Vernon goes low, takes early ATB Classic lead

SHERWOOD PARK, Alberta—Carr Vernon shot the lowest round of the year on PGA TOUR Canada on Thursday to take a one-shot lead after the opening day of the ATB Classic.

Vernon, of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, opened with a 9-under 63 on the Northern Bear Golf Club. The score was a career low in Vernon’s 66 rounds, who is competing in his 23rd career PGA TOUR Canada event. His is also the lowest score of the season relative to par.

“I felt good coming into this week,” Vernon said. “I didn’t play well last week, but I got here and had good vibes about the place in general. I hadn’t putted that well in the last couple weeks, but today I made a lot of putts. It’s one of those days for sure, and I’m taking what I can get.”

Monday qualifier, Davis Lamb, of Bethesda, Maryland, had two eagles on his card and shot a career-low, 8-under 64. Tied for third at 7-under 65 are Canadian Noah Steele of Kingston, Ontario, Nicolo Galletti of Berkeley, California, and Hayden Shieh of Fremont, California.

The five-way tie for fifth at 6-under 66 is Derek Hitchner of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Thomas Longbella of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, Tyler Strafaci of Miami, Florida, Australian Jack Trent, and Devon Bling of Ridgecrest, California, in the pursuit of the season-long Fortinet Cup.

Vernon, who played at California State-Monterey Bay, birdied the first two holes and the last two holes of his first nine to shoot 32. After a birdie at No. 10, he strung together four in a row, from No. 13-16. He did not make a bogey.

“I made a lot of speed-up putts today,” Vernon said. “Not all of them you expect to make, a couple of them from 30 feet-plus, so it’s definitely nice to have them.”

Lamb, who played at Notre Dame, eagled his first hole (No. 10) with a chip-in from the right side and eagled his seventh, the 404-yard par-4 16th, by holing out from 86 yards—a shot that skipped a foot past the hole and drew back in. He shot 29 on the first nine.

“It was pretty good,” Lamb said. “(After the eagle) we knew we had something going, and it was important to keep it going the rest of the day. I had to stay focused and would have liked for a few more putts to drop late in the round, but I’ll always take an 8-under.”

Shieh, sporting a Masters hat on the Jack Nicklaus-designed venue, and Hitchner played in the same group and drew energy from each other. Shieh had one eagle, six birdies and one bogey. Hitchner had six birdies. They only birdied the same hole once, and their best-ball round would have been 13-under.

“It’s fun when two guys are playing all right,” Shieh said. “We were chatting about stuff throughout the round. Keep it as calm as you can, and good things can happen.”