Jackson, Mississippi – Sam Ryder played bogey-free, and Danny Walker finished with a pair of birdies, each adding a four-pointer to the top tie of the Sanderson Farm Championship in a 65-shot low.
Eric Cole managed 10 birdies, which helped offset AA Double Bogey’s trees late in the round, and Garrick Higgo continued to make great strides since his pace of progress after winning earlier this year. They are also 65 years old.
Ryder ranked 110th in the FedEx Cup rankings, while Walker ranked 104th. The Sanderson Farms Championship is part of the fall series, and players who fail to reach the PGA Tour playoffs must get full cards in the top 100.
“I know very well where I am. You know it all year round,” Ryder said. “You get a text every week telling you where you are on FedEx.
“Now, I’m working to play a role in my identity, but still working to play for a bigger goal.”
Walker tied for sixth in the Players Championship, but he appeared at Jackson Country Club, where he missed eight layoffs to stand out from the top 100.
He rebounded from a soft bogey on the 15th and ended with two straight birdies. Like Ryder, he is trying not to be wrapped up by scores and positions.
“It’s really hard when you miss a bunch of cuts and don’t get into a week, all you think is that you want you to do a layoff, and that’s where it comes,” Walker said. “When all you think is the result… it really falls into your mind and I feel like I’m going into this week and I finally got to a place where I’m not really worried about that.”
He took two weeks off due to the Ryder Cup and worked hard to learn to trust his game and see where it took him.
NCAA champion Michael La Sasso chased the leader until he was evaluated as a two-shot free throw on the sixth hole. The PGA Tour said he violated Rule 8.1A to improve the shooting conditions he played.
It is not clear what he did. A travel official said La Sasso, who is working on a sponsor’s waiver, refused to talk to the media.
Mac Meissner (No. 86) and defending champion Kevin Yu are 66 years old. Winners of the Autumn Series are no longer automatically invited to Augusta National.
Rasmus Hojgaard won the European first match from New York and Ryder Cup at 69. He is on No. 87 and now turns his attention to the retention card.
“The energy is still a little low, so I’m going to manage myself in the next few days and hopefully recover some of that,” Hoygard said.
