Syme Again Banging Loudly On A First Victory Door As Laird’s Puerto Rico Push Halted By Storms

2 months ago by Comments Off on Syme Again Banging Loudly On A First Victory Door As Laird’s Puerto Rico Push Halted By Storms

Scotland’s affable Connor Syme is back banging on a hopeful first Tour victory door grabbing five birdies in a four-under 68 on the opening day of Jonsson Workwear Open at Edenvale in the north-east suburbs of Joburg.

Syme, 28, birdied three of his opening six holes and then two of his closing three to be inside the top-20 and four adrift of the leading duo of Spaniard Ivan Cantero and South African Keenan Davidse.

Two back of the lead is South African Robin ‘Tiger’ Williams, and named after Tiger Woods, who lost a play-off at last week’s Tour stop at the Eastern Cape.

Williams said: “I had time to reflect on last week. This week is a new week on a course I enjoy so I’m looking forward to it.

“I feel this golf course suits me. Getting so close last week shows that what I’m working on is right and hopefully it’s just a matter of time”.

Syme also has had time to reflect after putting himself in great position for a maiden Tour victory toast for a second week running.

The Scot was two shots off the lead heading into last fortnight’ Magical Kenya Open but finishing tied seventh, and then last week he went into day four of the SDC Championship tied at the top but a disappointing final day 75 saw him finish sharing fourth.

Good friend Ewen Ferguson and Aberdonian David Law are two behind Syme at two-under while Richie Ramsay struggled under the weight of a 77.

Meantime …

Tournament top-ranked Bob MacIntyre was also struggling early on day one of the PGA Tour’s $4m Puerto Open when thunderstorms halted play at 2.42pm local time on the host Grand Reserve course laid out along the Caribbean shoreline to the east of the capital San Juan.

The World No. 68 ranked MacIntyre is the highest ranked in the field but was sharing 100th place with fellow Scot Russell Knox when the siren sounded

Denver-based Scot Martin Laird was three-under and bogey-free through 11-holes.

Laird is no stranger to the event having played the tournament in a seventh event of his 2008 rookie PGA Tour season.  He returned to the event for a first since then in 2020, shooting third round 63 on route to a share of sixth.

Knox, and contesting his first PGA Tour event of the year, was one-under tackling the par-5 ninth but walked off with a double, and was one-over after 10 when play was halted.

The American pair of Scott Piercy and Joe Highsmith were in the clubhouse sharing the lead with seven-under 65s.



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