Championship in Irving, Texas.
Taking advantage of preferred lies on a rain-softened layout at the TPC Four Seasons Resort Las Colinas, the 26-year-old American piled up 10 birdies and an eagle at the par-five seventh to grab a three-shot lead in the PGA Tour event. Bradley tied the tournament record of 60 held jointly by Sam Snead (1957) and Arron Oberholser (2006) while improving on the course record of 61 shared by Cameron Beckman, Justin Leonard and Charlie Rymer.
Winner here in 2011 before going on to claim his first major title at the PGA Championship just three months later, Bradley covered his final nine holes in six-under 29 after storming home eagle-birdie-birdie. three-times winner on the PGA Tour, Bradley has yet to taste victory this season despite recording five top-10s in 13 starts. His best finish was a tie for third at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March.
Defending champion Jason Dufner, who sensationally clinched last year's title by one shot after sinking a 25-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole, carded a level-par 70 playing in the company of fellow Americans Matt Kuchar (69) and Bradley. China's 14-year-old Guan Tianlang, who made his second consecutive cut on the PGA Tour at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans last month, also started out with a 70, offsetting two birdies with two bogeys.
Competing this week on a sponsor's exemption, Guan has been one of the biggest talking points in golf since he became the youngest player to make the cut in a major championship at the Masters five weeks ago.
(Reuters quotes)