Tom Hoge picked up right where he left off last week, when he closed with a 65 to finish second in A Military Tribute at the Greenbrier.
The 30-year-old Hoge carded a bogey-free, 8-under-par 64 to take a one-stroke lead over Robert Streb, Cameron Percy of Australia and Seamus Power of Ireland before rain wiped out much of the afternoon play in the first round of the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson https://www.ccjackson.com in Jackson, Miss.
“(This is) just a great opportunity for a guy like me to go out and have a great week and change my life,” said Hoge, who had to play in the Korn Ferry Finals recently to regain his PGA Tour card for this season by tying for seventh in the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship and tying for 20th in the Albertsons Boise Open.
“There was so much pressure there for a few weeks to play well and get back out here on the PGA Tour. Once you get that done, it frees you up a little bit. At the same time, you know you played well, so just kind of keep it rolling.”
Hoge, who has won three times as a pro but not on the PGA Tour, birdied four of the first five holes, sank a 45-footer for a final birdie on the last hole and in the new season is 23-under in five rounds, all of them in the 60s.
Power sank a 39-foot eagle putt on the 14th hole, while Percy made four straight birdies on the back nine and Percy birdied the last two holes—all while shooting 65.
Two-time major champion Zach Johnson, Emiliano Grillo of Argentina, Zac Blair and Mark Anderson all finished at 67 and are tied for fifth with Byeong Hun An of South Korea, who was 5-under after 11 holes, and J.T. Poston, who was 5-under after eight.
Joaquin Niemann of Chile, 20, who claimed his first PGA Tour victory last week at the Greenbrier, is tied for 11th after a 68, 2016 champion Peter Malnati shot 70 and is tied for 33rd, 2006 winner D.J. Trahan is tied for 92nd after a 72 and 2015 champ Nick Taylor of Canada opened with 74 and is tied for 136th.
Bill Haas, the 2010 winner, is tied for 11th at 4-under after eight holes, 2012 champ Scott Stallings is tied for 33rd at 2-under after 10, defending champion Cameron Champ of Sacramento is 1-under through eight holes in a tie for 57th, 2017 winner Ryan Armour is 1-over and tied for 123rd through eight and 2007 champion Chad Campbell is tied for 136th at 2-over after nine holes.
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