NAPA, Calif. — Justin Thomas scuffled via an uneven afternoon with a 3-under 69 in his return to the PGA Tour following a prolonged layoff, leaving him six pictures off the lead Thursday within the first spherical of the Fortinet Championship.
Thomas, the previous No. 1 participant on this planet who was a captain’s decide for the Ryder Cup, had hoped to wash up his recreation in a ultimate tune-up, however wasn’t practically as sharp at Silverado Resort as he hoped.
Enjoying for the primary time since ending twelfth on the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Aug. 6, Thomas made 4 birdies and labored round a bogey on the par-4 ninth. He was tied for twentieth, chasing Lucas Herbert, the chief after a 6-under 63.
“Generally after a while off it is laborious for me to get again into it, however I did not really feel very competitively rusty,” mentioned Thomas, who hit three of 14 fairways. “I used to be very engaged and centered on what I used to be doing. I simply wasn’t precisely doing it how I needed to.
“I used to be managing my recreation. It is precisely what I did on the Wyndham. Right this moment wasn’t a day with how I hit it I used to be going to shoot 6- or 7-under. Three beneath with how I really feel I hit it was an excellent factor.”
Herbert, who took a seven-week psychological break from enjoying, got here again trying a lot stronger and crisper than Thomas. Herbert had 10 birdies — seven over his ultimate 9 holes — to beat an early bogey.
S.H. Kim was second at 65, He holed out for eagle from 106 yards on the par-4 14th. Kelly Kraft was at 66 with Jason Dufner, Harry Corridor, Sung Kang, Zac Blair and Mark Hubbard.
Max Homa, the two-time defending Fortinet champion and U.S. Ryder Cup group member, endured a tough morning with a double bogey and bogey on his option to becoming a member of Thomas at 69. Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson additionally shot 69. Co-captain Stewart Cink, a winner right here in 2020, had a 71.
Herbert, a 27-year-old Australian ranked No. 59 on this planet, wanted an enormous spark after getting into the FedEx Fall 152nd in factors. The highest 125 gamers after the seven fall tournaments retain their full PGA Tour playing cards for 2024.
“Discovered slightly groove there,” Herbert mentioned. “It felt like something I did poorly appeared to work out properly for me and the great pictures bought rewarded as nicely. Felt like I performed OK and simply bought numerous good breaks, and capitalized on possibilities as nicely.”
Herbert wanted simply 22 putts to complete the spherical within the coronary heart of the Northern California’s wine valley. His lone mistake was a bogey on the par-4 sixteenth when he missed a 16-foot putt for par.
Previously which may have lingered in his thoughts the remainder of the afternoon, however after taking practically two months off to “reset” himself, Herbert saved his cool and bought on a roll on the again 9.
“Me two months in the past, I in all probability would not have shaken that off as a lot,” Herbert mentioned. “I’d have been slightly more durable on myself.”
After a birdie on No. 10, Herbert parred No. 11 then rolled off six consecutive birdies earlier than ending his spherical with par on the par-5 18th. The 63 wass two pictures shy of the event course document of 61 shared by seven gamers, most not too long ago Ricky Barnes in 2018. Barnes shot a 71 on Thursday.
It was a pleasant manner for Herbert to return in his first event since lacking the lower at British Open on July 23. That was when Herbert determined he wanted to take a sabbatical and clear his thoughts.
Throughout the day off Herbert stayed in America fairly than heading residence to Australia. He traveled to Maine to spend time along with his girlfriend’s household and evaded golf.
“Simply wanted to get away from the sport and refresh every part,” Herbert mentioned.
The one participant from the highest 10 on this planet enjoying within the Fortinet Championship, the seventh-ranked Homa bumped into hassle with a double bogey on No. 4, a 367-yard par 4 after his drive out of bounds and hitting a restoration shot that landed in a greenside bunker.
That pushed Homa additional again into the sphere as he makes an attempt to turn out to be the primary participant to win a event three straight years since Steve Stricker on the John Deere Basic from 2009 to 2011.
“Only one dangerous swing that led to a double after which a nasty wedge shot that was fairly irritating,” Homa mentioned. “Apart from that, I really felt like I saved it in entrance of me fairly good. Did not do something particular to get going wherever, however general it was stable. I do not suppose something caught out as overly dangerous or overly nice. It was a good day.”
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