GREENSBORO, NC – Harold Varner III, Tom Hoge and Roger Sloan all shot 8 to under 62 on Thursday to share the first round advantage at the Wyndham Championship, the PGA TOUR’s last regular season event before the FedExCup playoffs.
Varner started the go-low parade at Sedgefield Country Club with a round of eight birdies, no bogeys that matched his career best on the PGA TOUR.
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Hoge and Sloan, playing together, followed suit later in the round, even Hoge equaled his career idle on TOUR, while Sloan’s score set his personal best.
There were 33 players on the pitch who hadn’t finished when the round was suspended due to bad weather.
Hoge looked like he might have a shot at 59 after he went eagle chasing on the 15th and 16th holes to reach 9 below.
But Hoge, who first played on the PGA Tour in 2015 and never won, lost a 10-foot birdie on 17 before his only bogey at number 18 was tied.
Sloan had birdies on the 16th and 17th holes and had a 9-under chance to take the lead on his own, but came out short on a 15-foot birdie on the last hole. The good start was especially crucial for the 33-year-old Canadian, who finished in the last regular season event of the TOUR at 178 points in the FedEx Cup – well beyond the 125 cut to make next week’s first post-season event, THE NORTHERN. TRUST in Boston.
Sloan should make it into the top 50 if he were to keep his position.
“Honestly, I don’t have to do anything,” he said. “I am very lucky to have a PGA TOUR status next season. This is important. I’m about to start, I think this sets you free.”
All three leaders are looking for their first TOUR wins.
The trio was two shots ahead of Harris English (64). A large group was 5 under led by former Masters champion Patrick Reed.
Past US Open champion Webb Simpson led another group at 4-under 66s.
Paul Casey, who drew for second last week in the PGA championship, was at 67.
Some other contenders at the PGA championship last week weren’t so lucky.
Both Brooks Koepka and Justin Rose, both in the mix in the final round of the first major of the year, couldn’t make it through this one.
Koepka was 10 shots behind after a 72. Justin Rose finished a worse shot at 73.
Koepka said he was flat after playing several weeks in a row. “A little tired, to be honest with you, so it definitely came out flat,” he said. “But I have to play, I have no other choice.”
Koepka said even moving up a place or two on the FedExCup rankings is good for advancing, so that’s why he missed a week off to compete.
PGA championship winner Collin Morikawa is out.
Varner had eight birds, including four in a row midway through the round, without a bird his first 15 holes. He finished with three par.
Varner, who attended high school in Gastonia about two hours away and college in East Carolina, was disappointed that he couldn’t play in front of friends and family due to the ongoing pandemic.
“It’s a shame this year because I like the applause and the rest,” he said. “But this year we’re going to make it and find out. Yes, it’s good to be close to home.”
Hoge started munching the numbers after reaching 9-under with two holes left. “I thought we could have birdie the last two, but you have to put it in the fairway,” he said after his tee shot on No. 18 went into the rough leading to the bogey.
