(Photo credit score: Andy Abeyta/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK)
Simon Griffiths of England and Steven Alker of New Zealand every shot a 4-under-par 69 to prime the crowded leaderboard on the Trophy Hassan II in Rabat, Morocco, on Thursday.
The duo wound up a shot forward of seven gamers after the primary spherical of the PGA Tour Champions occasion at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam. Five extra gamers turned in rounds of 71 to sit down two strokes again, with 9 others firing rounds of 72 to complete the day at 1-under par.
In all, 23 gamers are crowded inside three strokes.
Alker could not achieve any momentum within the first 11 holes, buying and selling two birdies and two bogeys. A birdie at 12 put him at 1-under par, and he then concluded his spherical with three consecutive birdies to complete at 4-under.
“It’s always tough out here,” Alker stated. “We’ve got two days to go. It’s going to be a crowded leaderboard. It’s that type of golf course where it’s going to be crowded, you know what I mean, unless someone takes off. It’s just hard to make birdies and you’ve just got to stay on it all day, so it will be tight.”
Griffiths began his spherical on the eighth gap and opened with two consecutive birdies, including birdies at Nos. 13 and 17 earlier than a bogey on the par 4 No. 3. He regained the shot with a birdie on the fourth gap, one other par 4.
“Yeah, very happy,” Griffiths stated. “Started on No. 8, hit two good shots on the front edge, managed to two-putt for birdie. Birdied the next to go 2 under, which is a nice start here, you’ve got something in the bank. You’ve got a tough golf course. Hit a few good shots, a few iffy shots, but yeah, I’ll take 69 all day long out here.”
Defending champion Ricardo Gonzalez, who set a 54-hole document (209) on the course in 2024, shot a 1-under 72 to complete within the group tied for fifteenth.
Ernie Els, who received the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai final month, is within the group tied at 1-under. He entered the week atop the Schwab Cup standings.
Alker was the Tour Champions Player of the Year in 2024 for the second time in three years.
–Field Level Media