Justin Thomas returns to 'old faithful,' Xander struggles, Collin & Rickie rally late among takeaways after the 1st round at 2024 Zozo Championship

INZAI, JAPAN – OCTOBER 24: Taylor Moore of nan United States hits his tee changeable connected nan 11th spread during nan first information of nan Zozo Championship 2024 astatine Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club connected October 24, 2024 successful Inzai, Chiba, Japan. (Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images)

Taylor Moore had grounded to break par successful nan opening information of nan Zozo successful his erstwhile 2 appearances. That wasn’t a problem this time. Moore changeable his lowest information of nan twelvemonth and tied his profession low, posting 7-under 63 to declare nan first-round lead.

It didn’t wounded that he classed first successful Strokes Gained: Around nan Green, 2nd successful SG: Tee to Green and sixth successful SG: Putting. 

Moore topped nan section successful SG: Around nan Green acknowledgment to holing a bunker changeable for birdie astatine 11 and chipping successful for eagle astatine 18.

Moore, who started his information connected nan backmost nine, said he deed a bully 3-wood disconnected nan tee and only had 5-iron near for his approach.

“I conscionable missed nan greenish short near successful a bully spot. I had plentifulness of greenish to activity with. Hit a bully spot and it went in,” he said.

The 31-year-old is seeking his first triumph since nan 2023 Valspar Championship. He entered nan week astatine No. 64 successful nan FedEx Cup Fall and is eyeing  finishing successful nan Aon Next 10 – Nos. 51-60 – astatine nan extremity of nan autumn information of nan schedule and suffice for 2 Signature events successful February. If he keeps his bully play up, he’ll play himself into a batch much than conscionable that.

INZAI, JAPAN – OCTOBER 24: Eric Cole of nan United States hits his tee changeable connected nan 15th spread during nan first information of nan Zozo Championship 2024 astatine Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club connected October 24, 2024 successful Inzai, Chiba, Japan. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

Eric Cole and C.T. Pan walked disconnected 18 pinch a grin connected their faces.

Cole did truthful aft draining a 27-foot eagle putt to sprout 6-under 64.

“It was a 5-wood, I benignant of had to trim it a small astir nan trees,” he explained. “I deed it a small precocious connected nan look truthful I thought it was going to beryllium adjacent to carrying nan beforehand of nan green, truthful I was happy to spot it onshore connected nan front, benignant of merchandise a small bit.”

His putter took attraction of nan remainder and wrapped up a beardown commencement for Cole, who vanished T-2 astatine nan Zozo past year. 

“I deliberation you person to deed it comparatively consecutive and you’ve sewage to beryllium very precise pinch your irons and not really short broadside yourself. There’s conscionable thing astir nan measurement it looks that I deliberation I like,” he said.

Pan vanished pinch a flurry of four consecutive birdies to his information of 65.

“It was an astonishing finish, 1 of my champion successful my profession I believe,” he said. 

Pan classed first successful Strokes Gained: Tee to Green and SG: Approach nan Green and proximity to nan hole. But he had missed 2 cuts and doubly pulled retired of tournaments successful his past 4 starts earlier a final-round 64 successful Las Vegas connected Sunday.

“Actually benignant of struggled past mates months because conscionable benignant of uncovering a difficult clip to people retired location until past Sunday successful Las Vegas, made 9 birdies to climb up nan leaderboard, truthful that was a large time for me, turning constituent for me,” he said. 

Justin Thomas of nan US tees disconnected astatine nan 10th spread during nan information 1 of Zozo Championships PGA play tourney astatine nan Narashino Country Club successful Inzai, Chiba prefecture connected October 24, 2024. (Photo by Toshifumi KITAMURA / AFP) (Photo by TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP via Getty Images)

It’s difficult to beryllium excessively upset pinch shooting an opening-round 4-under 66 but Justin Thomas was beautiful non-plussed by it. “You know, wasn’t great, wasn’t bad, but it’s bully to get it astir pinch a bully score,” he said.

But he was pleased pinch his putting, particularly aft switching backmost to ‘Old Faithful,’ a Scotty Cameron TP5 mallet, which he’s wielded to awesome effect during his career. Thomas’s putting is nan main culprit for why he grounded to triumph this season. He’s tried immoderate different models and had been utilizing a Scotty Cameron leaf but decided to make a chance this week. He classed 36th in SG: Putting (+0.238). taking 29 putts and holing 96 feet of putts.

“I made immoderate bully putts,” he said. “Even immoderate putts that I missed I felt for illustration they were bully putts. I burned a mates edges. When greens person this overmuch break, you really person to beryllium precise pinch your velocity and matching everything up. I consciousness for illustration I did a really bully occupation of that.“

INZAI, JAPAN – OCTOBER 24: Xander Schauffele of nan United States reacts aft his tee changeable connected nan 15th spread during nan first information of nan Zozo Championship 2024 astatine Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club connected October 24, 2024 successful Inzai, Chiba, Japan. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

Xander Schauffele made nary bogeys connected Thursday. The only problem pinch that? He made 1 different and signed for 3-over 73.

If he was playing pinch his buddies astatine home, he mightiness for illustration to conscionable people an X connected his paper astatine nan eighth hole. That’s because he took an disfigured quadruple-bogey 9 astatine nan par-5 hole.

Schauffele hooked his tee changeable into nan trees and his shot wedged adjacent a tree. He considered taking an unplayable but decided to return his chances astatine getting nan shot backmost to nan fairway. He took 2 whacks and nan shot hardly moved. Then he took nan unplayable. He wedged connected and past gunned his putt past nan hole. Schaufffele managed to unit a grin erstwhile it was each said and done.

But nan victor of 2 fields was disconnected his game. He deed conscionable 5 of 13 fairways. He classed 72nd in SG: Off nan Tee and 75th in SG: Approach nan Green retired of a 78-man field.

INZAI, JAPAN – OCTOBER 24: Rickie Fowler of nan United States is seen connected nan 15th tee during nan first information of nan Zozo Championship 2024 astatine Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club connected October 24, 2024 successful Inzai, Chiba, Japan. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

INZAI, JAPAN – OCTOBER 24: Max Greyserman of nan United States hits his tee changeable connected nan 2nd spread during nan first information of nan Zozo Championship 2024 astatine Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club connected October 24, 2024 successful Inzai, Chiba, Japan. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

Max Greyserman birdied nan first 2 holes and 2 of his past 3 to station 6-under 64. Not excessively shabby aft a two-month layoff.

“The first clip successful my life I’ve really had for illustration clip disconnected from play for an extended play of clip I consciousness for illustration without injury, truthful it was benignant of bully conscionable to walk much clip pinch my family and my wife, worldly for illustration that,” he said. “At nan aforesaid clip you benignant of get nan itch to get backmost retired and play and compete.”

Greyserman, who vanished 2nd astatine nan 3M Championship and Wyndham Championship, is seeking his first triumph and to go nan first subordinate to triumph his maiden title astatine nan Zozo.