Sure, the rain was falling, but at least the 40-50 km/h winds hadn鈥檛 set in yet.
Jhared Hack, Derek Barron and Ryan Williams all took advantage of that in the first round of the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour sa国际传媒鈥檚 Bayview Place Cardtronics Open presented by the sa国际传媒, using early Thursday tee times to post low rounds of the day.
Hack, of Sanford, Florida, tied the course record at Uplands Golf Club with a 9-under 61 to assume sole possession atop the leaderboard. The former Web.com Tour member has a two-shot advantage on Barron, of Tacoma, and Vancouver鈥檚 Williams at 7-under 63.
鈥淛ust stay patient. One shot at a time. I know it sounds clich茅, but we knew the weather was going to be wet and cold,鈥� said Hack, who was in the second group of the day at 7:40 a.m., right behind Barron. 鈥淥ne shot at a time, eliminate silly mistakes and be patient.
鈥淲hen you shoot a round like this, it just happens. You don鈥檛 go out and say: 鈥楬ey, I鈥檓 going to shoot 61 today.鈥� Just stay patient,鈥� added Hack of his impressive round in wet conditions, but minus the heavy winds that hit later in the day.
鈥淚t was really good golfing. I didn鈥檛 strike it that well, but I missed it in areas where I had good leaves and good up and downs. I putted really nicely today and when you shoot a round like this you have to roll it well,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 made all my five- to 15-foot putts. These greens are so good, if you see the line and match the speed it鈥檚 going to go in.鈥�
Most of his putts did as he started on the back nine and recorded birdies on his second, third, fourth and fifth holes. There were five more birdies on the front (his back) nine for Hack, 27, who has 54 pro wins under his belt on various Florida mini tours.
He also claimed the 2007 Western Amateur which included four rounds of stroke play and four of match play. There he defeated one Dustin Johnson in the semifinals of match play and Rickie Fowler in the quarters.
Barron just qualified for next week鈥檚 U.S. Open at Erin Hills in Wisconsin through sectionals at Tacoma Country Club. He won that event by five strokes and didn鈥檛 arrive in Victoria until Tuesday and hadn鈥檛 played Uplands until Wednesday.
鈥淗ow many guys get to play a sectional qualifier on one of their home courses?鈥� Barron said of that feat on a course he knows well. 鈥淚t鈥檚 similar to this, just longer. There might be a little more speed to the greens.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be my first one,鈥� he said of playing in the PGA Tour major. 鈥淵ou can be as prepared and do everything you want to prepare, but being my first time I don鈥檛 know what to expect. I鈥檓 just going to go out and have fun.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be a blast. I鈥檝e been going over the holes at night on my computer, trying to get as much information as I can. I鈥檓 just going to go for it. I have nothing to lose,鈥� he added. 鈥淚鈥檓 certainly working on things for next week just to give me more confidence, but man, I鈥檓 going to have fun.鈥�
He, like Hack, made a load of putts on Thursday.
鈥淚 felt I didn鈥檛 hit it good at all,鈥� said Barron. 鈥淚 just made, pretty much, everything inside of 15 feet. It was just a fun day on the greens.鈥�
Williams has one PGA Tour sa国际传媒 win to his credit, in 2014 at the Freedom 55 Financial Championship in London, Ont. His best finish in Victoria is 15th in 2015.
The 36-year-old birdied his first four holes and five of the opening six on the way to his 63.
鈥淚t was a real hot start. The greens are so pure out here. I kept giving myself good looks. I miss-read a few, but overall, if you go out there and make seven birdies with no bogeys, it鈥檚 usually a good round of golf,鈥� said the man known as RDub. 鈥淵ou鈥檒l always take a 63 to start off a tournament.鈥�
A pair of Californians, Brett Lederer and Kevin Lucas, are another shot back at 6-under 64.
