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AT&T Byron Nelson 2019: Denny McCarthy Leads by 1 Stroke After 1st Round
May 10, 2019
Denny McCarthy used an eight-under 63 on Thursday to hold the lead after one round at the 2019 AT&T Byron Nelson at the Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas, Texas.
That strong start gives McCarthy a one-shot lead over Tyler Duncan and Tom Hoge, who each shot a 64 in the opening round.
This year's field is headlined by Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka and former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.
Below is a look at the action from Day 1 in Dallas.
2019 AT&T Byron Nelson Leaderboard - First Round
1. Denny McCarthy 63 (-8)
T2. Tyler Duncan 64 (-7)
T2. Tom Hoge 64 (-7)
T4. Matt Jones 65 (-6)
T4. Brooks Koepka 65 (-6)
T4. Jonas Blixt 65 (-6)
T4. Troy Merritt 65 (-6)
T4. Chad Campbell 65 (-6)
T4. Kramer Hickok 65 (-6)
T4. Shawn Stefani 65 (-6)
T4. Matt Every 65 (-6)
T4. Sung Kang 65 (-6)
*Full leaderboard available on the PGA Tour's official website
McCarthy got off to a slow start, with a double bogey on the fourth hole putting him at two-over through five. After he settled in, though, he really found a groove.
The 26-year-old finished the front nine with four consecutive birdies and added another six on the back nine. With that, he established a new pair of personal bests, according to PGA Tour Communications:
"I've kind of been looking for a round like this just to kind of get me going," McCarthy said after the first round, per Golfweek's Roxanna Scott. "I know I can be out here playing with the best and today kind of showed that."
McCarthy is seeking his first win on the PGA Tour.
Coming off a rough performance at the RBC Heritage last month, Spieth quickly showed that he had a better feel for his game on this day. The Dallas native birdied his first hole, and he would then have a stretch of four straight birdies.
That put him at five-under through seven holes.
Although he had a hiccup with a double bogey on the nine, he was able to bounce back quickly with a birdie on the 10th.
Spieth managed better than par just twice over his final 11 holes, shooting above par three times during that stretch. Even through those bumps, the three-time major champ managed a 68, leaving him five shots back at three-under after 18 holes.
Spieth has never won the AT&T Byron Nelson. He finished tied for 21st at 11-under a year ago.
With the tournament being held in Dallas, Romo had the opportunity to take part in a PGA Tour tournament for the third time by way of a sponsor exemption, his first event other than the Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship. He previously missed the cut at Punta Canta in March after shooting a 15-over.
Playing in front of the "hometown" crowd, the 39-year-old CBS analyst got off to a strong start with a birdie on his first hole. A bogey on the fifth evened out his score, but he responded in a big way soon after.
His eagle on the seventh was one of the highlights of the day:
However, his fortunes would soon take a turn for the worst.
Double bogeys on Nos. 9 and 13 dropped him from two-under all the way to two-over in a five-hole span. He finished the day with three bogeys in the final four holes, putting him at five-over for the back nine.
Romo finished the day at five-over, putting him just two strokes ahead of last place.
Round 2 is scheduled to get underway at 7:50 a.m. ET on Friday.