Lucas Glover and Chez Reavie posted a best-ball score of 12-under-par 60 and are tied for the lead with Xinjun Zhang and Zecheng Dou of China after the first round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans at TPC New Orleans in Avondale, La.
Glover (pictured left) and Reavie (center) each collected six birdies for the day, and the team combined seven while finishing on the front nine, including three in a row at the finish.
“We read (the greens) right early, and that just gave us good feeling for the rest of the day,” said Glover, the 2009 U.S. Open champion. “Chez birdied the first two; we were dead on with both the reads, so we just kept it going. We changed maybe a ball or two in a direction one way or the other and that was it. We were pretty right on. Luckily we were hitting our lines also.
“Chez started well and I picked it up in the middle of the back nine. He closed it off and then we both played really well on the front. Just kind of ham and egged it, as they would say.”
Added Reavie: “You know, I think we play very similar games. I think we read putts very similar as well. I think this year we were both a little bit more relaxed and comfortable with the format and played better.
“We’re just very comfortable helping each other out. If I tell him something and he’s not all in, then he’s going to do what he wants and I’m completely good with it, and vice versa.”
Zhang and Dou had six birdies on each nine and tied for the lead when Dou sank a 31-foot birdie putt on their final hole, No. 9.
Michael Kim of Alameda and Cal teamed with Andrew Putnam, who played at Pepperdine, for a 62 and are tied for third with Tony Finau and Daniel Summerhays, Tommy Fleetwood and Chris Paisley of England, J.J. Henry and Tom Hoge, Kevin Kisner and Scott Brown, and Brendon de Jonge of Zimbabwe and Troy Merritt.
Padraig Harrington and Shane Lowry of Ireland totaled 63 and a tied for ninth with Matt Jones of Australia and Chad Campbell.
Defending champions Jonas Blixt of Sweden and Cameron Smith of Australia shot 65 and are tied for 21st.
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