Matt Wallace (-8) is the first leader of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. The Englishman has signed a card of 63 strokes at the TPC Craig Ranch in Texas and leads by one stroke a large group of pursuers, up to seven, who have signed a record of 64 strokes (Pendrith, Noren, Semikawa, Kraft, Riley, Knapp and Hadley).
As you can see, here if you don’t run, you fly, since the result of -6 has just made it into the top ten of the first round by the skin of its teeth. A first day, by the way, that once again could not be completed, suspended due to lack of light with nine players on the field.
What a recital Wallace has given with the irons: he has added up to eight birdies and only in one of them was he forced to hole a putt of more than three meters…
Jorge Campillo (-3) has once again finished his round almost in the dark, but at least he managed to finish it and he did so with a birdie on the 18th, par 5, after playing a good chip that even rounded the eagle. The Spaniard starts a bit far from the head, but he has signed a card of 68 strokes without bogeys, which cannot be considered bad.
The summary he made of his round could not be more precise: “In general, I have played quite orderly. I have felt good with the driver, only a pass with the irons and the mediocre putt”. Indeed, the Extremaduran has not had too many clear chances, but he has not gotten into too many problems either, although he leads the scrambling statistic (6/6 recoveries converted). “Actually, of all the recoveries I have had to make only those of holes 11 and 17 had some difficulty,” the Spanish player clarifies.
Precisely along with Campillo, in the same match, was the Japanese player Taiga Semikawa, who was last week at the ISPS Handa of the European circuit, where he finished in 24th place, and who wasted an excellent birdie option on the 18th to rise to the tournament lead, matching Wallace’s record. One way or another, the Japanese connection manages to stay on the crest of the wave in this 2024.
