The player in second-to-last is a 15-time major champion who, when we won this event last year, tied the record for career PGA Tour victories. One of the best players in the world snapped a club in two. The leader bogeyed two holes and double bogeyed another. And shot an 8-under 64. The Zozo wasn’t so so. Here are three things you need to know after the first round of the Zozo Championship at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Sebastian Munoz leads
Sebastian Munoz bogeyed the first hole. He played the next six holes 6-under. He bogeyed the 8th hole. He made four birdies and an eagle on the back nine. And a double bogey on the 14th after having to take a drop after hitting his ball in a shrub.
“It happens, but I’ve become better with managing crazy up and downs,” Munoz said.
Munoz finished with an 8-under 64 for a one-shot lead over Tyrrell Hatton and Justin Thomas, and a two-shot lead over Brian Harman, Lanto Griffin, Kevin Kisner and Harris English.
Tiger Woods struggles
Tiger Woods has won five Hero World Championships at Sherwood. He won the Zozo last year.
Only one player had a worse score than him Thursday among the 77 players who finished. And that player was just a stroke behind.
Woods shot 3-over on the front and 1-over on the back for a 4-over 75. He is 12 shots behind Munoz.
His two bogeys and one double bogey on the front came on Sherwood’s three par-5s, which, according to the PGA Tour, is the first time he’s ever made bogey or worse on three par-5s in one round.
Rory McIlroy snaps
Rory McIlroy hit an iron on his third shot on the 18th hole.
It would be the last shot that iron would hit.
McIlroy pushed the neck of his club into the ground and snapped it. He completed the break with his hands. McIlroy then walked down the fairway with the top half of his club in his right hand and the bottom half in his left, at one point taking an imaginary swing with the pieces.
McIlroy would double bogey the hole and finish with a 1-over 73. He is nine shots behind Munoz.
