Saunders, grandson of the late Arnold Palmer, faces a crucial week as he’s trying to finish in the top 25 on the money list for the four-event Web.com Tour Finals, thereby regaining fully-exempt status on the PGA Tour. The Web.com Tour Championship is the last tournament of the Finals, and Saunders entered the week in the No. 24 spot.
Saunders made 13 birdies in his 12-under-par round at Atlantic Beach Country Club, where he’s a member. He birdied his final six holes to shoot 28 on the front nine as he started on No. 10. To break 60, he drained a 10-foot putt on No. 9.
“This is a golf course you can shoot low scores on,” said Saunders, who led by three after round 1. “… I knew guys would shoot low but I didn’t think anyone would shoot 59 — certainly not myself.”
Saunders’ 59 came just a few days after the one-year anniversary of Palmer’s passing.
Saunders lived in Fort Collins from late 2012 to 2016.
(Sept. 30 Update: Saunders followed up his 59 with rounds of 66-70 and sits in second place, trailing leader Jonathan Byrd by two strokes going into Sunday.)
The former University of Denver golfer opened a first-stage tournament with a 12-under-par 59 Tuesday at SunRiver Golf Club in St. George, Utah.
Breaking 60 in big-time golf tournaments is a rarity, though Jim Furyk’s 58 on the PGA Tour and Stephen Jaegar’s 58 on the Web.com circuit — both this year — have taken things to another level.
On Tuesday, Love fired a 7-under-par 28 on the front nine and a 31 on the back, racking up 12 birdies in a bogey-free round. After round 1 of the 72-hole event, he leads by four strokes. The top 24 finishers and ties will advance to stage 2 of the three-stage Web.com Q-school process.
Love, a native of Canada, played PGA Tour Canada this past summer, posting a best finish of third place.
Riley Arp of Fort Collins also started strong in St. George, shooting a 66 to leave him in 10th place.
Here are the scores for all the players with strong Colorado ties who are competing this week in first-stage tournaments:
St. George, Utah (Top 25 Finishers and Ties Advance to Stage 2)
1. James Love of Denver 59
10. Riley Arp of Fort Collins 66
40. Bryan Kruse of Westminster 70
67. Former Coloradan Tom Kalinowski 73
Pine Mountain, Ga. (Top 25 Finishers and Ties Advance to Stage 2)
35. Jamie Marshall of Lone Tree 73