Yu cards bogey-free 64 to lead Farmers Insurance Open by 1 shot

SAN DIEGO — Kevin Yu of Taiwan shot a bogey-free, 8-under 64 on the North Course at Torrey Pines to take a one-shot lead over Patrick Cantlay and Ryo Hisatsune within the opening spherical of the Farmers Insurance coverage Open on Wednesday.

The eight lowest scores got here on the North Course, which typically performs a couple of strokes simpler than the South Course on the municipal layouts on a bluff excessive above the Pacific Ocean. Gamers have a spherical on every course earlier than the lower. The ultimate two rounds will probably be performed on the South Course.

Cantlay, ranked No. 6 on the planet, had only one bogey and fared higher than No. 5 Xander Schauffele and defending champion and seventh-ranked Max Homa, each of whom performed the South Course. Schauffele, a neighborhood who performed at San Diego State, shot a 3-under 69 whereas Homa had all three of his bogeys within the first seven holes in carding a 2-under 70.

One of the best rating on the South Course was a 5-under 67 by Nicolai Hojgaard of Denmark, who arrived Monday from Dubai and was in a position to play solely 9 holes on the North Course on Tuesday. The Farmers ends Saturday to keep away from being proven reverse the NFL convention championship video games.

Yu, a 25-year-old who performed at Arizona State, is in search of his first PGA Tour win. He tied for third at The American Specific final week, two photographs behind Kevin Dunlap, the primary novice to win on the PGA Tour in 33 years.

“I fell brief final week; bogeyed the final gap on Sunday. However yeah, I have been taking part in superb and simply preserve constructing momentum,” Yu mentioned. “If I hit a number of fairways, I can have a number of probabilities to get on the inexperienced and attempt to make some putts.”

Cantlay prevented the roughs that had been soaked throughout a storm that overwhelmed components of the town Monday.

Cantlay, who grew up in Orange County and performed at UCLA, hasn’t performed the Farmers since 2019 though he did play within the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in 2021.

“Clearly, completely different circumstances this week,” Cantlay mentioned. “It will likely be much more moist this week. The scores needs to be fairly a bit decrease. However you play the golf course from the green and you’ll have a bunch of probabilities round right here.”

He mentioned the important thing to his spherical was taking part in properly on the three par 5s, though he three-putted No. 17 for par, which he known as “type of a bummer.” His solely bogey was on the par-3 No. 3.

“I hit the ball very stable, performed from the green lots, which actually gave me a number of alternatives to make birdie at present,” he mentioned. “When the tough is as moist as it’s, it makes it harder. It is more durable to get the golf ball to go as a result of the water will get in the best way. However the tough is classically lengthy right here. I do not assume I’ve performed this golf course ever actually when the tough’s brief.

“There’s positively a penalty for lacking the green and, like I mentioned, at present I performed lots from the green so I hope to maintain that up.”

Hisatsune, a 21-year-old from Japan who’s additionally in search of his first PGA Tour win, had only one bogey.

Hideki Matsuyama, Shane Lowry, Thomas Detry, Aaron Rai and Alejandro Tosti every shot 66.

Hojgaard, who tied for seventh in Dubai, had only one bogey, on the par-4 fourth.

“I performed rather well on the market at present,” he mentioned. “I felt like I used to be doing a number of great things, a number of good work. I want I used to be a couple of extra photographs higher. I felt like I gave myself all the possibilities on the again 9 as properly. You’ll be able to’t complain whenever you shoot a 67 on the South Course.”