Starting on the back nine with his coach Mike Small (a former Tour player 3-time PGA National Club Pro champ) on the bag, Charlie Danielson of Illinois (paired with PGA Tour player and Illinois alum Scott Langley) quietly went about his business, picking the Riviera layout apart without a single bogey.
At 2-under par on his last hole, he faced a shot of 114 yards to a tucked pin on the 9th green. Leave it in the bunker and it could plug; go long and face a tough downhill two putt or up-and-down.
"We had a perfect yardage there," said Danielson. "Coach said we should try and make birdie so we went right at it."
Danielson's
birdie putt on the 9th hole, his last
|
After hoisting a gap wedge to 7 feet, Danielson drained a tricky left to right downhill putt, putting the icing on a 3-under 68 -- three clear of the next two players, last year's winner Will Zalatoris of Wake Forest and Jonathan Garrick of UCLA who posted 71.
On Thursday, Danielson will play in the Northern Trust Open, his first PGA Tour event.
“It means a lot to play this week at the Northern Trust Open because I was fortunate enough to be able to come on the trip because our team had such a great year," Danielson told Golfweek.
"And to come play with donors and coach Small, it was a treat. To play in my first PGA Tour event and have it be at Riviera, here at the Northern Trust Open, I am just grateful for the opportunity.”
Danielson's 68 was especially noteworthy since
players did not get the chance to play a practice
round at Riviera on Sunday.
Texas, took
the four-person team title behind Jordan Spieth and
Beau Hossler.
|