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HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Justin Thomas had a round to match the immaculate weather Thursday at Harbour Town with 11 birdies that allowed him to tie the course record with a 10-under 61 to lead the RBC Heritage.
The best shot he hit all day was an 8-iron that dropped near the pin and settled 5 feet away. He missed that birdie putt, one of the few chances he didn’t convert.
There was little to complain about on a day of little wind, an immaculate course and warm sunshine that added to the RBC Heritage being the ideal place to decompress from the hectic week at the Masters.
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler, coming off a tie for fourth at the Masters, had very little stress at Harbour Town in a round of 64 that looked easy — which is not to say it felt that way.
“I will never say that golf is easy, ever. Golf is hard,” Scheffler said with a laugh.
But he was out of position only once off the tee and one other time went long of a green and both times he saved par. Otherwise, he putted for birdie or better on the other 16 holes and converted enough chances for a start that only looked good — not great — because of Thomas.
He Said It… Justin Thomas
JT, really solid round, 61. What in particular was working well?
JUSTIN THOMAS: I’d say everything for the most part. I just played really solid. I feel like I didn’t do anything crazy. I just drove the ball well, which is very, very important out here, and I felt like it was just one of those days I put the ball in a spot that I had a lot of good numbers. I had a lot of kind of full wedges to where — although you have to be a little conservative at times out here, I felt like they were kind of pins and angles and everything that I could be a little aggressive and just kind of got rolling with it.”
Justin Rose is too classy to pout about last week’s Master’s SD loss. Ludvig Aberg
Andrew Redington, Getty Images
