Greensboro, NC …
The Scottish duo of Russell Knox and Martin Laird were delighted to find the air-conditioned comfort of the clubhouse after recording similar four-under par 66s in sweltering conditions on the opening day of the Wyndham Championship in North Carolina.
The Tartan pair, and starting on different nines, each recoded six birdies and two bogeys in temperatures in the low 90s and near 70% humidity on the Sedgefield Country Club course in Greensboro.
Daytona based Matt Every raced to the clubhouse holing his second shot for an eagle ‘2’ at the first on route to a nine-under par 61 on the par 70 lay-out and two clear of three players including former U.S. Open winner, Webb Simpson at seven-under.
Knox was clearly delighted with his effort in only his third Greensboro showing and a week after the disappointment of missing the PGA Championship cut less than two hours away in Charlotte.
Russell Knox follows Luke Donald off he green on day one of the Wyndham Championship
“I would have to place this morning in the top-three hottest conditions I’ve ever experienced playing golf”, said Knox.
“The humidity and the intense heat really test your patience including when we had a wait there on 15 while walking up onto the 18 I was done and really ready to get off the course and call it quits for the day.
“There is just no wind, no air circulating and I know one thing and I will not be hitting balls this afternoon”.
After dropping a shot at the first, Knox then capped his round with three birdies in succession from the second hole in sandwiching an eight-footer at the third in the middle of two 18-foot birdies at two and four.
Martin Laird leads the way to the final green of his round
“I am very pleased and even my two bogeys were not all that bad while the key to my round was my putting as I made a lot of nice putts especially the three in-a-row after that first hole bogey,” he said.
“Off the tee, I drove it well and hit the ball where I wanted to and as I mentioned earlier in the week, I can feel this coming.
“So, I am very happy and just looking now to get out of this heat”.
Laird’s effort, and in what is virtually a ‘home’ event for the Scot, continues superb starts he’s enjoyed in now his seventh Wyndham Championship since 2008 and having made the cut in all prior six appearances.
“I always feel very comfortable and play decent on this golf course but the course was there for the taking in these still conditions this morning,” he said.
“The greens are very, very quick but they were perfect this morning and until our last hole there was not a breath of wind, and the ball is going miles so it was perfect concoction for good scoring,
“So, after competing on a very tough golf course last week in Charlotte, it’s good to come to a golf course like this where you go from hitting driver on every hole last week to not hitting very many drivers here this week.
“But then last week is done with. I am not upset in missing the cut but then I am not a big fan of Quail Hollow, so I like this one and clearly happy to be here.
“Though all I can think about now is a cold shower and that’s where I am headed”.
And like Knox, Laird mirrored his compatriot bogeying the first that was his 10th while he then proceeded to birdie the next three just as Knox had done.
