Instead of getting lost in the Bermuda Triangle, these 4 pros found their game in the first round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship
The PGA Tour is visiting the eastern tip of the North Atlantic Ocean and the infamous Bermuda Triangle, which is best known as a place where planes, ships and people are alleged to have gone mysteriously missing. But this week at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, it is where a lot of veterans are finding their game.
None more so than Sweden’s Alex Noren, who made a tournament-record 11 birdies in calm conditions Thursday morning at Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton, Bermuda. Noren tied the course record with a 10-under 61 and set his personal low 18-hole scoring mark in 510 official stroke-play rounds on the Tour en route to grabbing a two-stroke lead over four golfers when play was suspended during the first round due to darkness with nine players left to complete the round.
“It was a long time ago I had like a really low round, you know, lower than maybe 5, 6 under, so I feel good,” Noren said. “That was pretty much the closest I’ve got to the hole in a very, very long time.”
That included finishing the day in style by stuffing his approach inside a foot for his third birdie in his final four holes. Noren, for one, hopes that the trademark wind at Port Royal, which is the course’s main defense, will pick up as the tournament continues.
“I like the wind,” Noren said. “If it’s not windy, it’s like you’ve got to keep these unbelievable low rounds up and it’s not that easy.”
It’s been a bit of a struggle this season for the 41-year-old Noren. He has 10 career wins on the DP World Tour and once ranked as high as No. 8 in the world but remains winless in 162 career starts on the PGA Tour. He’s dipped to 62nd in the world and recorded just three top-10 finishes this season.
“It’s been a weird year,” he said, but he’s trending in the right direction after a T-3 at the Shriners Children’s Open last month.
A tap-in for a career-low 61 👏 pic.twitter.com/ernb5WtNDj
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) November 9, 2023
Weird would be a kind description for the season to date for Robert Garrigus. He’s missed the cut in all eight of his PGA Tour starts this season and 15 in a row. But on Thursday, he signed for a bogey-free 8-under 63.
“My putting, it was just as good as I think I’ve putted in, I don’t know, 5 years,” he said.
Garrigus, 45, was a late addition into the tournament, flying to Bermuda figuring he’d enjoy a vacation if he failed to get a spot.
“Just knowing that I was playing in a tournament like gave me a little juice,” he said. “I was just coming out to shake the rust off and have a good time today and I guess I did. It was a lot of fun.”
He’s tied for second with D.J. Trahan, Vincent Whaley, and Dylan Wu. Whaley, 28, ranked No. 222 in the FedEx Cup standings during the regular season and is making just his 13th start this season as he battled back from a right wrist injury he suffered two years ago at the RBC Canadian Open. He said he’s finally healthy again. That and a coaching change to Cameron McCormick before the FedEx Cup Fall began has helped him make four straight cuts and shoot his career-low on Tour on Thursday.
“I grew up working with him in Dallas and kind of got back into it, and it’s been great,” Whaley said.
Trahan, 42, last won on Tour in 2008 and started the week at No. 214 in the FedEx Cup standings. He made four birdies in a row starting at the fourth hole, but it was a par at 16 that made his day.
“It was the best par on a par-3 I ever had in my life,” he declared. “I hit the worst tee shot and then I chipped it down in the bunker, it was about the best I could do, and then I holed it out of the bunker. But it was such a circus show.”
There was also a Tour record set on Thursday. Veteran pro Adam Long hit his 60th straight fairway when he found the short grass on his second hole, a par-5, after going 56-for-56 last week at the World Wide Technology Championship, shattering Brian Claar’s record of 59 straight fairways hit, set in 1992. Long’s streak dated to his final two holes at the Shriners Children’s Open and finally came to an end with 69 when he misfired at No. 15 at Port Royal.
History. pic.twitter.com/zlfG4APyif
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) November 9, 2023
“The one that missed, it was a 3-wood that I kind of hit up in the air a little too spinny and the wind caught it. Didn’t quite go far enough so it stayed in the rough,” Long said. “Made Thursday a little more exciting than usual.”
