Hoge holds a one-shot lead over Maverick McNeal and Si Woo Kim, with eight players two strokes back at six under; Watch the Shriners Children's Open throughout the week live on Sky Sports
Friday 7 October 2022 12:39, UK
Tom Hoge posted two eagles on his way to opening up a one-shot lead after the opening round of the Shriners Children’s Open in Las Vegas.
The American posted a bogey-free 63 at TPC Summerlin to top the leaderboard ahead of Maverick McNealy and Si Woo Kim, with eight players two strokes back on six under after a low-scoring day.
Hoge opened with five consecutive pars before following a 25-foot birdie at the sixth by holing from 110 yards to eagle the par-four seventh, before rolling in from 15 feet at the ninth to reach the turn in 31.
The 33-year-old holed a 20-footer from the fringe at the 10th and converted from close range at the next for a third consecutive birdie, with a 35-foot eagle at the par-five 16th moving him to eight under.
McNealy made six of his seven birdies on the back nine to close a blemish-free 64, while five birdies in a seven-hole stretch helped Kim also get within a shot of the lead.
"The other PGA Tour players out here that live in Vegas, we call 13 through 16 'Birdies Alley'," McNealy said. "You know you're going to have a lot of opportunities at the end of the round."
Tom Kim, coming off his first Presidents Cup appearance last month, carded a bogey-free 65 to sit in the large group sharing fourth spot containing compatriot S.H Kim and defending champion Sungjae Im.
Sam Ryder, Keith Mitchell, Will Gordon, Tyler Duncan and Belgium's Thomas Detry complete the group on six under, while England's Harry Hall and Scotland's Martin Laird are both within three of the early lead.
Patrick Cantlay and Max Homa were part of a large tie on four under, while three golfers - none of them among the top 20 on the leaderboard - had one hole to play when action was suspended due to darkness.
Watch the Shriners Children's Open throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues Friday with Featured Groups via the red button from 4pm, before switching to Sky Sports Golf at 6pm. Full coverage then begins at 10pm.
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