
The first round of The American Express at PGA West in La Quinta, California, was marked by impressive scoring under ideal weather conditions. J.T. Poston took the lead with a remarkable 10-under-par 62.
Poston’s round included an eagle and nine birdies, showcasing his strong start on the Nicklaus Tournament (NT) course. Poston’s performance gave him a one-stroke lead over the field.
“It was just one of those days where everything was sort of clicking,” said Poston. “I really hit my irons great, drove it good, gave myself plenty of chances, and, yeah, believe it or not missed a few putts inside of 10 feet the first nine holes.
“Just one of those days tee to green it was really good and iron play was really sharp.”

Justin Lower, who initially led in the clubhouse with a 63 on the La Quinta (LQ) track, was alone in second on -9.
“It was a little bit of everything,” said Lower. “Kind of got off to a weird start. I had a chip-in for par on my first hole.
“Yeah, just everything kind of started clicking from there. Took advantage of the par-5s, and got a couple to fall in between. A little nervy coming down the stretch, but still a good round.”
A logjam of players finished at 8-under, including Chris Kirk (LQ), Joel Dahmen (NT), Matti Schmid (NT), Jason Day (LQ), and J.J. Spaun (LQ).
One further back was the trio of Michael Thorbjornsen (LQ), Charley Hoffman (LQ), and Rico Hoey (LQ), who managed 7-under scores.
The Stadium Course at PGA West, which is known to be the toughest among the three courses used in the tournament, played over-par this round, marking a significant challenge for the players compared to the Nicklaus and LA Quinta courses. This was an interesting development, as the new greens at the Stadium Course seemed to have increased its difficulty.
The American Express
Top-5 Leaders: Round 1
1. J.T. Poston -10 (62)
2. Justin Lower -9 (63)
3. Joel Dahmen -8 (64)
3. Matti Schmid -8 (64)
3. J.J. Spaun -8 (64)
3. Jason Day -8 (64)
3. Chris Kirk -8 (64)
PGA Tour Media’s notes and data contributed to this recap.