Aussie Andrew Buckle summits the leaderboard for the first round of Fresh Express Classic
Australian Andrew Buckle is now leading the first round at the Fresh Express Classic at TPC Stonebrae. Buckle carded an impressive eight birdies and just two bogeys to close the day with 6-under for 64.
Three players Russell Knox, Marco Dawson, and Patrick Sheehan shared the second spot. Knox, had an early lead in the opening round when Buckle, although started off with a birdie, stumbled with a bogey in the second round. He posted an eagle and four birdies
but a late bogey pulled him down to settle for 5-under for 65. Dawson and Sheehan both carded six birdies and one bogey.
Defending champion Kevin Chappel is not participating in the event and Mathew Goggin, who won the opening tournament of the year, is three shots behind the lead. Jerry Rice, the celebrated footballer and the host of the tournament is 11-over for 81.
The 28-year-old Buckle is looking for his second victory at the Nationwide Tour and he looked more confident about it after his first round performance. He went into red figures with his fourth birdie on the leaderboard and went ahead to score two at the
sixth and eighth.
“I really wasn't paying attention and was playing nice on the back nine and suddenly I was 7-under,” said Buckle, who reeled off four consecutive birdies starting at No. 14 to set the pace. “Everything was pretty solid today and I got on a good run there
at the end.”
Knox, who chose to start from the back nine, pulled in spectacular birdies at the 11th, 13th and 18th and with an eagle at par-5, 3rd, Knox appeared to blast his way to the top of the leaderboard. A late bogey
at the 7th forced him to stay behind Buckle by just one shot. Sheehan also had a score of 6-under until the last moment when he stumbled on a bogey at the eighth.
Fresh Express Classic is the fourth tournament on the tour and the first one to be played in US for this year. Brett Wetterich won the Chitimacha Louisiana Open last month while Brendan Pappas won the Pacific Rubiales Bogota Open. Pappas is currently on
top of the money list followed by Goggin and Wetterich.
The course is a par-70, 7,100 yards, David McLay Kidd layout, with the scenic San Francisco bay in the backdrop.
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