PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico – Will Gordon was disappointed with the way he finished last week in Bermuda. Mayakoba had no complaints about his start Thursday.
Gordon rattled off four straight birdies to start the back nine on the El Chameleon course, finishing with a 9-under 62 to take a one-shot lead over Russell Henley at the International Tech Championship.
Harris English took another step forward in his recovery from hip surgery and at the age of 64 was part of a team that included former British Open champion Francesco Molinari.
Masters champion Scotty Scheffler saw positive signs.
Without a No. 1 to his name for the first time since March, Scheffler hit several irons to turn it into a 65. Also at 65 was two-time champion Viktor Hovland, who tied with Scheffler for a bucket. And the occasional breezy day at this Mexican resort.
Gordon had to return to the Korn Ferry Tour last year to regain his PGA Tour card. He thought he had gotten off to a decent start to the new season by making every cut, and was five shots back entering the final round in Bermuda last week. He played the last four holes at 4-over and is tied for 35th.
“I had an up and down week in Bermuda,” Gordon said. “I played really good golf for 68 holes and had a good score, so I didn’t have too many expectations this week. It’s just managing my expectations and my emotions, so I feel like I did a good job today.”
The field is strong this year on the PGA Tour, especially Scheffler and two-time major champion Colin Morikawa (71), along with Hovland, will travel to Mayacoba for the third time.
Everyone’s goal is to putt on fairways lined with mangroves, generate wind and the occasional burst of rainwater, and use relatively flat greens.
This might just be English only, especially in 2010. In 2013, he started feeling good with a win at Mayakoba.
English made a strong Ryder Cup debut in 2021 and completed a two-match winning streak. But later he underwent surgery on his hip, which had been harassing him for years. After a five-month hiatus, he returned to the Memorial and preparations were underway.
“It’s definitely getting better,” English said. “I’ve been through a lot of recovery. But the expectation to come back is much higher than it should be. I’m very competitive and I want to be in the mix very bad. You have to give time to heal and heal. Time to get your game back.
“But I like it here. I like the atmosphere,” he said. “I’m excited for the next few days.”
Scheffler has won four times in six starts and is ranked No. 1 in the world. He lost the colonial game. He had a good shot at winning the FedEx Cup until he bogeyed on the last hole.
But his game feels like a long way from April, and Scheffler is playing three of four weeks in the fall to build some momentum. The biggest takeaway from Thursday was signing a bogey without a card.
“A clean card is good,” Scheffler said. “Mostly keep the ball in play today.”
The difference is number 3, the 12th hole, when he puts his tee shot into the hazard. He took a free kick and hit the next one into the area to escape with an equaliser. There were many such moments. Scheffler had six birdies and a few upset moments.
“Hard golf is fun. It’s stress-free,” Scheffler said.
The job remains for Morikawa, who has won six times — including two majors — in three years on tour. In the year Time is running out to win in 2022, and after four bogeys canceled out his four birdies, it doesn’t look like a week to end that drought.
Tony Finau was leading in that direction. He hit the hazard twice on the second hole and took a triple bogey. He aced the par-5 fifth. But he turned around with six birdies and shot a 68.
