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SPORTS Friday 21 June 2019
6-way tie for first-round lead

at Travelers Championship

By PAT EATON-ROBB 69 in his bid for his fourth Two-time champion Phil
AP Sports Writer Travelers title. That would Mickelson, playing in Con-
CROMWELL, Conn. (AP) — put him in the company of necticut for the first time
Zack Sucher made a 9-foot Billy Casper, the only golfer since 2003, shot a 67.
birdie putt in the last group to win four times at Con- "I didn't hurt myself any,"
of the day on the par-4 necticut's PGA Tour stop. Mickelson said. "I made a
18th for a 6-under 64 and a Watson, who came from few mistakes out there that
share of a six-way tie for the six-shots back on the final I have to clean up tomor-
lead Thursday in the Travel- day to win a year ago, row. I feel like the round
ers Championship. seemed relaxed as he par- should have been three or
Ryan Armour and Bronson ticipated in an afternoon four lower, and if I can do Ryan Armour tees off the first hole during first round play at the
Travelers Championship golf tournament in Cromwell, Conn.,
Burgoon set the mark dur- whiffle ball game with a that tomorrow and shoot Thursday, June 20, 2019.
ing the morning at TPC Riv- group of players' children three or four lower, I'll be Associated Press
er Highlands and the others outside the new clubhouse. right in it for the weekend."
matched them in the after- "Around this golf course, He was playing with 2017 the U.S. Open, had a 71 you are in contention in a
noon. MacKenzie Hughes you've got to just know champion Jordan Spieth, and said he was fighting major, it's going to drain
sank an 18-foot birdie putt there's going to be birdies who put a shot onto the exhaustion after the cross- you."
on his final hole, Abraham out there," he said. "Today railroad tracks and another country trip from Pebble "Just because of my situa-
Ancer shot a 30 on his back was a little more difficult in the water on his way to Beach. tion, one good week out
nine, and Kyoung-Hoon because a little bit of mist an eight on the par-5 13th. "When you think about all here could change my life,"
Lee shot his lowest round here and there just made He finished with a 73. the travel we've done and McDaniel said. "I have to try
on the PGA Tour. the ball react different on Brooks Koepka, coming how much last week takes to get a start in every PGA
Burgoon birdied four of his the greens with some shots." off his runner-up finish at out of you," he said. "When event."q
first six holes, and Armour,
who has missed the cuts
in four of his last five starts,
tied his lowest round of the
season.
"I gave myself a lot of op-
portunities, which I hadn't
been doing lately, Armour
said. "I hadn't been hit-
ting a lot of greens, wasn't
shaping the golf ball the
way I want to shape it. We
worked really hard the last
few days."
Paul Casey, who gave up
a four-shot lead in the final
round a year ago, missed a
17-foot par putt on the 18th
and finished in a group of
six at 65.
Memorial champion Pat-
rick Cantlay was part of a
group of 12 at 66.
Cantlay started on the
back nine and was tied for
the lead when his tee shot
landed in water on the par-
3 eighth hole, leading to
a double bogey. But that
did not affect the confi-
dence of the former UCLA
star, who was just 19 years
old when he shot a 60 on
this course during the sec-
ond round in 2011, setting a
PGA Tour record for ama-
teurs.
"I definitely feel comfort-
able around here," he said.
"It's one of the only golf
courses I think I get on the
first tee at the beginning
of the day and think I can
birdie every hole."
Defending champion Bub-
ba Watson opened with a