After missing three of the past four cuts in Korn Ferry Tour play, Drew Nesbitt elevated his golf game in dramatic fashion on Thursday.
The 31-year-old Canadian tied a course record with an 11-under 60 in the first round of the Memorial Health Championship at Panther Creek Country Club in Springfield, Ill.
Nesbitt, from Oro-Medonte, Ont., capped his round with an eagle and three birdies to grab a one-shot lead.
Nesbitt is ranked 144th in the tour standings and has a top finish of a tie for 26th this season.
"I don't think I've played bad golf, but the margins at this level are so thin," Nesbitt said after his round. "You've got extremely good players that are wanting to go low and are hungry to get to the PGA Tour. It hasn't been the best year results-wise for me, but I can only control what I have today and going forward."
A win in a playoff in last year's penultimate event of PGA Tour Americas in Victoria boosted Nesbitt into the top 10 of the standings, giving him a Korn Ferry Tour card this year.
The top 20 at season's end on the Korn Ferry Tour earn PGA Tour cards for next season.
