Ludvig Åberg shot a 9-under 63 on the North Course at Torrey Pines, featuring an eagle at the par-5 17th, eight birdies and a bogey to take a two-shot lead at the Farmers Insurance Open.
“It was nice,” said the Swede. “Felt like I was driving the ball really well. Golf becomes a lot easier when you can do that. Even though North is a little bit easier than South, it still presents its challenges and you’ve still got to hit the shots. Super happy with the way we kind of came out of the gates today and played some good golf.
“I think I like when you hit a lot of drivers and I feel like I did that a lot today and probably going to do the same tomorrow. Any golf course when it looks like this, when you have the views and Torrey Pines is a really, really cool place. Yeah, looking forward to tomorrow.”
63 marks Åberg’s low opening round on the PGA Tour and placed him in his first 18-hole lead/co-lead on Tour.
PGA Tour rookie Danny Walker posted a career-low, bogey-free 7-under 65 for a share of second place, marking the low round of the day on the South Course. Walker hit every green in regulation in the first round, becoming the 12th player to hit all 18 greens on the South course since 1980, and the first since Martin Laird in 2019 (R3).
Fellow American Hayden Springer opened eagle-birdie at the 10th and 11th on the North Course for a share of second place.
American Lanto Griffin signed for a bogey-free 66 on the North Course for a share of fourth place at 6-under alongside compatriots Zac Blair and Zach Johnson as well as South African Aldrich Potgieter, all also playing the North Course.
Potgieter recorded his career-low round on Tour in an individual stroke-play event.