NAPHA, Calif. – Canada’s Mackenzie Hughes quietly led the Procore title in a game under 63 on Thursday. A large crowd followed Scottie Scheffler and the American Ryder Cup team and saw different results.
Ryder Cup rookie Ben Griffin wasn’t even Silverado’s low Griffin for the longest time until the five birdies in the back nine gave him 64 shots, trailing Matt McCarty 64 times. Russell Henley and Lanto Griffin are 65 years old.
Scheffler lost a streak in a breeze afternoon in Wine Country since March when he lost a streak in 5-18-18 and had to go with a PAR and 70 and 70 points. The 21 consecutive rounds ended in the 1960s.
Ten Ryder Cup players are here to play and try to lead the Bethpage Black for two weeks, regardless of the score, that doesn’t lose.
Henley shot 65 from the field and U.S. Open champion JJ Spaun had a 67 shot. It is not uncommon to see outstanding players on TV in the same group. The difference here is that they all spend time together – the same serving time, the same mansion wanders around in their spare time.
“I think today is a little different, just knowing that we’re all pairing together in the same little area of Tee Tees, and we obviously spent a lot of time between each other this week, so it’s definitely going to feel a little different than this match in March,” he said. “You know, the Ryder Cup is just around the corner.”
Just don’t know it’s a social week. Scheffler was obviously frustrated when he was undergrain and kept a thick shot on a 5-12-12-pole bunker. He turned around and slammed the club into the ground. This position is so awkward that when he finally figures out how to play the game, he hits the cover.
Scheffler achieved the standard. He finished par with five, and his first score started with 72 points since the third round of the Travelers Championship in June.
“It’s his first round. It’s very stupid,” Spaun said. “I don’t think I like this place, the first time I’ve been here, but you kind of learn how to play, where you’ll learn. The place you miss. The green, especially the afternoon greens aren’t good. It’s just poa annua, they tilt, they’re quick, and they barely missed a few putts. It’ll keep him streaks.”
Hughes is playing other reasons. He missed the FedEx Cup Top 50, which will allow him to attend all $20 million signature events next year. But anyone who made the top 60 made it to the fall series to the Pebble Beach and Riviera.
The Canadian had nine birdies in 13 holes and had his mind briefly pondered 59 holes, but that was only because he thought PAR was 71 years old. Either way, a bogey pair ended the end, although he was happy with the 63.
Hughes said: “The goal is to get into the first 60 years and set my start and be in No. 65. I’m not going to go to five, six events to pursue that either. I love playing some games and having some good rest this fall and being a bunch of good ones this fall.
Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley is in Silverado, but only as an audience.
“It’s great to see this,” Bradley stood behind the 13th Green, watching Scheffler, Henley and Spaun walking side by side on the fairway.
Sam Burns is 71 years old, while other Ryder Cup players – Justin Thomas, Cameron Young, Patrick Cantlay, Harris English and Collin Morikawa are all 72 years old.
Those at the age of 72 are just outside of Friday’s cuts. Young is the only Ryder Cup player to play in a 36-hole ruling game over the past five weeks.
Bryson DeChambeau is not on the field because he is a LIV golfer who participates in the PGA Tour event, while Xander Schauffele is in Florida with her newborn son.
