3 shots off the lead after Round 1; Masters berth also in sight

Crow leads at 10 under; 25 players suspended due to darkness

Blaise Brown of the United States hits his tee shot on the 11th hole during the first round of the PGA Tour's Austin Championship at Omni Barton Creek Resort and Spa in Austin, Texas, on Friday (Korean Standard Time). Brown carded a 7-under-par 65 to sit in a provisional fourth place, three strokes behind leader Trace Crow of the United States. [Getty Images]
Blaise Brown of the United States hits his tee shot on the 11th hole during the first round of the PGA Tour's Austin Championship at Omni Barton Creek Resort and Spa in Austin, Texas, on Friday (Korean Standard Time). Brown carded a 7-under-par 65 to sit in a provisional fourth place, three strokes behind leader Trace Crow of the United States. [Getty Images]

Blaise Brown, the fourth-youngest winner in PGA Tour history, made a strong start in his bid for back-to-back titles.

The 19-year-old American carded nine birdies and two bogeys for a 7-under-par 65 in the first round of the Austin Championship — which carries a $6 million purse — at the Fazio Canyons Course at Omni Barton Creek Resort and Spa in Austin, Texas, on Friday (Korean Standard Time).

With darkness suspending play and 25 players still on the course, Brown sat in fourth place, three strokes behind leader Trace Crow of the United States, who posted a bogey-free 10-under-par 62.

Brown claimed his first PGA Tour victory Monday at the Worldwide Technology Championship in Mexico, defeating Ben James of the United States in a playoff. He was 19 years and five months old at the time, becoming the fourth-youngest winner in Tour history.

Brown turned professional last year and had been on track to graduate from the second-tier Korn Ferry Tour to the PGA Tour next year based on his results this season. His victory last week, however, secured his Tour card through 2028. Now ranked 62nd in the world, he is targeting a top-50 finish by year's end to earn a spot in next year's Masters Tournament.

Brown started his round on the 10th hole, picking up four strokes on the front nine and three more on the back. He missed only two fairways and two greens all day, displaying steady ball-striking. Having traveled directly to Texas after last week's win, Brown navigated an unfamiliar course in his first visit to Austin with impressive results.

"I'm slowly starting to feel like myself again," Brown told The Associated Press. "Monday through Wednesday, I was still riding the high from Sunday's win. After a few hours of sleep, I felt a lot better. I've been eating and getting back to normal."

Crow made 10 birdies without a bogey to shoot a personal-best 62 on the PGA Tour. Sitting 117th in the FedEx Cup Fall Series standings, he is in urgent need of a strong finish to secure his Tour card for next year.

Erik van Rooyen of South Africa and Max Greyserman of the United States shared second place at 8-under-par 64. Greyserman capped his round with an eagle on the par-5 18th hole, holing a chip shot from about 21 meters.

Miles Russell of the United States, 18, finished at 5-under-par 67, while Korean American Jeffrey Kang shot a 3-under-par 69 and Doug Kim posted a 1-over-par 73. No players representing South Korea competed in the event.


yjc@heraldcorp.com