AVONDALE — There is an unlikely pairing atop the leaderboard after the first round of the Zurich Classic at TPC Louisiana.
Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer shot a 14-under 58 in Thursday’s first round of best ball play at the PGA Tour’s lone team event on the schedule. Smalley and Springer carded seven birdies on the back nine to get in the clubhouse at 14-under par.
Smalley, who played collegiately at Duke, has been playing well of late, coming off a tied-for-14th finish at the Valero Texas Open and a tied-for-21st finish at the Texas Children’s Houston Open.
Springer meanwhile plays on the Korn Ferry Tour and has made seven cuts, with one Top 10 finish this season, a tied-for-sixth at The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic.
Smalley-Springer’s lead is not a large one, as Davis Thomason-Austin Eckroat shot 13-under. Sam Stevens-Zach Bauchou, Eric Cole-Hank Leboida, Nick Dunlap-Gordon Sargent all shot 12-under in the first round to be tied for third.
Billy Horschel and his playing partner, Tom Hoge, are tied for sixth after shooting 11-under par. Horschel has a track record of success at the Zurich Classic, having won the event as a singles stroke-play event in 2013 and as a team event in 2018.
The defending championship team of Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak shot a bogey-free round of 65 and find themselves tied for 42nd.
The duo of Shane Lowry and Brooks Kopeka shot 6-under 66 for their first round. The duo birdied holes two through five and had a chance for a long eagle on No. 7. Lowry got it close but was able to drain it for birdie. The duo got a birdie on No. 10 but didn’t card another for the first round.
Lowry-Kopeka’s playing partners, Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick, shot 8-under for the opening round. The brothers were particularly good on the back nine, carding five birdies before dropping a stroke back with a bogey on No. 18.
The second round, which will be foursomes alternate shot style, will begin early in the morning on Friday.