The First Look: Genesis Open

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Josh Teater usually travels with six or seven hats in his golf bag. He was the third alternate this week at the Wyndham Championship, though, and he forgot to pack any. So, when Teater got into the PGA TOUR’s final regular season event after Patrick Reed withdrew, he was in a bit of a pickle. Not to worry. Teater has been friends with Donald Moore, the general manager of the Greensboro Grasshoppers minor league baseball team, since his rookie year. He’s taken batting practice at First National Bank Field and even threw out the first pitch at a game in 2019. So, this week, for the third straight year, Teater will be wearing a Grasshoppers cap. “That’s kind of the beauty of not having a hat sponsor — you can kind of wear whatever you’d like,” Teater said. “I love baseball and played a lot growing up and I just like collecting hats.” The bright orange hat got plenty of airtime on Thursday when the former Morehead State golfer was part of one of the Featured Groups on PGA TOUR LIVE. Moore had brought an assortment to his buddy when he came to Sedgefield Country Club for a luncheon on Wednesday. Teater isn’t sure exactly how many hats he owns. He likes to wear hats with a local flair – witness the Hartford Yard Goats cap he donned a couple of years ago at the Travelers Championship or the Quad Cities River Bandits he wore at the John Deere Classic. A few weeks ago at the 3M Open, Teater was wearing a Minnesota Twins cap. And last week he saw a Lake Tahoe trucker hat at a Rite-Aid pharmacy, bought it and put it into play, so to speak, on Friday at the Barracuda Championship. “It’s funny, my seven-year-old son and I wear the same size fitted hat so we can share them,” Teater said. “So, I don’t know what that’s saying, but yeah, I’ve collected a pretty good number.” Teater also has a hat with a dynamite logo given to him by Dean Emerson, who caddies for Rob Oppenheim. Emerson’s nickname is Dynamite Dean. “I might have to break it out at some point, he said. “It’s wide open, anything,” the good-natured Teater said with a smile. “It’s fun. Obviously, it’d be nice to have a consistent one, but I’m trying to enjoy it.” Teater battled an uncooperative putter on a hot, steamy Thursday and ended up shooting an even-par 70. His hat did not go unnoticed, though, as he played with Wes Roach Jr. and big-hitting Jason Kokrak. “I heard a few out there, volunteers and fans, you know, saying, ‘Go, Hoppers,” said Teater, who was glad to get the team some love. “So, I might bring the green one out tomorrow.”

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SAN DIEGO — Patrick Reed birdied his first three holes and finished with a bogey-free 8-under 64 on Thursday for a share of the lead with Alex Noren after the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open. RELATED: Leaderboard | Rory has impressive start on South Course Reed, Noren and Scottie Scheffler — who was one stroke back — all played Torrey Pines’ easier North Course and will play the South Course on what could be a wet Friday. Heavy rain was forecast for overnight and into the second round at the municipal course overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Peter Malnati and Ryan Palmer each shot 66 for the lowest scores on the South Course and were in a group of 12 at 6 under. Malnati capped his round with an eagle on the par-5 18th. After a 321-yard tee shot, he hit his approach to 16 feet and made the putt. Reed took advantage of nice weather and accurate tee shots to get off to the hot start. Starting on No. 10, he birdied the first three holes before making his first par. He closed with a flourish as well, with birdies on his 15th, 16th and 17th holes. “I put myself in position today where I had to go out knowing that we’re going to get pretty good conditions, go out and try to make as many birdies as possible to be able to kind of weather the storm tomorrow,” Reed said. “I was able to kind of get off to a hot start and just kind of ride momentum going on through the rest of the round and continue attacking that golf course since that’s the one you’re able to attack. “I was hitting the ball off the tee. You have to play from the fairway, shoot a low number and attack the course. Especially with what’s coming tomorrow.” Reed said the closest he came to a bogey was on the par-4 fourth. He had a 35-foot putt for birdie and rolled it 3 feet to the right but saved par. “That was the closest to a bogey, having a chance for a three putt, but besides that, everything else was pretty easy,” he said. “Definitely it felt easy out there just kind of with how I was hitting the driver, getting the ball in the fairway. I was working it both ways, which was nice. It’s not like I had only one way to go. I was able to hit the draws, hit the fades.” Noren also started on No. 10. He eagled the par-5 17th and followed it with his only bogey. He birdied every other hole on his back nine. Sheffler, who also played bogey-free, eagled the par-4 16th. Noren, from Sweden, also took advantage of nice weather to get a low score on the North Course. “Yeah, I’m hoping that we’re going to not get too flooded during the night,” he said. “But I played the South Course two rounds this week and I know how long it is now, especially when they lengthened some tee boxes, put them back. It’s a test. You definitely need some good ball striking there, especially in windy conditions. It’s good to get some birdies on the North, yeah.” Defending champion Marc Leishman struggled through a 1-under 71 on the South Course, including a triple-bogey 7 on No. 4. Rory McIlroy shot a 68 on the South Course and was in a group of 11 at 4 under. He’s playing the Farmers for the third straight year and is hoping to file away some mental notes for the U.S. Open in June, which will be played at Torrey Pines for just the second time. McIlroy had four birdies on the front nine but didn’t get his fifth and final birdie until No. 17. “I did well. I got off to a great start, 4-under through nine,” he said. “A little disappointed I didn’t pick up a couple more on the way in, especially with the two par 5s, not picking up any shots there. Yeah, I think anytime you shoot 68 on the South Course here you’ve got to be pretty happy.”

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