Pacific Palisades, CA — The PGA Tour kicks off the week with the Genesis Invitational at the historic Riviera Country Club. The star-studded field will come face-to-face with all 7,322 rigorous yards. After round one, Joaquin Niemann has a three-stroke lead over Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, and Cameron Young who are sitting tied for second.
Niemann looking for second Tour win
The 23-year-old hasn’t won a tournament since the 2019 Greenbrier Classic. Niemann put on quite the show during the first round at Riviera, carding nine birdies and just one bogey. The outstanding performance by the youngster gives him the outright lead going into the second day. Niemann had an average driving distance of 326.5-yards with a driving accuracy of 50 percent. He was able to get up and down a lot, hitting 77.78 percent of greens in regulation. On the par-4 7th, Niemann threw a dart into the green after hitting a beautiful drive. The birdie he rolled in, secured him solo first place to conclude round one.
Spieth came to play
After finishing tied for 60th at the WM Phoenix Open, Spieth is looking to win this week at Riviera. He put on quite the show during the first round, rolling in seven birdies and just two bogeys. Spieth recorded a 5-under 66 putting himself in a three-way second-place tie. Spieth set the pace early, recording birdies on four of his first six holes.
Spieth finished the first round with a driving distance of 317-yards and a driving accuracy of 35.71 percent. Although he struggled to hit fairways, Spieth was able to hit 77.78 percent greens in regulation.
Scottie Scheffler looks for back-to-back wins
Coming off a fantastic win in Phoenix, Scottie Scheffler is looking to secure another win this week. Scheffler recorded an eagle, four birdies, and one bogey threatening the field with his momentum from his win. On the par-5 1st, Scheffler hit a dart from 196-yards leaving himself a tap-in eagle putt.
Going into his last hole one back, Scheffler did what he does best and hit a dart into his final green. He rolled in the short birdie putt to tie for second with a 5-under 66.
Scheffler ended the first round with an average driving distance of 293.5-yards and a driving accuracy of 35.71 percent. He was able to hit 72.22 percent of greens in regulation.
Young ties it up
The 24-year-old shot a 5-under 66 to end round one in a four-way tie for second. He recorded six birdies and just one bogey to cap off round one with a solid score. Young had an average driving distance of 341.7-yards with a driving accuracy of 71.43 percent. Young hit 72.22 percent of greens in regulation. On the par-3 16th, Young almost grabbed solo-lead after nearly acing.
