Sebastian Munoz of Colombia wrote his name in the record book.
The 29-year-old Munoz posted a 12-under-par 60 to build a four-stroke lead over Mito Pereira of Chile, Peter Malnati, Justin Lower and defending champion K.H. Lee of South Korea after the opening round of the AT&T Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas.
Munoz, who also shot 60 in the RSM Classic earlier this season, became the first player in PGA Tour history to record that number twice in the same season.
“Let’s keep going,” Munoz, whose only PGA Tour victory came in the 2019 Sanderson Farms Championship, said of his mindset as the round went on. “It’s a great feeling whenever everything is clicking. It’s just stay out of the way and just kind of let it happen.
“I had a tough putt on 12 for eagle (which he made) and like I was thinking like, ‘It’s OK if I don’t make this one.’ Then it was like, ‘I know I can make it. Just kind of stay in it. Trust what you’re doing.’
“I just wanted to get more looks. More looks and more chances. And I just kind of went crazy with it.”
Munoz, who broke the course record by two strokes, started at No. 10 with birdie-birdie-eagle, sinking that five-foot eagle putt, made four more birdies before the turn including three in a row through No. 18, and tallied three birdies on the front nine before capping his round with a 15-foot eagle putt at No. 9. His only bogey came at No. 8.
Pereira, who started at No. 10, sank a five-foot birdie putt on his third hole and collected eight birdies in his 64, while Lee holed an 11-foot eagle putt at No. 12 in his bogey-free round, Malnati holed out from 180 yards for an eagle at No. 13 and closed with a 59-foot eagle putt at No. 9, and Lower holed out from 154 yards for an eagle at No. 10 and birdied the last hole.
“When I’m here (at TPC Craig Ranch), (I feel) very comfortable,” said Lee, who has won six times in Asia and was playing alongside local favorites Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth. “I was playing with two great players, which helped.
“Starting with great guys, it was very fun and I enjoyed it, so I’m very happy for the first round. Because a lot of guys (are making) birdies and eagles, I need to go low under par.”
Kyle Wilshire birdied four of the last for holes and is solo sixth with a 65, while J.J. Spaun of Los Angeles and San Diego State collected seven birdies in a 66 and is tied for seventh with Seamus Power of Ireland, who birdied three of the last four holes, Carlos Ortiz of Mexico, who played bogey-free, Charl Schwartzel of South Africa, who had eight birdies, and David Skinns of England, who holed a bunker shot from 79 feet for an eagle on the 12th hole.
Top-ranked Scheffler had seven birdies in a 67 and is in a tie for 12th that includes ninth-ranked Spieth, who sank a 13-foot eagle putt at No. 11, former world No. 1 Dustin Johnson, who has slipped to No. 11, and 12th-ranked Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, the 2021 Masters champion.
Eighth-ranked Justin Thomas tapped in for an eagle while finishing on the ninth hole and is tied for 25th at 68, while 10th-ranked Sam Burns made three bogeys on the back nine and is tied for 128th at 73.
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