South Korea's Noh Seung-yul took the clubhouse lead in the opening round of the PGA Byron Nelson tournament on Thursday with an 11-under par 60 to match the event's 18-hole record.
And he did so despite hitting a driver on the 12th hole in his bogey-free round at TPC craig Ranch in suburban Dallas.
“Everything was going wonderful,” said Noah. “Outside the tee, two drivers missed due to a driver's head crack. Everything was going well, except for two shots off the tee.
“I'm really happy for my career low on the PGA Tour. Missed a 59 by one shot, but I'm really happy with that.”
Noah, the 2010 Asian Tour Order of Merit winner, captured his only PGA title at the 2014 Zurich Classic in New Orleans, three years before it moved to its current pairs format.
He had a three-shot lead over Australian Adam Scott and Du Zecheng of Chian.
Scott, the 2013 Masters champion, posted his best opening round on the PGA Tour since a 62 at the 2014 Arnold Palmer Invitational.
world number two Scottie Scheffler led a group on 64 that also included Australian veteran Jason day and Americans Luke List, Richie Werensky, Scott Pearce and Ryan Palmer.
Noah's bogey-free round matched the Byron Nelson record shared by four other players and most recently achieved by Colombia's Sebastian Munoz in the opening round last year.
The most recent 60 on tour was by American Patrick Cantlay in the third round of last October's Shriners Children's Open.
After a birdie on the 11th hole, Noah hit his tee shot well to the right of the cart path at the par-4 12th, Noah checking his driver's head.
“When I hit 12, I'm swinging pretty well, but going right at 70 yards,” Noah said. “So I look at the bus driver and it cracks.”
He defended after dropping his approach to within four feet of the hole, but rules officials said he could not replace a driver with just one crack.
Noah sent his next tee shot to the left of the 13th fairway and then put the club out of play before saving par with a six-foot putt before receiving a replacement driver head.
Noah said, “I'm hitting another driver on 13, and it's finally gone, my driver heads.” “That's why we got a replacement after the 13th.”
– Lucky Paar –
Noah, who said he had never hit a driver head before, went 3-wood with a driver on 13 despite the crack.
“I'm trying to kill the bus driver,” he said. “It's going to be just 50 yards, but I still make par, so I'm lucky with that.”
After birdies the par-4 14th and the par-3 15th, Noah put in a new driver head on the 16th, a repair permitted under the Rules of Golf.
Noah made a 27-foot par putt on the 16th, then made a 34-foot birdie on the par-3 17th and a nine-foot birdie on the par-5 18th.
The 31-year-old opened with back-to-back birdies, did it again on the fifth and sixth holes and closed the front nine with an eagle on the par-5 ninth, reaching the green in two and eight feet under drowned. Eagle Putt.
BB / SW