(Reuters) – U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau fired the lowest opening round of his PGA Tour career to grab the early first-round clubhouse lead at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas on Thursday.
DeChambeau, in his first start since his major breakthrough three weeks ago, birdied five consecutive holes over a sizzling stretch around the turn en route to a nine-under-par 62 at TPC Summerlin that left him one shot clear of Austin Cook.
“It was a great day to play well,” said DeChambeau, who won the event in 2018. “There’s no wind out here for the most part and I feel like you can bomb it everywhere and get wedges close. And I was lucky to make a lot of putts.”
World number six DeChambeau started on the back nine and was two under before he kicked into high gear at the par-four 15th, the start of an impressive run where only one of his five consecutive birdie putts was from outside five feet.
A seven-times winner on the PGA Tour, DeChambeau finished strong with tap-in birdies at the par-four seventh and par-five ninth holes.
Argentine Emiliano Grillo, who birdied six connectives holes on the back nine, and American Brian Stuart were each two shots behind DeChambeau in a share of third place.
Among the big names who went out early were world number seven Webb Simpson (68) and PGA Championship winner Collin Morikawa (69), the world number five and highest-ranked player in the field.
Defending champion Kevin Na and Sergio Garcia, fresh off his triumph last week in Mississippi, were among the late starters.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, editing by Ed Osmond)
