Shane Bertsch leads the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open
Shane Bertsch shot a bogey less 6-under par 64 yesterday to lead the first round of the inaugural Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open. Held at the TPC Sawgrass Dye’s Valley Course in Florida, the Open provided an opportunity for Bertsch to discover his game once
again.
Taking a one shot lead over Andrew Svoboda, Rob Oppenheim, Brendan Steele and Gavin Coles, Shane really showed everyone that he didn’t let the injuries bring him down.
Shane was struck by misfortune as his great start to the PGA season was halted by an old ailment and some new injuries. The Colorado native had a broken hand and a broken foot and hence was on rest from February till September. As a comeback, Shane is now
playing few of the last of the Nationwide Tour Events. After the first round, it’s evident that Shane, the veteran of 16 professional seasons, is taking a leap in the right direction.
Due to bad light, the first round was suspended at 6.51 p.m. with six players still playing the round. The remaining contenders will continue their game today at 8. a.m., with the second round scheduled to start at 7.40.
Yesterday, even though the weather was clear with slight pleasant winds, the light became an obstacle for the players. Having a nice first round, 56 players broke par and are really struggling to be in the top 60 on the money list. This will provide the
players with the privilege to play in next week’s Tour Championship in South Carolina. Currently, the field scoring average of 70.412 is still less compared to the Nationwide Tour first-round average this season of 70.82.
Along with Bertsch, Craig Barlow and Svoboda managed to give amazing bogey less rounds as well. Svoboda said that it was a great break for the afternoon guys. He said that there wasn’t a great distinction in the wind and the field was still accessible even
after being exposed to sunlight.
The current leader of the Open, Bertsch recovered from six missed fairways and six missed greens. Five of the six birdie putts he shot came on rolls of 6 feet or less. Making a 10-foot par putt on the 18th hole then, Shane finished his first
round. Due to his line of vision, he was able to drop the ball in the fairway, which was about 230 yards from the hole. Using a hybrid club to make the shot onto the green, he recorded his 12th one-putt of the day. The highlight of his day was
definitely the 18-foot birdie putt that on the seventh hole and then the par on the 18th hole.
"It's nice to feel like Retief Goosen [when putting] ... so smooth," Bertsch said. “Today, even the last putt, it was like Retief winning those U.S. Opens ... so smooth. That was by far the best thing of the day. It felt great to putt like that for a day".
The player did have to face some challenges while putting due to the vertigo that has bothered him for sixteen years. Shane also had to go through four surgeries on his hand and foot this year. This occurred after his opening at the PGA Tour with three consecutive
cuts that consisted of a tie for 25th at the Sony Open. Putting has always been one of his strong points but hindrances have strained his skills a bit. Bertsch said that it’s been brutal but he’s getting a grip of the belly putter. Shane affirmed
that it flowed today and the perfect greens don’t hurt.
Coming to other players at the open, Australian Andrew Buckle and former University of Florida golfer Camilo Benedetti also shot a 66. Buckle was 6 under but bogeyed two holes late. Sam Saunders, who is the grandson of Arnold Palmer, had a 67. Another previous
Gator, Billy Horschel of Jacksonville Beach, posted a 69 and Jeff Klauk ended the day with an even-par 70.
Overall, the first day of the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open ended with great news for Shane Bertsch. The next round will tee off today and only then it will be clear, who is the closest to victory.
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