NAPLES, Fla. – Players were met with hot, sunny skies to kick off the 79th Florida Open Championship. Half the field competed at Quail West Golf and Country Club, while the other half took on The TwinEagles Club. With scoring opportunities available, players posted some impressive opening-round numbers, setting the tone for an exciting weekend ahead.
What Happened?
The morning kicked off hot with amateur NaShawn Tyson rattling off four birdies through his first four holes. A birdie on the 6th hole would have him rounding the turn at 5-under. Tyson would keep up his strong play on the back nine, however on the 18th hole Tyson would flare his drive right, leading to a costly double-bogey and an even-par back nine.
Allin Crouch also came out hot, beginning his round with a birdie on the first hole. He added four more birdies on the front side to match Tyson’s 5-under 31 at the turn. Unlike Tyson, Crouch kept his foot on the gas, collecting four more birdies on the back nine to post an 8-under 64 and grab the outright lead.
Trevor Hulbert and Brad Schnieder sit tied for second after matching 6-under 66s. Hulbert’s highlight came with an eagle on his 17th hole, hitting a clutch 3-iron from the fairway, propelling him up the leaderboard. Schnieder found his spark late, stringing together four straight birdies from holes 12 to 15 to vault up the leaderboard.
A crowded leaderboard followed, with eight players tied for fourth after shooting 5-under 67s to remain well within striking distance heading into Round Two.
What’s Next?
The field is divided between Quail West Golf & Country Club and The TwinEagles Club for the first two rounds, with players switching courses for Round Two. Following the completion of 36 holes, the field will be cut to the low 60 scores and ties.
Notable
- NaShawn Tyson made birdie on every par-5 at TwinEagles
- NaShawn Tyson was the only amateur to place within the top five
- The 18th hole played the easiest at Quail West, while the 17th hole played the easiest at The TwinEagles Club
- The 16th hole played the hardest at Quail West, while the 18th hole played the most difficult at The TwinEagles Club
- Nine players posted below a 70, while 20 players posted below even-par (72).
Quotable
“I was just kinda in-between clubs, and I ended up playing it safe and taking a 3-iron. Sometimes, you get a little lucky with the mishits and they end up perfect, and I ended up with a great look at an eagle” – Trevor Hulbert on how he made eagle on the 17th hole.
“I just started off pretty hot, I hit a few good shots, but it really all came down to putting. I really had to take advantage of my putting, and that’s what really kept my round together.” – Nashawn Tyson on the best part of his game today.
