The first round of the 2022 Rocket Mortgage Classic is in the books, and one of the game’s biggest stars shares the top spot on the leaderboard.
Check out the complete leaderboard here.
Here’s what you need to know from the first-round action in Detroit.
The leaders
On the heels of his third PGA Tour victory at last week’s 3M Open, Tony Finau stayed hot in the Motor City, firing a bogey-free, first-round 64 — eight under par — to share the top spot on the leaderboard with Canadian Taylor Pendrith.
Pendrith is in the midst of his first full PGA Tour season and is seeking his maiden PGA Tour victory. He’s had one top 10 thus far, at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.
The contenders
2022 Rocket Mortgage Classic tee times: Round 2 groupings for Friday
Despite Finau and Pendrith’s ultra-low opening scores, they share only a two-shot lead over their closest competitors. Five players are at six under after Round 1, including Webb Simpson and Cameron Champ.
Two-time major winner Zach Johnson is also in the mix at five under par, three shots off the lead.
The ace you have to see
Tour players have understandably high expectations when it comes to their ballstriking — it’s their job after all — but it’s always funny when a pro has a bad reaction to a shot and the ball actually ends up in a good place.
Thursday at Detroit Golf Club provided an extreme example of such perfectionism.
Mark Hubbard didn’t like his tee shot on the par-3 11th — so much so, in fact, that he dropped his club after impact, shoulders slumping. You can probably guess what happened next. Yep: the ball hit the front of the green, rolled out toward the hole, did a 360 spin and dropped in. An ace!
Never judge a book by its cover, folks.