2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship
A general view of a boat during the first round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at…
A general view of a boat during the first round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course on November 09, 2023 in Southampton, Bermuda. (Photo by Marianna Massey/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship
A general view of a flag during the first round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at…
A general view of a flag during the first round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course on November 09, 2023 in Southampton, Bermuda. (Photo by Marianna Massey/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship
A general view of a flag during the first round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at…
A general view of a flag during the first round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course on November 09, 2023 in Southampton, Bermuda. (Photo by Marianna Massey/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Austin Smotherman of the United States walks the eighth green during the first round of the…
Austin Smotherman of the United States walks the eighth green during the first round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course on November 09, 2023 in Southampton, Bermuda. (Photo by Marianna Massey/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Austin Smotherman of the United States waits to putt on the eighth green during the first…
Austin Smotherman of the United States waits to putt on the eighth green during the first round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course on November 09, 2023 in Southampton, Bermuda. (Photo by Marianna Massey/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Tyson Alexander of the United States plays a shot from a bunker on the eighth hole…
Tyson Alexander of the United States plays a shot from a bunker on the eighth hole during the first round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course on November 09, 2023 in Southampton, Bermuda. (Photo by Marianna Massey/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Wesley Bryan of the United States lines up a putt on the eighth green during the…
Wesley Bryan of the United States lines up a putt on the eighth green during the first round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course on November 09, 2023 in Southampton, Bermuda. (Photo by Marianna Massey/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship
George Bryan IV walks the eighth green during the first round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship…
George Bryan IV walks the eighth green during the first round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course on November 09, 2023 in Southampton, Bermuda. (Photo by Marianna Massey/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Satoshi Kodaira of Japan hits a tee shot on the ninth hole during the first round…
Satoshi Kodaira of Japan hits a tee shot on the ninth hole during the first round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course on November 09, 2023 in Southampton, Bermuda. (Photo by Marianna Massey/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Henrik Norlander of Sweden watches his shot from the ninth tee during the first round of…
Henrik Norlander of Sweden watches his shot from the ninth tee during the first round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course on November 09, 2023 in Southampton, Bermuda. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Augusto Nunez of Argentina hits a tee shot on the ninth hole during the first round…
Augusto Nunez of Argentina hits a tee shot on the ninth hole during the first round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course on November 09, 2023 in Southampton, Bermuda. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Davis Riley of the United States hits a tee shot on the seventh hole during the…
Davis Riley of the United States hits a tee shot on the seventh hole during the first round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course on November 09, 2023 in Southampton, Bermuda. (Photo by Marianna Massey/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Akshay Bhatia of the United States reacts to a putt on the sixth green during the…
Akshay Bhatia of the United States reacts to a putt on the sixth green during the first round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course on November 09, 2023 in Southampton, Bermuda. (Photo by Marianna Massey/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Nick Watney of the United States hits from the seventh fairway during the first round of…
Nick Watney of the United States hits from the seventh fairway during the first round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course on November 09, 2023 in Southampton, Bermuda. (Photo by Marianna Massey/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Lucas Herbert of Australia putts during a pro am prior to the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at…
Lucas Herbert of Australia putts during a pro am prior to the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course on November 08, 2023 in Southampton, Bermuda. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Adam Scott of Australia reads a putt during a pro am prior to the Butterfield Bermuda…
Adam Scott of Australia reads a putt during a pro am prior to the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course on November 08, 2023 in Southampton, Bermuda. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship
View of a flag on seventh green during the pro am prior to the Butterfield Bermuda…
View of a flag on seventh green during the pro am prior to the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course on November 08, 2023 in Southampton, Bermuda. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
Butterfield Bermuda Championship - Previews
Alex Noren of Sweden watches a drive during the pro am prior to the Butterfield Bermuda…
Alex Noren of Sweden watches a drive during the pro am prior to the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course on November 08, 2023 in Southampton, Bermuda. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Alex Noren of Sweden hits to a green from a sand trap during the pro am…
Alex Noren of Sweden hits to a green from a sand trap during the pro am prior to the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course on November 08, 2023 in Southampton, Bermuda. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Lucas Glover of the United States waits to putt during the pro am prior to the…
Lucas Glover of the United States waits to putt during the pro am prior to the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course on November 08, 2023 in Southampton, Bermuda. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Jason Dufner of the United States waits to putt during a pro am prior to the…
Jason Dufner of the United States waits to putt during a pro am prior to the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course on November 08, 2023 in Southampton, Bermuda. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Mark Hubbard of the United States watches his drive during a pro am prior to the…
Mark Hubbard of the United States watches his drive during a pro am prior to the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course on November 08, 2023 in Southampton, Bermuda. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Max McGreevy of Canada watches his drive during a pro am prior to the Butterfield Bermuda…
Max McGreevy of Canada watches his drive during a pro am prior to the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course on November 08, 2023 in Southampton, Bermuda. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship
General view of the putting green during the pro am prior to the Butterfield Bermuda Championship…
General view of the putting green during the pro am prior to the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course on November 08, 2023 in Southampton, Bermuda. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Flag next to putting green during the pro am prior to the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at…
Flag next to putting green during the pro am prior to the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course on November 08, 2023 in Southampton, Bermuda. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
