David Skinns opened with a spectacular bogey-free round of 60 at The Country Club of Jackson and will take a three-shot lead into Friday’s second round of the 2024 Sanderson Farms Championship.
The 42-year-old Englishman got hot early and never let up, finishing with a dozen birdies, highlighted by bookending four-in-a-row on Nos. 2-5 and 14-17 to reach 12 under.
“Just a bit of a dream, really,” said Skinns. “Those are the ones that you turn around and you’re 7-under, you’re like, wow, I didn’t feel like I did too much.
“Great to see a couple go in that maybe some days don’t. Just kind of catapulted, and I was able to keep the momentum going, which is what I was most pleased about, and I never really thought about the score too much, just where I was going to hit the next shot.”
Three of the pace was Michael Thorbjornsen, the 23-year-old former Stanford star, who shot a bogey-free 63 to sit 9 under, highlighted by a hole-out birdie on the par-3 10th hole (his 1st of the day).
“It was good. It was a little sloppy on that first hole, but it’s kind of weird starting off with a par-3,” said Thorbjornsen. “But obviously holed out a bunker shot, which was a great shot, to kind of kick-start the round.
“I was a little stray off the tee with the driver maybe the first five, six holes, but really managed to sort that out and hit a lot of fairways on the back nine. Definitely played better on the back nine than I did the front nine, just took advantage of good breaks and made a couple putts.
“But feeling pretty good, hitting the irons well, so yeah.”
Ben Griffin, who lost to Luke List in a playoff here last year, sits T3, alongside Gary Woodland, after a day-one 64, highlighted by a hole-out eagle on the par-5 fifth.
“Yeah, so hit a good tee shot,” said Griffin, when asked to describe the hole-out eagle.
“You kind of want to keep it a little bit up the right, especially with it being downwind today to have an angle going in in two and keeping it in the fairway, but I was just in the rough. Had a good enough lie to chase something up there. Got it in that front right greenside bunker, which left me — I heard a 40-foot bunker shot.
“It was one of those you’re just trying to splash up and hopefully have a close tap-in but saw it kind of kick right with the grain and went right in the middle.
“It was really nice to see that. I hadn’t seen a ball go in from a chip shot in a long time I feel like with it being off-season.”
Patton Kizzire, Mackenzie Hughes, Daniel Berger and Lucas Glover headlined a group of nine players tied on 7-under 65.
Eleven more players were deadlocked on 6-under 66, including Eric Cole, Michael Kim and Seamus Power.
Tournament headliner Rickie Fowler opened with a 3-under 69 to sit T54. One further back was defending champion Luke List, who shot 70.
2024 Sanderson Farms Championship
Sanderson Farms Top 10: Round 1
Pos-Player-To Par (Score)
1. David Skinns -12 (60)
2. Michael Thorbjornsen -9 (63)
3. Ben Griffin -8 (64)
3. Gary Woodland -8 (64)
5. Patton Kizzire -7 (65)
5. Mackenzie Hughes -7 (65)
5. Bill Haas -7 (65)
5. Chandler Phillips -7 (65)
5. Jacob Bridgeman -7 (65)
5. Lucas Glover -7 (65)
5. Daniel Berger -7 (65)
5. Beau Hossler -7 (65)
5. Paul Barjon -7 (65)
