NORTH BERVIK, Scotland ( Associated Press) — Cameron Tringle has played 331 times without a win on the PGA Tour. His career-best 9-under 61 could help convert him into a tournament run by the European Tour.
Tringle took off six straight birdies to start the back nine at The Renaissance Club and took a three-shot lead at the Scottish Open, the first European event co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour.
“I haven’t won professional wins on my own, and obviously Scotland is where golf started, so this place is special,” Tringle said.
Former US Open champion Gary Woodland, in his round of 64, was tasked with paying coach Phil Kenyon, who was close to Tringle on an early start.
Tringle had the lowest score of his PGA Tour career and matched the course record set by Bernd Weisberger three years earlier when Renaissance played a par of 71.
It also took some of the attention away from early contender Justin Harding. The South African was among four players who were included in the 156-man field after winning a temporary stay against the European Tour and being suspended for playing the Saudi-backed LIV golf event outside London.
Harding was in the first group off with Spain’s Adrian Otegui, another LIV golfer who asked a court to stay.
“I’m just doing my best to play golf, put food on the table,” said Harding, world number 114. He stated that he had not signed a contract with LIV Golf and was invited through their rankings.
“I was a little upset. I was told I couldn’t play. I’ve supported the European Tour for a long time and I’m happy to continue to do so,” Harding said. “At times it’s a little uncomfortable, but we have to take care of ourselves.”
Jordan Spieth set the starting pace with five straight birdies, dropping three shots in his final 10 holes for only 68. He called it a tale of two nines based on curriculum knowledge.
“The nine I had never seen before went really well, and the nine I played yesterday were bad,” said Spieth, playing a week before the British Open for the first time since 2015. Andrews.
It made sense this year with the PGA Tour co-sanctioning the tournament for the first time, which spawned 14 of the world’s top 15 at The Renaissance, a course that looks the same and without the real links mud. is very fast.
Tringle is having an even better year, reaching the Tour Championship only once in his last 12 years on the PGA Tour. He missed a playoff at Torrey Pines by a shot and was last runner-up in the Zozo Championship to Hideki Matsuyama.
With only light breeze and full blue skies, conditions along the North Sea could not have been more ideal. Tringle took advantage with a major club in his bag.
“Golf is more fun when the putts are going in, and they were there for me today,” he said.
He made a pair of birdie puts from a 40-foot range, and only four of his nine birdies were within 6 feet. Equally important were the few midrange par puts he made in the beginning.
It was a struggle for Masters champion Scotty Scheffler, who made a double bogey from rough to rough off the 18th fairway, and lost more ground on the front nine for 73.
PGA champion Justin Thomas and US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick played in the afternoon.
The Scottish charge was led by Russell Knox, all because of his wife. Knox is struggling with his putter when he is persuaded to try a long putter.
“My wife said, ‘You’ve been playing professional golf for 15 years and you’re terrible at putting. Try something different,'” Knox said. “Best putt of my life. 3 for par on the first hole Foot because if he didn’t go in, we were in for a long day.”
He had 68. Knox didn’t have the magic of Tringle with the putter, but it worked pretty well to this day.
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