LOS ANGELES (AP) — Coming off a three-week break, Matt Kuchar might not remember golf feeling this easy.
He opened with three straight birdies, all of the putts inside three feet. He finished with back-to-back birdies at Riviera, holing a 25- foot putt on the 18th hole for a 7-under 64 that gave him a one-shot lead over Sergio Garcia on Thursday in the Northern Trust Open.
Garcia, making his PGA Tour debut after two tournaments in the Middle East, finished with two birdies over the last three holes even though he could barely see.
Brandt Jobe ran off four straight birdies late in his round, only to close with a bogey on the 18th to finish at 66.
It was a great day for scoring, and Kuchar had plenty of company.
James Hahn, the 31-year-old rookie who shared the 54-hole lead last week at Pebble Beach, and David Lynn of England were at 67. Disney winner Charlie Beljan chose to finish in the fog after play was suspended. He closed with a bogey and had a 67.
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