Ko fires 66 to take lead in South Korea

LA QUINTA, Calif. — Patrick Cantlay shot a 10-under 62 in perfect weather and turf conditions Thursday at La Quinta Country Club for a share of the first-round lead with rookie Lee Hodges in The American Express. RELATED: Full leaderboard | Get to know Sahith Theegala in 10 stories Cantlay played the first seven holes in 7 under, making an eagle on the par-5 sixth and five birdies. The FedExCup champion added birdies on Nos. 11-13, two of them par 5s, and closed with five straight pars. “I got off to a roll at the start and kind of made a bunch of putts and then I kind of lagged on the way coming in,” Cantlay said. “But I was happy with everything. I thought I did everything well and it’s a golf course I really like. It’s in perfect shape and so, if you get the ball rolling on line, it should go in.” Cantlay won the BMW Championship and TOUR Championship in his final two starts last year and opened this year with a fourth-place finish two weeks ago in Hawaii at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. Last year in the desert, the 29-year-old former UCLA player closed with a Stadium Course-record 61 to finish a shot behind winner Si Woo Kim. “I grew up a couple hours away, so there are a bunch of friendly faces in the crowd and so it’s really fun,” Cantlay said. “It’s the best part of what I do is when you get on a roll like that and you’re making a bunch of birdies.” Hodges made a memorable debut in the event. The former Alabama star played the back nine at La Quinta in 7-under 29, eagling the par-5 fifth and making five birdies. “It’s one of my favorite golf courses I’ve ever played, to be honest,” Hodges said. “I played it I guess three times now and it’s spectacular. It’s like hitting off of mats half the time. It’s just in perfect shape. You get rewarded for good shots out here, which I like that. Good golf gets rewarded.” Cameron Young and K.H. Lee were tied for third at 64. Young played at La Quinta, and Lee on the Stadium Course. Brandt Snedeker was at 65 with Joseph Bramlett, Greyson Sigg, Sam Ryder, Danny Lee, Tom Hoge, Wyndham Clark and Seamus Power. Snedeker and Clark played at La Quinta, Bramlett and Ryder at the Stadium Course, and Lee, Hoge, Power and Sigg at the Nicklaus Tournament Course. The players who opened at La Quinta will play the Nicklaus Tournament Course on Friday and the adjacent Stadium Course on the weekend, with strong wind expected Saturday. Top-ranked Jon Rahm and Graeme McDowell were in the group at 66, both playing at La Quinta. “I liked the score and the weather,” Rahm said. “It’s always a very enjoyable walk out here. La Quinta Country Club it’s a great golf course. It’s always in pristine shape, one of the best we play all year shape-wise.” McDowell played the event only once before, missing the cut in 2003. “I think my caddie and I are both looking at each other wondering why it’s taken us so long to get here,” McDowell said. “Obviously, the weather is perfect and these golf courses are so well presented.” Harry Higgs had a hole-in-one on the par-3 15th at La Quinta in a 66. He used a 5-iron on the 199-yard hole. Tournament host Phil Mickelson was tied for last in the 156-player field after a 78 at La Quinta. He made a quintuple-bogey 9 on the par-4 eighth after hitting two drives out of bounds right.

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. - Barbara Van Buskirk, a volunteer with 11 years of service at The RSM Classic (St. Simons Island, Georgia), was honored Tuesday as the 2020 PGA TOUR Volunteer of the Year. With the award, the PGA TOUR will donate $5,000 to The Healing Hearts Project, a community charity directly serving the patients and families of both Wolfson Children’s Hospital and UF Pediatric Cardiology in Jacksonville, Florida, who are undergoing treatment for congenital heart disease (CHD). Van Buskirk has been a volunteer at The RSM Classic since its inception in 2010, most recently serving in Volunteer Headquarters. Her responsibilities include preparation and distribution of volunteer uniforms, coordinating breakfast and lunch for the volunteers, managing the volunteer merchandise center and other administrative tasks. Her duties are not limited to tournament week, as she is in the tournament office 40 days before the event to help organize and prepare, assisting in a key role in 2020 as it relates to COVID-19 protocols. "The Davis Love Foundation is fortunate to have someone with Barbara's skills, passion and energy leading our volunteer efforts," said Todd Thompson, The RSM Classic Tournament Director. "Her experience and dedication make her an indispensable member of our team. She leads with a servant's heart and is a perfect representative of the Davis Love Foundation, RSM and the tournament." Tournaments would not be possible without the support of volunteers, who not only help events operate, but also contribute to the overall charitable impact. With the support of more than 100,000 volunteers annually, the TOUR assists approximately 3,000 charities each year. In 2019, the PGA TOUR and its tournaments generated a record $204.3 million for local and national charitable organizations, bringing the all-time total to more than $3 billion. "Being the 2020 PGA TOUR Volunteer of the Year is a special moment for me that I will not forget," said Van Buskirk. "Being a part of the Davis Love Foundation and the RSM Classic for the past 11 years has been an honor and a privilege. The relationships I have formed with the staff and other volunteers are irreplaceable, and the work that Davis does through the tournament and foundation has a huge impact on children and families in need in our community. I think I speak for all volunteers when I say that the PGA TOUR is more than golf, it is a charitable mission that impacts communities, families and charities across the United States. I am proud to be a Volunteer for the RSM Classic and even more honored to be the PGA TOUR Volunteer of the Year." Robert Streb won The RSM Classic in November, becoming the first two-time winner in the event's history.

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