John Rollins kicked off the new McGladrey Classic with his best round of the year, a seven-under 63 at Sea Island to take a one-shot lead over David Toms and newcomer Troy Merritt on Thursday.
Motivated by a talk from his wife and a meltdown that knocked him out of the FedEx Cup playoffs, Rollins birdied four straight holes late in his round, starting with the tight 14th along St Simons Sound and ending with a 6-iron to three feet on the par-three 17th. Nearly half the field broke par in gorgeous weather along the Georgia coast, a flawless start to a tournament making its debut in the US PGA Tour’s Fall Series.
Matt Kuchar and Zach Johnson ordinarily wouldn’t play the week after the Ryder Cup, except that they live at Sea Island. Kuchar just moved to this picturesque piece of land known as the Golden Isles and slept in his home for the first time on Wednesday.
Getting over a Ryder Cup hangover might take longer than that.
There could not be two weeks any different for those who were in Wales last week, which includes tournament host Davis Love III, a vice captain at the Ryder Cup.
Sunshine was abundant. And except for about 400 people following Love, Kuchar and Johnson, it was relatively quiet.
“Definitely an intimate feeling,” said Love, who opened with a 70.
Kuchar, who leads the tour money list and is closing in on the Vardon Trophy for the lowest scoring average, moved about the Seaside Course easily and was challenging for the lead until his drive on the par-four 16th came up about a yard short of clearing the creek, leading to a double bogey. He still managed a 67, though he’s not sure how.
Johnson also was groggy, although he gave himself enough chances to shoot a 70.
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