Travelers Championship Day 1: Tied 9th, Kodaira and Hickok Share Lead at 7 Under, Defending Champ Johnson Tied 76th at Even Par
Bubba Watson is reading the putting line on the 7th hole on the first day of the Travelers Championship. Cromwell, USA = Getty Images / Multibits
[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] 'Power hitter' Bubba Watson (USA) is off to a strong start.
On the 25th (Korean time), at the Travelers Championship (total prize money $7.4 million) held at River Highlands TPC in Cromwell, Connecticut, USA (par 70, 6,841 yards), he posted 4-under par on the first day, placing tied for 9th. Satoshi Kodaira (Japan) and Kramer Hickok share the lead at 7-under par, with Taylor Gooch chasing closely in 3rd place, one stroke behind at 6-under par 64. Defending champion Dustin Johnson (USA) remained tied for 76th at even par.
It is interesting that Watson has won this tournament three times?in 2010, 2015, and 2018. He earned his first PGA Tour victory in 2010, defeated Paul Casey (England) on the second hole of a playoff in 2015, and secured a commanding 3-stroke victory in 2018. He is known for being particularly strong at certain tournaments. At the Genesis Invitational, he set a remarkable record by winning in even-numbered years: 2014, 2016, and 2018 (then called the Genesis Open).
On this day, Watson recorded five birdies and one bogey. His only bogey came on the 2nd hole (par 4) after missing the green, but he recovered with a birdie on the 4th hole (par 4), followed by consecutive birdies on the 9th and 10th holes, and 'stepping stone birdies' on the 13th and 15th holes. His long drives reached up to 321 yards, and his green hit rate of 88.89% showcased his pinpoint iron shots. He complemented this with an average of 1.69 putts per hole, demonstrating his precise putting. This marks a great opportunity for him to claim his 13th career win, his first in three years since this tournament in 2018.
Patrick Cantlay is a player to watch. He is already aiming for his third win of the season, following the Zozo Championship in October 2021 and the Memorial Championship on the 6th of this month. For now, he completed his 'warm-up' tied for 25th at 2-under par. 'The Hulk' Bryson DeChambeau (USA) is tied for 45th at 1-under par. His iron shots were shaky, making it difficult to create birdie opportunities. His 332-yard long drives were ironically a disappointment.
Johnson is stuck at even par, making title defense challenging. He made four birdies but also two bogeys, including a double bogey caused by a second shot error on the 2nd hole. From Korea, Kang Sung-hoon (34) and An Byeong-hun (30) are at 2-under par, and AT&T Byron Nelson champion Lee Kyoung-hoon (30) is at 1-under par. American Express champion Kim Si-woo (26, all from CJ Logistics) struggled with 4-over par and dropped to tied 140th, facing the threat of missing the cut.
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