Tom Hoge fired a bogey-free, five-under-par 65 to share the opening-round lead at the PGA Tour’s $6.2 million St. Jude Classic on Thursday.
Shawn Stefani and South Korea’s Noh Seung-Yul also carded 65s while Dustin Johnson, Brian Gay, Steve Stricker, Colt Knost, Argentina’s Miguel Angel Carballo and Wales’ Jamie Donaldson shared fourth place at 66.
“The key to the round was hole nine. I had to lay up to 130 (yards). I was able to get up and down and keep the momentum going,” the 27-year-old Hoge said.
Eight players, including Justin Leonard and South Africa’s Retief Goosen, are tied for 10th at 67 at the TPC Southwind course. Hoge made consecutive birdies on numbers four, five and six, then added naother two straight at No. 12 and 13.
“I got off to a little bit of a slow start there,” said Hoge, who is ranked 237th in the world. “I was in good position the first few holes and didn’t hit it close at all. Luckily, I pieced together a few good shots.”
Hoge is appearing in his 45th career PGA Tour event, and is still looking for his first career win.
He posted his first two top-10 finishes earlier this season, comprising a pair of ties for ninth at the RSM Classic and the Valero Texas Open. He failed to make the cut in seven of 17 tournaments this season.
Noh, 25, is seeking his second win on the PGA Tour in his 132nd event. In 2014, he won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
Johnson, meanwhile, has come close to victory several times on the PGA Tour this season without winning and the long-hitting American is once again back in contention. A nine-time winner on the US circuit, Johnson fired a four-under-par 66 to stand just one stroke off the lead.
Fan favourite Phil Mickelson, a five-time major winner who next week will head to Oakmont searching for a first US Open win after a record six runner-up finishes, returned a 70.
Johnson, who won here in 2012, was relatively happy with an opening round that included seven birdies, an eagle at the par-five 16th, three bogeys and a double at the par-three 14th.
“I felt like I played a lot better than my score,” the 31-year-old said. “Just kind of gave away a few shots on the back side, which was my front nine, and then obviously finishing with two (bogeys after the turn)... just gave away a couple of shots.”
Johnson, whose most recent PGA Tour victory came at last year’s WGC-Cadillac Championship in Miami, has recorded seven top-10s this season in 12 starts, including two third placings.
“Feel like I have been playing really well all year,” he added. “The game is good, it’s really good right now... just got to give myself an opportunity to get it done on Sundays. The only thing that has really held me back from winning a bunch of times this year is just making a few more putts.”
Noh, who claimed his first PGA Tour title at the 2014 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, surged into a three-way tie at the top after picking up two shots in his last three holes.
“Pretty solid today, and then just one bogey,” he said after a round highlighted by six birdies, and a superb approach from 140 yards at the par-four last that settled within a foot of the cup. “Hitting into the rough and missing the fairway here, it’s really tough to play this course... but I make a lot of birdies, a lot of pars, so a really solid round today.”

Spanish rookie Otaegui leads by two in Austria

Spanish rookie Adrian Otaegui carved out a two-shot lead after the first round of the Austrian Open on Thursday thanks to an impressive eight-under 64 at the Diamond Country Club in Atzenbrugg.
The qualifying school graduate enjoyed birdies at the third, seventh, eighth and ninth holes followed by three successive gains from the 14th and another on the 18th.
Sweden’s Bjorn Akesson was two shots behind, with France’s Gary
Stal and Zander Lombard of South Africa a stroke further back on
five under.
“I’m hoping now I can play four days in the same way so that’s the main goal,” said Otaegui.
“The course is pretty hard and it’s not easy to get the ball close to the pin so I’m pretty pleased with it.”
Defending champion Chris Wood of England was three under after 13 but dropped three shots either side of another birdie at seven for a one under 71.