Love on top early at Greenbrier

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WV. – Notes and observations from the early goings of Thursday’s first round of The Greenbrier Classic, where Davis Love III turned back the clock to provide a vintage performance – shooting a bogey-free 7-under 63. LOVE-LY PERFORMANCE Davis Love III finished his Pro-Am round feeling pretty good about how he hit the ball. His walking scorers noticed as well and made a point to tell the soon to be Hall-Of-Famer he’d only missed two fairways and greens. It just solidified the great vibes the 53-year-old was feeling heading into The Greenbrier Classic. Love III rode the momentum and confidence early to birdie four of his opening five holes and finished with a sublime 7-under 63 to lead the morning wave. It was his 18th under par round at The Old White TPC course, but easily his best. (65, round 3, 2014). Of his four early birdies, the longest was from 10’8â€�, as his approach game looked every bit as good as it ever has for the 21-time PGA TOUR winner. “That’s about as good as it gets,â€� Love III admitted of his start. “This is as good a scoring conditions as we’re going to get probably for the whole week. I’m glad I took advantage of it.â€� Love III has been battling several injuries over the last few years including back and hip problems that still bother him. He also broke his collarbone in early January in a snowboarding accident. But of late some dedicated hard work had his confidence up and to see it turn into a score had him smiling. “Based on recent scoring average, no,â€� he said if he expected the low round. “But based on good attitude, yeah. I’ve been working really hard the last couple weeks on trying to fix my swing to kind of swing around a stiff back and stiff hip. “I put a lot of time in hitting balls and trying to get back to hitting it solid. I’ve given it up on hitting it a long way. I’m just saying I just got to hit it straight. This is a perfect golf course for me. If you get it in the fairway, everybody has an opportunity from the fairway. Despite his great feels post the Pro-Am Wednesday Love III still went out for nearly two hours of short game practice. When he chipped in for birdie on the 17th hole Thursday he told his caddie the extra practice had paid off. “A lot of hard work is kind of starting to pay off, and hopefully the rest of the summer I can keep it going.â€� Should Love III go on to win his 22nd TOUR title he would become the oldest winner ever, beating the record of Sam Snead who won the 1965 Greater Greensboro Open at 52 years, 10 months, 8 days. Oddly enough Love III won the same tournament, now called the Wyndham Championship, in 2015 at the age of 51 years, 4 months and 10 days placing him third on the all-time list. PLAYOFF REVENGE? Two years ago when The Greenbrier Classic was last played David Hearn and Robert Streb were on the wrong end of the four-man playoff that eventually provided Danny Lee with his first PGA TOUR win. But the pair have started strongly as they attempt to go one better with solid 5-under 65s to be just two back of the early lead. Streb famously damaged his putter in the final round in 2015 and was forced to putt with his wedge over the back nine and still managed to get to extra holes before being eliminated on the first playoff hole. Hearn, who had missed a very similar putt in regulation for the win on the 72nd hole, nailed a birdie to continue with Lee before falling on the second playoff hole. “I’m real proud of the way I played here last time we were here. Really good memories obviously coming off 18. Made a great birdie to continue into the playoff,â€� Hearn said. “I don’t think it’s unfinished business, but this course really suits my eye and I really enjoy playing this golf course. I got off to a nice start today. Let’s see what you can keep doing.â€� Both men need good weeks for their FedExCup hopes. Hearn is the current bubble boy, sitting 125th on the points list. Streb sits 137th. Hearn tries not to think about it too much but admits it’s hard not to. “They send me a text every week, so it’s hard not to know where you are – unless you don’t pay attention to those,â€� he smiled. “Overall, I got off to a really slow start this year. I started working with a new coach and did some swing changes. Nothing major, but it’s taken me a little while to get some traction. The last month and a bit I’ve been playing some really good golf. “So overall my game has been trending in the right direction. I’m trying not to watch that bubble because I know I’m playing good golf and it really shouldn’t matter.â€� LINGMERTH BOUNCES BACK David Lingmerth showed no ill-effects of his Sunday stumble last week, opening with a tidy 6-under 64 to be just one back of the early pace. The Swede led after the first three rounds last week at the Quicken Loans National only to fade on Sunday to a T5 finish. But he needed just 23 putts on Thursday, making 117’9â€� worth of them as he put together a six-birdie effort. “If you gave me a T5 at Quicken Loans before the week started, that’s not a bad finish. I can’t go and be upset about it,â€� he said. “Obviously with the last two rounds shooting 3-over and 3-over, that’s not really what I had in mind. So, a little disappointed, but not going to dwell on it too much. Just put the foot down on the pedal again and keep going. Hopefully we can get ourselves in contention again.â€� ODDS AND ENDS Ben Martin entered this week 127th in the FedExCup meaning his opening round 6-under 64 comes at a great time. Fresh off his lone top-10 of the season, a T5 last week at Quicken Loans, Martin is hoping to make a late playoff push. “Last week last week was huge. I think I went from 145 or so to right around 125. I got off to a bad start this year, but I’m going in the right direction. Looking to keep moving up that board,â€� he said. Matt Jones, who was T2 the last time he played The Greenbrier Classic in 2013, was 2-over through his opening five holes before fighting back. Four birdies in his final six holes helped him to a 4-under 66. Patrick Reed continues to put himself in position for another win, opening with a solid 4-under 66. Davis Love IV, or Dru, was unable to match his father’s heroics shooting a 4-over 74. BEST OF SOCIAL MEDIA

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