* Chip-ins Propel Bryan to Early Lead
Two hole-outs from ā¢the fringe and clutch putts helped āChris Bryan ā¤take the early leadā at theā¤ Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship. The American ā¤madeā£ his intentionsā clear with a sizzling ā64, āhis best opening round ā£of the season.
Bryan birdied four of his firstā six holes then chipped in from 55 feet at theā£ seventh before āholing out from 43 feet for a two āat the ninth. The 183rd-ranked player in the world picked up further shots atā 10, 11ā¤ and 12 and ā¤gotā up and down from a greenside bunker at 18 to complete ā¤a bogey-free āround.
His playing partner Justin Suh is āone behind after carding a 65ā£ featuringā five ābirdies and āaā blemish onā£ hisā card ā£at āthe par-four 18th. England’s Richard Bland, who won the ā¢Spanish Open last month,ā fired a 66 to join Scott Stallings, Ben Martin, and Taylor Montgomery in ā¢tied third.
Player
Score
Chris Bryan
64
Justin Suh
65
Richard Bland
66
Scott Stallings
66
Ben Martin
66
Taylor Montgomery
66
Hole
Yards
Par
1
374
4
9
494
5
18
431
4
Bryan highlights the importance āof holing putts. Putting is critical in this course because of the large undulating greens. Lag putting is essential,ā¢ asā£ well as reading the greens andā understanding the āspeed. ā¢He feels ā£that he can be consistently goodā¢ at holing putts in the forthcoming rounds.
* ā¢Bryanā¢ Seizes Opportunity with Surgical Approach Shots
A trio of āchip-ins andā¢ a āsuperb approach to the par-five ā¤12th ā¤helped Dennyā¤ McCarthy grab aā£ share of the ā¢leadā¤ in āthe Dominicanā¤ Republic on Thursday.
The American, who won his firstā¢ PGA Tour title in 2022, madeā the greens in regulation just twice inā the first six ā£holes but rolled in birdie putts āfrom ā¢the fringeā£ at the ā¤fourth,ā fifthā¤ and āsixth to join Aaron Wise and Austin Smotherman on four under.
Player
Round 1
Denny McCarthy
67
Aaronā¢ Wise
67
Austin Smotherman
67
A two-putt birdie on the par-five seventh followed by a chip-in from ā¤the ā£front-left ā£edge of the greenā at the eighth saw him reach the turn inā£ 30.
* Strategic Advantage: ā¢Capitalizing on Scoring Opportunities
**Chip-ins Help Bryan to Early Lead at Puntacana**
Bryanā took an early ā¢leadā thanks to a pair of chip-ins āin the openingā¢ round ā¤of the Puntacanaā Championship on Thursday. The American birdied the first two holes andā£ added another birdie ā£at the par-4 ā¢fifth to reach 3 under.ā He then chippedā¢ in for birdie atā the par-3ā seventh andā eagled the par-5ā eighth to get to ā6 under.
Bryan’s hot start was in stark contrast to his ā¢play in the previous two tournaments, where heā£ missed the cut in both events. But he said he was feeling good about āhis game coming into this week ā£and that he ā£wasā¤ confident he could contend for the title.
“I’veā¤ been workingā hard ā£on my game and I’m starting to see theā results,” Bryan said. “I’m hitting the ball well and I’m putting well.ā I just need to keep it going for the next three days.”
Bryan’s 66 put him one shot ahead of a group of four players, including overnight leader Cameron Young. Young shot a 67 despite aā bogeyā on the 18th hole.
Player
Score
Tom Hoge
65
Russellā Henley
66
Cameron Young
67
Jhonattan Vegas
67
Emiliano Grillo
68
Other notable scores:
- Joaquin Niemann: 69
- Louis Oosthuizen: 70
- Scottie Scheffler: 71
- Rory McIlroy: 72With ā£birdies on theā¢ 10th,ā 15th, and 16th holes, and chip-ins on the 11th and 13th holes, Bryan has surged to a four-stroke lead halfway through the third round of ā¤the Puntacanaā£ Championship. This impressive performance underscores his remarkable skill and bodesā well for hisā chances of securing a victory at this tournament.
