At the Travelers Championship, Denny McCarthy almost achieved the magic number of 59, with his impressive 10-under 60 marking the lowest round of his PGA TOUR career. He started his round on the back nine, where he notched five birdies on his first six holes and another five on his way back. McCarthy’s performance was driven by positivity from the moment he woke up. Although the 30-year-old Maryland native is winless on TOUR, he has had close calls, including at this year’s Memorial Tournament.
Low Scores at TPC River Highlands
The TPC River Highlands course is known for its low scoring, and this year was no exception. Keegan Bradley and Adam Scott also attempted to reach golf’s elusive magic number, but both fell short, finishing with a remarkable 62. Jim Furyk set the PGA TOUR record at the same course with a 58 in 2016. World No. 1 player Scottie Scheffler ended the day with a 7-under 63, while Shane Lowry, Eric Cole, and 2019 champion Chez Reavie each carded bogey-free 64s. Eight players finished with 65, and 91 players broke par on a day with unexpectedly pleasant weather.
Other Notable Performances
Rory McIlroy scored his first ace on TOUR on the 214-yard eighth hole when his tee shot landed just below the hole and rolled in. The runner-up at last week’s U.S. Open finished with a 2-under 68. The Northern Irish golfer’s only other ace in competition occurred in Abu Dhabi on the DP World Tour in 2015. Fresh off his U.S. Open win, Wyndham Clark carded a 68 as well. The 29-year-old Denver native expressed his emotional reaction to being introduced on the first tee as the U.S. Open champion, which caught him off guard and made him momentarily nervous.
This year, the Travelers Championship became one of the PGA TOUR’s elevated events, with the purse increasing from $8.3 million to $20 million. As the competition unfolds, fans eagerly anticipate more exhilarating performances and perhaps even a new scoring milestone.
