Share

Moore flirts with magical 59

Las Vegas - American Ryan Moore equalled the course record and his career best with a 10-under 61 on Thursday in the first round of the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open tournament.

Moore had nine birdies, an eagle at the 341-yard par-four 15th hole, and one bogey in a round that gave him a one-shot lead in the PGA Tour event in Las Vegas.

"Just one of those nice days. Got off to a great start -- seven under on the front nine and just kind of cruised the next nine," he said, thanking the lack of wind and perfect temperatures.

"It's one of those days that you just keep putting it in play. You know you're going to have a bunch of pitching wedges, nine-irons, eight-irons into these greens, and a few shorter irons, too."

Brendon de Jonge shot a 62, while Tim Herron and John Huh were one further back on 63 after playing in perfect conditions at the Summerlin course.

Justin Leonard, Chris Kirk and Jonas Blixt were three strokes back on 64.

Moore, who lives in Las Vegas, also shot a 61 this season in the Humana Challenge. He has seven top-10 finishes.

The 29-year-old is aiming to do well this week to try and secure a berth at the Masters next April. He is 36th overall on the money list and the final top 30 will gain starts at Augusta.

Moore's score tied the Summerlin record set 11 years ago by Davis Love, last week's defeated US Ryder Cup skipper.

Chip Beck holds the overall tournament record, shooting a 59 in 1991 at Sunrise Golf Club.

Scores on Thursday after the first round of the $4.5 million PGA Tour's Shriners Hospitals for Children Open (par-71, USA unless noted):

61 - Ryan Moore

62 - Brendon de Jonge (ZIM)

63 - Tim Herron, John Huh

64 - Chris Kirk, Justin Leonard, Jonas Blixt (SWE)

65 - Patrick Reed, Blake Adams, Rory Sabbatini (RSA), Vaughn Taylor

66 - Ken Duke, Nick Watney, Robert Garrigus, Kevin Stadler, Russell Knox (SCO), J.J. Killeen, Richard H. Lee, Vijay Singh (FIJ), Erik Compton

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1163 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
30% - 1359 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2069 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE