LAST UPDATE | 1 Mar
RORY MCILROY and Shane Lowry are both three shots off the lead after the first round at the Cognizant Classic golf tournament on the PGA Tour in Florida.
The pair both shot four-under 67 for their first round and are in a tie for 16th.
American Chad Ramey and South Korea’s Kim Seong-hyeon shot bogey-free rounds of seven under-par at PGA National Resort on Thursday to top the leaderboard.
Lowry’s first nine holes were mixed, with two bogeys, two birdies and an eagle, the latter arriving on the par-five 3rd. The Offaly native subsequently was more consistent, posting par on seven of the final nine holes, in addition to two birdies to leave him on four under par.
McIlroy also joined him among a group of players that are tied for 12th. The 34-year-old registered five birdies and a single bogey to finish with a score of 67.
The world number two is playing the tournament, previously known as the Honda Classic, for the first time since 2018. McIlroy bogeyed his penultimate hole, the eighth, missing a nine-foot putt for par. However, he was pleased with his driving over the round.
“Pretty solid. Some good, some not so good. Really good off the tee. That’s been a really good thing. I led strokes gained off the tee at Riviera a couple weeks ago, drove it really well again today,” he said.
“But a little loose with the irons. Didn’t really hole much going out, but I holed a couple on the back nine.
“Overall, it’s a solid start — 67 around here is always a decent score. It was so benign today. You’re not going to get this course much easier.Probably could have been a couple of shots better, but overall still a decent start,” he said.
Ramey and Kim have a one stroke lead over a pack of six players who shot six-under in the tournament which opens the pre-Masters Florida swing.
Out early, Ramey took advantage of the benign conditions on a course where wind can sometimes wreak havoc.
The 31-year-old made a 27-foot birdie putt on the first and reached the turn at five-under. He added birdies on the par-5 10th and par-4 13th and just two of his 11 par putts were from outside of 4 feet.
The Mississippi native is looking for his second win on the PGA Tour after his victory at Punta Cana in 2022.
Kim got off to a flying start with a birdie on the par-4 second and then an eagle on the par-5 third, where he chipped in from 75 feet.
He recovered from a wayward drive on the 18th to make birdie with a 14-foot putt and secure a share of the lead.
Cameron Young, Ryan Moore, Chesson Hadley, Austin Eckroat, Andrew Novak and David Skinns all shot 65 to sit a shot off the leading pair.
