Chad Ramey teed off early and S.H. Kim of South Korea played several hours later, but they wound up in the same place.
Ramey (pictured) Daand Kim both shot seven-under-par 64 to share the lead by one stroke over seven players in the first round of the 52nd edition of what is now the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches on the Champion Course at PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Six players were still on the course when darkness halted play and they will return Friday morning to complete their rounds before the second round begins.
Ramey birdied five of the first seven holes in his bogey-free round, sinking a 27-foot birdie putt on the first hole while Kim holed out from 75 feet for an eagle on the third hole and added four of his five birdies on the back nine while also playing bogey-free.
Kim has won three times as a pro, but not on the PGA Tour.
“I got a good break this morning with there not being any wind,” said Ramey, whose only PGA Tour victory came in the 2022 Corales Puntacana Championship and had his only first-round lead in the Players Championship last year.
“I fully expect the rest of the week the wind to blow. I’ve never been here and seen it not blow. But to take advantage of the calm conditions is definitely a plus. I hit the ball well, putted well and chipped in once. I played very solidly throughout the whole bag.”
Ryan Moore holed out for an eagle from 113 yards on the 13th hole en route to a 65 and is tied for third with Austin Eckroat, who made five birdies on the back nine; Andrew Novak, who sank a seven-foot eagle putt on the third hole and had four birdies on the back nine; Cameron Young, who made the last of his nine birdie on the last two holes; Chesson Hadley, who had three birdies on each nine in his bogey-free round, and David Skinns of England, who birdied three of his first four hole in a bogey-another bogey-free round.
C.T. Pan of Taiwan birdied five of the first six holes on the back nine in a 66 and is tied for nine with Billy Horschel, who had four of his six birdies on the back nine; Sam Ryder, who made the last of his five birdies on the final hole in a bogey-free round; Bud Cauley, who birdied five of the first six holes on his back nine; Chandler Phillips, who had four birdies on the front nine and three on the back; Erik van Rooyen of South Africa, who sank a 20-foot eagle putt on the third hole and added three birdies both nines, and Kevin Yu of Taiwan, who sank a 15-foot eagle putt on the 18th hole and made two birdies on each nine.
Second-ranked Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland had five birdies and one bogey in a 67 and is in a tie for 16th that includes defending champion Chris Kirk, who birdied his first three holes, while ninth-ranked Matt Fitzpatrick of England sank a seven-foot eagle putt on the third hole to highlight his 70 and is tied for 71st.
“You’re not going to get this course much easier,” said McIlroy, who won this event in 2012 for one of his 24 victories.
The wind is supposed to pick up over the next few days, meaning scores probably will rise, so things should get interesting.
For complete results and second-round tee times, visit: https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard
