PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Scott McCarron shot an 8-under 63 to take a one-stroke lead Friday after the first round of the PGA Tour Champions’ Pure Insurance Championship.
McCarron had seven birdies and an eagle to go along with a bogey to set a new record on the par-71 Poppy Hills course. He broke the previous mark set by Jonathan De Los Reyes in 2015 and matched later that year by Olin Browne at this event.
Bernhard Langer was in second, followed Kevin Sutherland another two shots back after a 66. Russ Cochran and Scott Parel were next at 67, joined at 4 under by Jerry Kelly and Scott Dunlap, who shot 68s on the par-72 Pebble Beach course.
Kelly, who won the Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship last week, had his 12th consecutive round in the 60s — moving within one of the record set by Hale Irwin in 1999.
McCarron, who started off on the back nine, began his round with two birdies, and was at 3 under after another one on No. 15. He then birdied Nos. 1 and 2 and added an eagle on the par-4 No. 5 — holing an 84-foot wedge shot — to move to 7 under. A bogey on the next hole was followed by two birdies on his last three.
Fran Quinn, Jesper Parnevik, Davis Love III, Colin Montgomerie, Joe Durant, Tom Kite, Duffy Waldorf and Lee Janzen each shot 68s on Poppy Hills, and were joined at 3 under by Brandt Jobe, who had a 69 on Pebble Beach.
Defending champion Paul Broadhurst had a 70 on Pebble Beach and was tied for 17th at 2 under.
Poppy Hills had 13 of the top 16 scores.
[relatedlinks]
