PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Austin Smotherman tied the best round of his career, shooting a 9-under 62 to take the early lead in the opening round of the Cognizant Classic on Thursday.
Smotherman — fueled by six consecutive birdies on holes 7 through 12 — tapped in for a birdie on the par-5 finishing hole for the second 62 in his PGA Tour career. He also shot 62 in the first round of the Bermuda Championship in October 2022.
Nico Echavarria shot 63 in the morning half of the draw at PGA National. No one else from the morning wave shot better than 67, with Taylor Moore and Jackson Suber coming in with those scores.
Smotherman became the seventh player to shoot 62 or better at PGA National in this event. The others: Jake Knapp (59 in Round 1, 2025), Matt Jones (61 in Round 1, 2021), Brian Harman (61 in Round 2, 2012), Chris Kirk (62 in Round 2, 2023), Brandon Hagy (62 in Round 2, 2021) and Tiger Woods (62 in the final round, 2012).
Wind was picking up in the afternoon at PGA National, meaning Smotherman’s lead seemed likely to hold up.
He held a first-round lead one other time coming into this week, the 2023 Mexico Open, and hasn’t won in any of his first 81 starts on tour.
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press
