LA QUINTA, Calif. – The birdie bonanza on the PGA Tour continues this week at the American Express.
First it was Cameron Smith lighting up Kapalua’s Plantation Course to the tune of a 72-hole Tour record 34-under 258 in Maui at the Sentry Tournament of Champions followed by Hideki Matsuyama shooting 63-63 last weekend to win the Sony Open in Hawaii. This week the Tour returns to the mainland, playing over three courses – PGA West’s Stadium and Nicklaus Course and – and it’s another birdiefest.
“Welcome to the new normal,” said Patrick Cantlay, who started his first round at La Quinta by playing 7 under in his first seven holes before closing with five straight pars to shoot a 62 to tie for the lead. “You’ll have to get into the 20s (under par) to have a chance to win.”
On a typical “dome golf day” of blue skies and not a breath of wind, Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell made birdie on four of his first six holes en route to posting 6-under 66. McDowell made an 11th-hour decision to play this week, returning to the desert for the first time since 2004.
“I think my caddie and I are both looking at each other wondering why it’s taken us so long to get here,” he said. “Obviously the weather is perfect and these golf courses are so well presented and it’s the place to play early in the season because you feel like you get the conditions to go out there and make some birdies and see exactly where your game is.”
Making birdies in bunches is good for his confidence and the soul, McDowell said. World No. 1 Jon Rahm made sure he’ll be in the mix for claiming the trophy on Sunday by matching McDowell with 6-under 66 and raved about the golf course and its greens as smooth as billiard tables.
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“La Quinta Country Club it’s a great golf course, it’s always in pristine shape, one of the best we play all year shape-wise,” he said. “It’s a golf course where if you play well you can give yourself a lot of birdie chances and that’s what happened today.”
But Rahm conceded his score could’ve been even lower had he holed a few more putts, meaning he’ll have to do damage on the tougher courses over at PGA West, noting that the Pete Dye Stadium Course has the most bite.
“You feel like if you come out here, if you’re not shooting 6-, 7-under for the most part, you’re almost losing strokes,” Rahm said.
Indeed, players were going low with Korn Ferry Tour graduate Lee Hodges leading the way among the early finishers with a 10-under 62 at La Quinta and joined Rahm in singing his praises for the golf course.
“It’s one of my favorite golf courses I’ve ever played to be honest,” Hodges said. “I played it I guess three times now and it’s spectacular. It’s like hitting off of mats half the time.”
Hodges, 26, carded nine birdies and an eagle at the par-5 fifth en route to his lowest round of his career on Tour. After a missed cut last week, he said tried to enjoy the walk and that was the key to his success.
“I knew that my game was there to play really well, so just got to try to change a little bit of my attitude,” he said. “I think that was a big help.”
The always affable Harry Higgs was all smiles after his round, too, especially after using a 5-iron from 199 yards to ace the par-3 15th at La Quinta and shot 66.
But not everyone fared so well at La Quinta. Reigning PGA Championship winner Phil Mickelson, who serves as tournament host and is a former champion of the event too, made a nine on the par-4 eight hole and signed for 6-over 78.
