Illinois’s Silvis.On Thursday, a low-scoring day, Doug Ghim holed out for eagle on the par-4 sixth hole and avoided bogeys. In an attempt to become the most recent first-time winner on the PGA Tour, he opened with a 9-under 62 at the John Deere Classic.
At the TPC Deere Run, where the winning score has been 20-under par or less 12 times in the past 15 years, Ghim was ahead of Max Homa and Austin Eckroat by one shot.
He’s played on the PGA Tour for six years and has made 160 professional starts, so he knows it’s just the beginning. Ghim wasn’t even certain that his 62 would remain the lead at the conclusion of the day because the circumstances were so perfect.
The best four players, including Cameron Champ and Brian Campbell, the winner of the Mexico Open, could manage in the afternoon with a little more wind was 65.
To be honest, Ghim stated that you will have a chance if you can reach 20 under or higher. Golf is still played. It remains difficult. Fairways are a must for you. Today, I hit a number of them. Thus, I’m attempting to aim for six under every day and see where it gets me.
Until he stuttered at the end of his round, took bogey on the par-5 17th hole, and had to settle for a 67, South Africa’s Aldrich Potgieter, 20, who just won his maiden PGA Tour victory in Detroit last week, was vying for the lead.
Since 1970, the John Deere Classic has delivered the most first-time winners of any PGA Tour event—24—including Jordan Spieth in 2013, Davis Thompson last year, and Bryson DeChambeau in 2017.
Both Homa and Eckroat are attempting to rediscover their skills after previous victories. Homa receives the most attention, especially considering that he participated in the most recent Ryder Cup and peaked at number eight in the world before experiencing a dip that included new gear, a new coach, and a new caddie.
In 2024, Eckroat won twice, but this year has been difficult. He missed the last two majors and is currently ranked No. 75 in the world, having finished last year at No. 35. Despite making 19 starts this year, he has yet to place in the top 10.
Prior to missing his final green at No. 9 into a bunker and failing to get up-and-down, which was his lone bogey of the day, Homa had run off four consecutive birdies early on and was tied with Ghim for the lead. When Eckroat holed out with a gap wedge from 137 yards on the par-4 fifth hole, he had two eagles: one on the par-5 second hole with a shot to 12 feet.
The score was so low that almost half of the 156 players broke 70, and 18 players were at 65 or above.
The group at 64 included Sam Stevens and Michael Kim. In 2018, Kim was one of those first-time winners, winning by eight shots with a final score of 27-under 257. Before he connected with swing instructor Sean Foley and improved his game, he went through the worst possible regression, even returning to the Korn Ferry Tour.
Players like Kim and Stevens would benefit from a strong tournament to raise their global rankings, which will be used as the backup list for the British Open the following week. Kim is ranked number 55 in the world and seems to be in good physical condition.
Kim would be participating in all four majors in the same year for the first time.
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