(Photo credit score: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images)
Daniel Berger poured in six of his 9 birdies on the again 9 on his technique to a sterling 9-under-par 63 and a three-stroke lead on the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Thursday in Orlando, Fla.
Berger finds himself comfortably forward of Collin Morikawa and Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg (6-under 66) after his bogey-free journey round Bay Hill Club and Lodge.
Berger hasn’t received on the PGA Tour since 2021 and struggled to get again to his aggressive peak after a again harm price him half of 2022 and all of 2023. He had a memorable day together with his irons and wedges, as his approaches arrange birdies from 6 ft, 4 ft and a couple of ft at Nos. 7, 10 and 11.
Morikawa, who ended a two-plus-year title drought final month on the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, had an up-and-down day till a exceptional end.
With 5 birdies and three bogeys on his card by way of 15 holes, Morikawa sank a 15-foot eagle putt on the par-5 sixteenth, hit a dart on the par-3 seventeenth and tapped in for eagle after which holed a 27-foot birdie putt to go 4 underneath within the ultimate three holes.
Jhonattan Vegas of Venezuela is tied for fourth at 5-under 67 with Cameron Young. Xander Schauffele, Australian Adam Scott and New Zealand’s Ryan Fox are one other shot behind.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is in first rate place with a 2-under 70. He had been tormented by gradual begins at every of his three earlier tournaments, capturing 72 or worse within the first spherical earlier than recovering to respectable finishes every time.
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and Rickie Fowler had been amongst a handful of gamers nonetheless ending their rounds as of 5:30 p.m. ET. Though it is a $20 million signature occasion, the Arnold Palmer Invitational incorporates a 36-hole reduce on the high 50 and ties.
–Field Level Media