Scottie Scheffler shot a 5-under 65 in the opening round of the Travelers Championship and was not far from the lead at TPC River Highlands.
Scheffler, who is aiming for his sixth title this season, said it took some swing maintenance to get him back on track after falling out of contention at the US Open last week.
“I think I hit a good shot,” Scheffler said after making four birdies, an eagle and a bogey on the opening 18th hole Thursday.
“I noticed something about my swing at the beginning of the week and I definitely felt like I was swinging a lot better than I did last week.”
Scheffler, who celebrates his 28th birthday on Friday, is hoping to achieve his best first-round score of the season by celebrating a 36-hole lead.
But he will be chasing another birthday boy, 21-year-old Tom Kim, who topped the leaderboard with a first-round 62.
Yuna Kim, who already has three wins on tour, is looking for her first win in the signature event.
But no one on the PGA Tour in 2024 swings better than Scheffler.
The 11-time Tour winner said finding a way to adjust his grip this week helped him get back in the groove and record his first round in the 60s since the Memorial Tournament.
His 65 marked his sixth straight round in the 70s.
“Honestly, it’s kind of hard to explain,” Scheffler said. “But as I got better at feeling the top of my swing, I started making sure my grip was in the right place.”
Defending champion Keegan Bradley started with a 1-under par 69.
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