Jerry Kelly scorched TPC Sugarloaf with a record-breaking, 10-under-par 62 to take the first-round lead at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic on Friday in Duluth, Ga.
Kelly’s 10-birdie, zero-bogey round set both the tournament scoring record and the TPC Sugarloaf course record. Kelly was buoyed by a run of five straight birdies starting at No. 10, propelling him to a 7-under 29 on the back nine.
“I’ve had some injury time off and I feel like I haven’t played a whole lot,” Kelly said. “So I’m excited to get some tournaments under my belt and get going. This is the best start I’ve had. It’s just nice to have a good start, it just happens to be my best start.”
Kelly’s nearest competitor is Ernie Els. The South African shot a 7-under 65, while Fiji’s Vijay Singh is in third after a 6-under 66.
Two rounds remain at the event, and Kelly, who has won just once in the past two seasons on the PGA Tour Champions, is taking nothing for granted.
“We all know the next day is another day,” he said. “I think the problem most of the time, you kind of expect — if you’re shooting 10 under, you’re probably hitting it well, you’re probably putting well, you expect to do things well. Expectations are not very fun to have, so I’m going out there with zero.”
Germany’s Bernhard Langer shot his age once again with a round of 67 and is tied for fourth with South Africa’s Retief Goosen.
Two-time defending champion Stephen Ames of Canada started the tournament with an even-par 72.
Sam Arnold, 53, made his PGA Tour Champions debut with a 3-under 69. He was 5 under par with three holes to go but double-bogeyed the par-4 seventh as he finished on the front nine.
“I just signed up for a pre-qualifier last Friday and played well there, got into Monday and got into here,” Arnold said. “It’s been crazy. I didn’t pack enough clothes or bring enough contacts or anything. I stay down here for Easter and had a great Easter with my sister and brother-in-law and his family. It was fun.”
–Field Level Media
