Scott Brown carded a 6-under-par 66 on the more difficult South Course and was tied for the lead with Andrew Loupe after one round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla.
Brown (pictured), whose only victory on the PGA Tour came in the 2013 Puerto Rico Open, was 2-over for the day through seven holes, but birdied eight of his last 11, shooting 6-under 30 on the front nine.
“I hit a lot of great shots and made some putts,” said Brown, who overcame bogeys on the 13th and 16th holes. “I made a couple of stupid mistakes and made bogeys, hit a ball in the hazard (on No. 13).
“But I really hit some good shots coming home and making birdies on eight of the last 11 holes was nice.”
Loupe, whose only pro victory came last year in the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Open on the Web.com Tour, holed bookend eagle putts on the first and last holes in his 66 on the North Course, which was playing more than two strokes easier than the South.
Billy Horschel had a bogey-free 67 on and was tied for third with Patton Kizzire, Harold Varner III, Tom Hoge and Rob Oppenheim, all of them on the North Course.
Brendan Steele of Idyllwild and UC Riverside shot 68 and was tied for eighth with Gary Woodland, Scott Stallings, Hideki Matsuyama of Japan and Matt Every, all of them on the North, and K.C. Choi of South Korea and Chesson Hadley, who both played the South.
Phil Mickelson, who has won his hometown event three times, was tied for 15th after a 69 on the South Course, defending champion Jason Day battled the flu while shooting 72 on the North to tie for 34th, and Rickie Fowler of Murrieta, coming off his victory in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, struggled to a 73 on the North and was tied for 90th.
