McNealy can’t capitalize on home-course knowledge in opening round
Maverick McNealy had the honor of playing in the first group on his home course for the first round of the CJ Cup at The Summit Club. That course knowledge didn’t translate to huge success, although he posted a respectable 69 on Thursday.
“It was fun being the first group off,” he said. “We had absolutely perfect greens that felt like we were putting on pool tables out there.”
McNealy’s score would have been much lower if not for two balls in the water, leading to a double bogey on No. 11 and a bogey on the 13th.
“I felt like I was a little squirrelly off the tee,” he said. “It was really a two-golf-swing day, those two balls in the water that slowed me down in the middle, but otherwise felt pretty solid.”
Rocky start for Rose
Last year was a wasted season for Justin Rose, who had top-10 finishes in the Masters and PGA Championship in an otherwise forgettable 2021.
The new season didn’t get off to a great start. Two holes into the CJ Cup, Rose found himself 10 shots out of the lead after a quadruple-bogey 7 on the second hole.
Rose hit his tee shot right into the native area, tried to play it and advanced it only two feet. From there he took the first of two penalty drops before getting up and down for 7. By that time, Robert Streb already was 6 under through five holes.
It didn’t get much better for Rose, who hit it in the native area again on No. 3 and made bogey. He eventually finished with a 75, better than only one player in the 78-man field.
Chip shots
* Cameron Smith opened with 66 in his first round since the Tour Championship more than five weeks ago. Not bad, considering his past month. “I really didn’t know what to expect, to be honest,” he said. “I’ve been playing a bunch of golf with my old man at home in Jacksonville. Haven’t really practiced a whole bunch, just been kind of having to hit with him.”
* One week after withdrawing from the Shriners Children’s Open with a rib injury, Las Vegan Kevin Na was able to go this week. He opened with a 68.
* Defending champion Jason Kokrak had trouble with his driver on Thursday, finding water and desert a few times. It led to a 5-over 77, putting him last in the field.
* Patrick Reed is known for his outstanding short game, but he found out quickly that Summit’s greens can be tricky. The former Masters champion promptly four-putted the second green to put him in an early hole. He finished with a 71.
* How difficult is The Summit Club to navigate even after a few practice rounds? Coming off the 12th green, the caddie for Mackenzie Hughes looked at the three paths in front of him and asked spectators which way to the next hole.
Greg Robertson covers golf for the Review-Journal. He can be reached at grobertson@reviewjournal.com.