Australia’s Adam Scott produced a fine four-under first round at the $20m USD Wells Fargo Championships to sit two shots off leader Tommy Fleetwood.
Four players sit tied for second on five-under after the first round at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, including Xander Schauffele, with a host tied for sixth with Scott on four-under, including Patrick Cantlay.
Rory McIlroy, on his 34th birthday, is one shot further back in a group tied for 17th.
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But 42-year-old former world number one Scott can be well pleased with his recovery to shoot 67 after a wild start saw him go bogey-birdie-bogey on the opening three holes.
He found the greenside bunker on his approach on the first, while a wild drive into the rough cost him on the third.
A daring approach shot on the 530-yard par-five seventh just carried the water and gave him a near 15-footer for eagle, which he drained to move back below par. He followed that up with back to back birdies on the par four eighth and ninth holes, after a delightful chip from the rough left him just three feet to putt on the eighth.
Things appeared to unravel on the par-four 11th, when his drive off the tee sprayed well wide into the trees. He couldn’t hook his recovery shot into the fairway, followed by two poor chip attempts onto the green before carding a double-bogey six.
He birdied the 12th after a 62-foot putt, only to give the shot right back with another bogey on the 13th.
But his wild day wasn’t done yet, with the Aussie finding the greenside right bunker off the tee on the 14th, only to rebound with a 26-foot putt for birdie on the par four.
He picked up another birdie on the par-five 15th after a sensational 283-yard approach shot, before closing out his round with a birdie on the par-four 18th.
All up, he had three bogeys and a double to go with seven birdies and an eagle in a truly thrilling round.
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