Sahith Theegala stumbled with a bogey-bogey finish to his opening round Friday morning at the US PGA Tour Phoenix Open, handing South Korean Lee Kyoung-hoon a one-stroke lead after 18 holes.
Theegala, a 24-year-old American chasing his first PGA title, had reeled off four consecutive birdies on one stretch after starting on the back nine, but was undone after finding a fairway bunker in near-darkness Thursday at the par-4 eighth hole at TPC Scottsdale.
Theegala left himself a 16-foot par putt when play resumed Friday after being stopped because of the gloom, but missed it to make his first bogey of the round.
He followed with a bogey at the par-4 ninth, finding another fairway bunker and missing a par putt from just beyond 13 feet, to finish on 66 after the completion of the first round.
That left Lee atop the leaderboard after his six-under par 65 on Thursday with Theegala sharing second, one stroke off the pace, along with fellow Americans Brooks Koepka, a four-time major winner, and Harry Higgs and Canada’s Adam Hadwin.
Lee, 30, won his only PGA title last May at the Byron Nelson.
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