ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — Michael Thorbjornsen is over his knee surgical procedure and shed the brace in time to publish an 8-under 64 on the Plantation course Thursday and share the result in par with fellow Stanford alum Maverick McNealy on the season-ending RSM Traditional on the PGA Tour.
McNealy had an 8-under 62 on the Seaside course at Sea Island, which was extra uncovered to the chilly wind that ripped by way of the Golden Isles.
Thorbjornsen wasn’t probably the most distinguished participant with knee points and a brace. Ludvig Åberg, the No. 5 participant on this planet, had not competed because the Tour Championship, taking day off for meniscus surgical procedure and returning to the location the place he tied the PGA Tour’s 72-hole scoring document .
That document seems secure, no less than from him. Åberg’s flawless swing regarded sturdy as ever. It was the quick recreation — chipping and placing — that held him again in his spherical of 73 at Seaside.
“It was laborious. Clearly, it was a tough day,” Åberg stated. “It was plenty of rust I felt like, however I additionally felt like the nice was fairly good however the unhealthy was actually unhealthy. A little bit little bit of every thing at the moment, however all in all, fairly comfortable to be again taking part in golf once more.”
Ditto for Thorbjornsen, who earned a card because the top-ranked participant in PGA Tour College. He was going alongside nicely till he felt a pop in his knee whereas preparing for the Black Desert Championship in Utah in early October.
He thought he might stroll it off till he might hardly stroll in any respect. It turned out to be sprained ligaments in his left knee, which required day off as an alternative of surgical procedure. He returned with out lacking a step, grateful to not be carrying a thick brace.
“It’s truly form of humorous, I used to be working towards with Ludvig somewhat bit again in Sawgrass and we each had like matching left knee braces,” Thorbjornsen stated. “It was somewhat embarrassing. I feel that is my third day taking part in with out the brace on, so it feels good.”
The RSM Traditional is the ultimate event of the yr, and the main target is on the highest 125 — that is the ultimate yr the highest 125 within the FedEx Cup standings earn playing cards.
The PGA Tour put collectively Zac Blair (No. 123), Joel Dahmen (No. 124) and Wesley Bryan (No. 125). Bryan had a 70 on the Plantation, Dahmen broken his hopes with a 73 and Blair got here in with a 72.
The opposite key quantity is to complete between No. 51 and No. 60 within the FedExCup, which might earn spots in $20 million signature occasions at Pebble Seaside and Riviera early subsequent yr.
McNealy has finished sufficient to safe these spots. He was extra interested by how swing modifications are taking impact, and he had some spectacular moments. McNealy chipped in from behind the fifteenth inexperienced for eagle. What obtained his consideration have been two pictures that led to par contemplating the sturdy wind on the uncovered Seaside course.
He began on No. 10, which throughout observe was a driver over the bunkers and a sand wedge to the inexperienced. With the wind, he couldn’t cowl the bunkers and was left a 5-iron to the inexperienced.
“Simply needed to hit two nice pictures in the midst of the inexperienced,” he stated.
On his closing gap, the ninth, he confronted a tough wind off the correct.
“I simply steepened left and was capable of hit the window (of his goal) and spin that ball somewhat bit left-to-right to carry the wind, and that’s a shot I wasn’t very comfy with six months in the past,” McNealy stated.
Andrew Novak, coming off a runner-up end in Bermuda, had a 7-under 65 on Plantation. Given his location every week in the past in the midst of the Atlantic Ocean, the place gusts got here near 50 mph, he felt Sea Island was a breeze.
“Immediately wasn’t as windy as Bermuda and I felt like I might get after some putts and obtained some to go in,” Novak stated.
