Hisatsune Leads at Pebble Beach as Gotterup Continues Birdie Streak
Chris Gotterup extended his remarkable birdie streak to nine straight across two rounds and two completely different courses, firing an 8-under 64 Thursday at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He trails leader Ryo Hisatsune by two shots after a day of spectacular weather and low scoring.
Hisatsune took full advantage of the benign conditions at Pebble Beach, posting a 10-under 62 that included three straight birdies early and another three to finish. He’s riding momentum after a runner-up finish at Torrey Pines that qualified him for this $20 million signature event.
Keegan Bradley and Sam Burns sit one shot behind Hisatsune at 9-under. Bradley’s performance stands out as he posted his score at Spyglass Hill, which played about one-and-a-half shots harder than Pebble Beach on Thursday.
Gotterup, fresh off his playoff victory at the Phoenix Open last week, didn’t miss a beat transitioning from desert warmth to coastal chill. He birdied his first six holes in a row.
“I was kind of just coasting along,” Gotterup said. “You don’t really realize it in the moment, and then when you look up you’re like, ‘Wow, I’m 6 under through six.’ That’s nice.”
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler struggled to a 71, needing a birdie at the par-5 18th just to avoid joining the small group of players who failed to break par.
“I feel like typically I’m good at scoring, and today I felt like I didn’t score at all,” Scheffler said. “Anything that kind of went wrong seemed to be going that direction. I actually feel like I’m playing pretty well. Just one of those days.”
Scheffler hit only two approach shots inside 10 feet all day (missing both) and didn’t make a putt longer than 8 feet. His troubles started early with a clump of mud on his ball at the par-5 second that sent his approach 30 yards left of the green.
Perfect Conditions Lead to Low Scoring
Bradley took advantage of ideal conditions at Spyglass with a birdie-eagle-birdie burst midway through his round, chipping in from just off the green on No. 8.
“It’s about as nice of a day as I’ve ever seen out here,” Bradley said. “The greens are soft but that gets them a little bumpy, too. So some of the putts are a little dicey, but definitely scoring is good.”
Burns made his move on the back nine with five birdies in a six-hole stretch, including pitching in from just under 30 yards on the 13th. He also drained putts from 45 feet on No. 10 and 30 feet on No. 17.
“I made a significant amount of putts and feel like I was hitting it pretty nice. It was a good combination for today,” Burns said.
Defending champion Rory McIlroy, making his first PGA Tour start of the year, posted a 68 at Spyglass despite a pair of three-putt double bogeys on the par 5s.
Tony Finau and Patrick Rodgers each shot 64 at Spyglass to join Gotterup at 8-under. Former Pebble champions Nick Taylor and Tom Hoge were in the group at 7-under, while Jordan Spieth sits at 6-under after holing out a full wedge for eagle at Spyglass.
The opening stretch at Pebble Beach proved particularly scoreable with no wind. That’s where Hisatsune (five birdies) and Gotterup (six) built the foundation for their exceptional rounds.
With scores this low, the weekend promises plenty of fireworks as players continue to attack these iconic courses in perfect conditions.
