Lucas Glover stays hot with new long putter, leads Barbasol Championship with first-round 63
Lucas Glover continued his impressive performance, leading the Barbasol Championship with a remarkable first-round score of 9-under 63 after adopting a long putter. The 43-year-old golfer has been on a winning streak since making the switch, marking his ninth consecutive round in the 60s. After struggling with his putting for years, the former U.S. Open champion made the transition to the broomstick putter two weeks ago at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, where he finished tied for fourth. He then followed up with a tie for sixth at the John Deere Classic last week.
At Keene Trace Club in Nicholasville, Kentucky, fellow PGA Tour veterans Ryan Moore and Ryan Armour also displayed their skills by shooting impressive rounds of 64.
Glover's outstanding performance included six birdies on the front nine, resulting in a 5-under 31. Furthermore, he showcased his precision by holing his approach shot from 138 yards for an eagle on the par-4 12th hole. He followed this up with consecutive birdies on the 15th and 16th holes.
Having previously won four PGA TOUR titles, Glover's most recent victory was at the John Deere Classic two years ago.
Ryan Armour, who was among the early starters on Thursday morning, and Ryan Moore delivered notable performances on a sunny and humid day. Armour recorded birdies on holes 2-5 and closed his round with another streak of four consecutive birdies. Moore, on the other hand, successfully birdied all four par-5 holes in his flawless round.
Other notable players who had strong showings include Daniel Brown, Wesley Bryan, Cody Gribble, and Andrew Novak, all shooting 65.
A group two shots behind the leader comprised four European tour players who traveled from across the Atlantic for this co-sanctioned event: Marcus Helligkilde from Denmark, Marcus Kinhult from Sweden, Angel Hildago Portillo from Spain, and American Johannes Veerman. They were joined by Americans Adam Long and Bo Van Pelt, as well as Swede Vincent Norrman, who competes on the PGA TOUR.
