ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — Michael Thorbjornsen is over his knee surgical procedure and shed the brace in time to submit an 8-under 64 on the Plantation course Thursday and share the result in par with fellow Stanford alum Maverick McNealy on the season-ending RSM Traditional on the PGA Tour.
McNealy had an 8-under 62 on the Seaside course at Sea Island, which was extra uncovered to the chilly wind that ripped by way of the Golden Isles.
Thorbjornsen wasn’t probably the most distinguished participant with knee points and a brace. Ludvig Åberg, the No. 5 participant on this planet, had not competed for the reason that Tour Championship, taking day without work for meniscus surgical procedure and returning to the location the place he tied the PGA Tour’s 72-hole scoring report .
That report seems secure, a minimum of from him. Åberg’s flawless swing appeared robust as ever. It was the quick sport — chipping and placing — that held him again in his spherical of 73 at Seaside.
“It was arduous. Clearly, it was a tough day,” Åberg stated. “It was numerous rust I felt like, however I additionally felt like the great was fairly good however the dangerous was actually dangerous. Slightly little bit of all the things right now, however all in all, fairly blissful to be again enjoying golf once more.”
Ditto for Thorbjornsen, who earned a card because the top-ranked participant in PGA Tour College. He was going alongside properly till he felt a pop in his knee whereas preparing for the Black Desert Championship in Utah in early October.
He thought he may stroll it off till he may hardly stroll in any respect. It turned out to be sprained ligaments in his left knee, which required day without work as a substitute of surgical procedure. He returned with out lacking a step, grateful to now not be carrying a thick brace.
“It’s truly sort of humorous, I used to be practising with Ludvig slightly bit again in Sawgrass and we each had like matching left knee braces,” Thorbjornsen stated. “It was slightly embarrassing. I believe that is my third day enjoying with out the brace on, so it feels good.”
The RSM Traditional is the ultimate event of the 12 months, and the main target is on the highest 125 — that is the ultimate 12 months the highest 125 within the FedEx Cup standings earn playing cards.
The PGA Tour put collectively Zac Blair (No. 123), Joel Dahmen (No. 124) and Wesley Bryan (No. 125). Bryan had a 70 on the Plantation, Dahmen broken his hopes with a 73 and Blair got here in with a 72.
The opposite key quantity is to complete between No. 51 and No. 60 within the FedExCup, which might earn spots in $20 million signature occasions at Pebble Seashore and Riviera early subsequent 12 months.
McNealy has achieved sufficient to safe these spots. He was extra serious about how swing adjustments are taking impact, and he had some spectacular moments. McNealy chipped in from behind the fifteenth inexperienced for eagle. What bought his consideration have been two photographs that led to par contemplating the robust wind on the uncovered Seaside course.
He began on No. 10, which throughout apply was a driver over the bunkers and a sand wedge to the inexperienced. With the wind, he couldn’t cowl the bunkers and was left a 5-iron to the inexperienced.
“Simply needed to hit two nice photographs in the course of the inexperienced,” he stated.
On his closing gap, the ninth, he confronted a tough wind off the fitting.
“I simply steepened left and was in a position to hit the window (of his goal) and spin that ball slightly bit left-to-right to carry the wind, and that’s a shot I wasn’t very snug with six months in the past,” McNealy stated.
Andrew Novak, coming off a runner-up end in Bermuda, had a 7-under 65 on Plantation. Given his location per week in the past in the course of the Atlantic Ocean, the place gusts got here near 50 mph, he felt Sea Island was a breeze.
“At this time wasn’t as windy as Bermuda and I felt like I may get after some putts and bought some to go in,” Novak stated.
