Russell Knox was laughing when admitting he hit the worst opening tee-shot of his career to then sensationally muscle his way straight into contention early on day one of the AT & T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
Knox grabbed an eagle and five birdies in taking ‘Route 66’ for a six-under par-66 on the famed US Open host course laid-out along the Pacific Ocean shoreline.
The effort is the Scot’s third lowest round in 11 events in the 2020/21 wraparound scheduled since a 63 on day one his first event of the new season at last September’s Safeway Open.
Knox kick-started his round by hitting some four inches behind his ball but managing to save par before capping his round at the very next hole when he sank a 14-footer at the par-5 second hole and with the 35-year-old recording also five birdies.
He said: “Anytime you get a chance to play Pebble Beach is amazing and I am very happy with the way I played and managed to shoot a good score, so that makes me very happy.
“Though the first tee shot wasn’t that good as I probably hit the worst tee shot of maybe my professional career (laughing).
“I hit a 5-wood like about four-inches behind the ball, and hit it about 40-yards off to the right but fortunately I was able to settle down after that.
“The eagle on two made amends for the opening tee shot as that settled me down after a kind of nervy first hole, so it was pretty good after that and nice to get off to a good start.”
Pick of Knox’s birdies was at the spectacular downhill par-3 seventh hole, where the Pacific Ocean breaks onto rocks at the back of the green, and where he holed a 20-footer.
Knox dropped just one shot in his round at the 15th hole and ended finding a greenside bunker and splashing out to 13-feet and only just missing his birdie.
American Nate Lashley eagled the last in a round of 65 to be the clubhouse leader.
California State rules over social-distancing has seen the Tour stopped amateurs from teeing-up this week and with just two courses, instead of the normal three, playing host to the £stg 5.6m event.
