SAN DIEGO — Ludvig Ã…berg shot a 9-under 63 Wednesday in what he calls his favourite place on the planet, taking a two-shot lead over Danny Walker and Hayden Springer within the opening spherical of the Farmers Insurance coverage Open at Torrey Pines.
Aberg took a first-round lead on the PGA Tour for the primary time after posting the very best opening-round rating of his brief profession. The 25-year-old Swede capitalized on enjoying the better North Course at Torrey Pines, hitting 16 of 18 greens in regulation whereas making eight birdies and an eagle on the coastal hyperlinks.
“I like once you hit a whole lot of drivers, and I really feel like I did that loads right now, and doubtless going to do the identical tomorrow,” Aberg mentioned. “(I really like) any golf course when it seems to be like this, when you may have the views, and Torrey Pines is a extremely, actually cool place.”
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The 25-year-old Walker was excellent in his fourth profession PGA Tour begin. He posted the opening day’s finest spherical on the more durable South Course, the place the scoring common was 72.487 in comparison with 70.218 on the North.
Walker and Springer completed one shot in entrance of Lanto Griffin, Zac Blair, 48-year-old Zach Johnson and 20-year-old Aldrich Potgieter — all of whom performed the North Course.
Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, the highest-ranked participant within the subject and the winner at The Sentry at Kapalua, shot a 68 on the South Course.
Aberg, who completed ninth final yr in his Torrey Pines debut, started the brand new season with a fifth-place end in Maui after present process knee surgical procedure final fall. After profitable the tour’s rookie of the yr award in 2023, he went winless final yr regardless of posting six top-five finishes, together with runner-ups on the Masters, the AT&T Pebble Seashore Professional-Am and the BMW Championship.
“I have never had any points because the surgical procedure, so it is very nice,” Aberg mentioned. “I feel Maui was the final word check for that. I obtained some blisters on my ft. That is one other story, however the knee was holding up good. Actually wanting ahead to coming again and enjoying a whole lot of tournaments. … I am wanting ahead to a pleasant stretch of golf.”
Walker, a rookie who who earned his PGA Tour card on the Korn Ferry Tour, turned in a bogey-free spherical after lacking his first two cuts of the season.
This famed event on the northern coast of San Diego has fewer stars than regular in its subject this yr. Collin Morikawa withdrew on Sunday, whereas Will Zalatoris pulled out of the occasion on Wednesday morning.
The Farmers Insurance coverage Open begins on a Wednesday and ends on a Saturday to keep away from a final-round battle with the NFL’s convention championship video games.
