NAPLES, Fla. — UCLA alums Jake Knapp and Patty Tavatanakit birdied the whole entrance 9 in a scramble format Friday and completed eagle-birdie for a 14-under 58, giving them a one-shot lead after the opening spherical of the Grant Thornton Invitational.
The match has 16 two-player groups from the PGA Tour and the LPGA, the second yr of the mixed-team format.
The Canadian duo of Brooke Henderson and Corey Conners had two late eagles and narrowly missed a birdie on the 18th gap of Tiburon Golf Membership. They needed to accept a 59, tied with Akshay Bhatia and Jennifer Kupcho.
Knapp and Tavatanakit have a pure connection having performed for the UCLA Bruins just a few years aside. Their staff title is “Rocco” — Knapp briefly labored as a bouncer earlier than becoming a member of the PGA Tour and Rocco’s Tavern is a well-liked spot in Westwood for UCLA college students.
“Actually chill,” Tavatanakit stated in describing the day. “I really feel like all the things was going the way in which we hoped for. The timing, momentum-building moments have been fairly good. We simply saved on enjoying.”
They cooled barely after opening with 9 birdies. Knapp hit a towering shot into about 5 toes on the par-5 seventeenth to arrange eagle, and Tavatanakit poured in a birdie putt from about 15 toes on the 18th for the lead.
“I knew 9 beneath wasn’t going to be a foul rating after 9 holes,” Knapp stated. “However a few pars to begin off the again 9 it was like, ‘OK, let’s be sure that we attempt to hold giving ourselves alternatives.’ And to have the ability to end eagle-birdie, that’s all the time fairly good.”
Knapp gained his first PGA Tour title on the Mexico Open. Tavatanakit gained her first main as a rookie, the ANA Inspiration.
Maja Stark and J.T. Poston had a 61 and have been joined by Sahith Theegala and Allisen Corpuz. Defending champions Lydia Ko and Jason Day have been at 62 with Jeeno Thitikul and Tom Kim. Ko and Day have been slowed by a bogey on the third gap, uncommon for the scramble format.
Thitikul final month gained the CME Group Tour Championship at Tiburon and the $4 million prize, the richest in ladies’s golf.
The format modifications to foursomes on Saturday, the hardest of the codecs as a result of one golf ball is in play and the teammates alternate hitting photographs.
