Inicio Main Tours PGA Tour Two forty-somethings line up the whole troop at the American Express
Zach Johnson and Alex Noren mark themselves with a 62 in a start with very low rounds

Two forty-somethings line up the whole troop at the American Express

Juan de la Huerga
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Zach Johnson
Zach Johnson. © Joe Lumaya / Golffile

The new generations are coming in strong, but those who had, retained, and as a button sample of the first day of the American Express, where two forty-somethings, one more than the other, lined up all the young troops in this trine tournament (played on three courses: Stadium Course, Nicklaus Tournament and La Quinta) where the results tend to be low and this time was not going to be any different.

Zach Johnson (-10) Alex and Noren (-10) shared the course in this initial stage of an event that closes the cut on Saturday, when the 156 players transit through the three layouts. The American, who turns 48 clubs on February 24, had more than two years without a standout score (61 in the first round of the RSM Classic of 2021). He has almost forgotten what it means to win a guy with two Majors in his pocket, the Masters 2007 and the Open 2015, precisely this the last triumph he took to his mouth. Plus ten PGA Tour titles. Great resume.

Precisely he acknowledged at the end of the round that normality has returned to his life after a complicated 2023 combining the game with the duties of captain of the United States of the Ryder Cup. “I enjoyed the work, I enjoyed the sweat,” said a radiant Johnson after a fabulous record, with seven birdies in the first nine holes and three more in the second. “The grass seemed fake,” he joked given the excellent conditions of the La Quinta grass. “That sounds good,” he replied when pointed out that he is looking for his first victory since 2015.

Noren, who will turn 42 in July, is more accustomed to offering great rounds on the PGA Tour, where he has been for a handful of years, but… he doesn’t win. He scored a 61 in the first round of the Bermuda Championship last November and finished second. On the American Circuit, he has been runner-up three times, third four times and has 12 top 5s. And victory eludes him. In fact, he has been without tasting it for five and a half years, when he lifted the cup of the Open de France in 2018.

Both want to fight the youngsters who burst the ball, although with three days ahead and with these magnificent conditions anyone can make a hole in the Coachella valley.

Two twenty-somethings, although close to 30, are on the heels of the two old men. Christiaan Bezuidenhout (-9) and Rico Hoey (-9) have done their homework first in a round in which only 24 players did not defeat their respective fields. The 29-year-old South African also shone on the La Quinta greens with nine flawless birdies; the 28-year-old Filipino, promoted this season from the Korn Ferry Tour, had a great time at the Nicklaus Tournament, cheered on by his girlfriend, his family and his friends, with nine more birdies in the bag.

Before talking about the heavyweights, we must stop at Hayden Springer (-8). The red-haired player made his debut in his first tournament with a PGA Tour card after getting it at the School last December. He made news because a month ago his three-year-old daughter Sage died of trisomy, a genetic disorder, and yet he found the strength to get the card. A month later he has placed in the top 5 after a crushing start; pity the final bogey that tasted like glory to him after what he did before (seven birdies and an eagle) on the toughest of the three courses: the Stadium Course; not in vain, he and Scott Stallings (-8) are the only ones in the top ten who competed on this layout.

Also fifth, deserves another spot in this chronicle the young Nick Dunlap (-8), invited by the sponsor thanks to his good results as an amateur in Alabama, including the victory in the US Amateur. The twenty-something, who will play the first two rounds of the next Masters with Jon Rahm, signed two eagles at the Nicklaus Tournament.

Here come the roosters. Xander Schauffele (-8) has started as he finished last year. Then he closed the tournament with a ten-under par to be third two strokes behind Rahm; now he sealed a 64 at La Quinta without any blot on his account. Watch out for the Californian and also pay attention to Patrick Cantlay (-8), who won his duel to Scottie Scheffler (39th with… -5), after scoring five birdies in the second nine holes, and to Si Woo Kim, another with -8 and who already lifted the trophy in 2021. Alexander Bjork recovered after not making the cut at the Sony and also goes with eight less.

Justin Thomas (-7, like Min Woo Lee, Hisatsune or Hadwin) breathed a sigh of relief when he felt that life was wonderful again: eight birdies and one mistake. And even Matthieu Pavon (-5), who was +1 after nine holes, got the hang of the Nicklaus Tournament with six hits in nine flags. A song to the birdie. Daniel Berger (-4) had a happy return after a year and a half out of combat and Grayson Murray (-2) will have to row if he wants to make the cut after championing in Honolulu.

The curiosity of the day, and perhaps of the season or the next decade, was starred by Adam Schenk (-2), not so much for his result, as he is in 98th place, but for getting his ball in the plastic cup of a spectator who was quietly enjoying the tournament having a refreshment. Not even trying 100,000 times would he do it again…

Live results of the American Express 2024