J.J. Spaun played in the group behind tournament host Tiger Woods and figures none of the fans he saw in the distance even knew what he did, but if he keeps playing this way, they will.
Spaun, the 27-year-old from Los Angeles and San Diego State, carded a bogey-free 7-under-par 63 to tie Andrew Landry for the lead after one round of the Quicken Loans National at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm in Potomac, Md.
“No, hell no, they don’t even know who I am,” said Spaun, who said the putter was the best club in his bag as he collected seven birdies, including five in one span of seven holes. “(Woods’ threesome) played so fast, actually like they were a solid hole ahead of us. Did he play good? How did he play? … I just saw his pink shirt way in the distance.
“(Spaun’s putter is) basically a Tiger Woods knockoff. It’s like the same look, same stampings, but my name. It would be cool to have his name, but nah, I don’t think he’d be happy with that. That’s kind of been the putter that I’ve been using since my rookie year out here, so two years. It’s kind of the one that I’ve always had the best finishes with, an Old Faithful kind of deal.”
Landry, who claimed his only PGA Tour victory at the Valero Texas Open in April, also had a new putter.
He birdied four of his first six holes after starting at on the back nine another bogey-free round.
“Struggling the last few weeks, actually, like the last few months,” said Landry, who has missed three cuts in six starts since winning in Texas. “Just been trying to grind it out. Something kind of clicked when playing on Friday at Travelers.
“I just haven’t really been playing good to be honest with you. I was just going to come out today and just try and have some fun and get back to it. I know the season is long. Ball-striking was there today. The driver was not as good as I wanted, but the irons made up for it. Put a new putter in the bag this week. We’ll see what happens. “
Billy Horschel sank a 42-foot birdie putt on No 9 while finishing his first nine and added a 23-footer for birdie putt one hole later in a 64 that put him in a tie for third with Andrew Putnam of Pepperdine, who played bogey-free, while Beau Hossler of Ranch Santa Margarita birdied his last two holes in a 65 and is tied for fifth with Abraham Ancer of Mexico, who holed a seven-foot eagle putt at No. 10.
Seamus Power of Ireland made an eight-foot birdie putt on his last hole to shot 66 and is tied for seventh with Joel Dahmen, who holed out from 87 yards for an eagle on the seventh hole, and Ryan Armour, who closed with his only bogey.
Francesco Molinari birdied four of his first seven holes on his way to a 67 and is tied for 10th with Geoff Ogilvy of Australia, Brian Gay, Scott Stallings, Stephan Jaeger of Germany, Zac Blair, Marc Leishman of Australia, C.T. Pan of Taiwan, Anirban Lahiri of India, Sam Ryder and Ryan Blaum.
Woods and eighth-ranked Rickie Fowler of Murrieta shot 70s are tied for 40th.
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