NAPLES, Fla. — Charley Hoffman and Ryan Palmer were well aware where they were predicted to finish at the 2022 QBE Shootout.
12th.
In a normal week, that would be a strong finish. Yet at Tiburon Golf Club, that’s dead last. That prediction is as far from correct as it could be following the first round.
Hoffman and Palmer made eagle on three of Tiburon’s four par-5s and added 10 birdies. After Friday’s scramble format, the duo sits in front at 16 under by two shots over a pair at 14 under.
“All in all, we put ourself in great positions to make birdies,” Hoffman said. “I would say very low stress all day long. For me, I putted first so it wasn’t that stressful for me. Ryan made some great putts. I was able to hit some good drives and be able to capitalize on pretty much all our shots except 18.”
Hoffman and Palmer’s day started with an eagle on the first hole. They added another on the sixth and went out in 8-under 28. Then on the back, it was more birdies and an eagle on the 17th. Their only complaint from the day was not capitalizing on Hoffman’s great iron shot into the back left pin on 18.
Nevertheless, they’re in front heading to Saturday.
“Tomorrow, it’s a matter of just both driving it well and then you choose on which ball to play and all that. If we’re both hitting it well, I think we’ll have a lot of chances tomorrow.”
Hoffman is playing in his sixth QBE Shootout, and he has had a different teammate each time. Palmer is playing for the fifth time, and Hoffman is his fourth partner. Palmer and Harold Varner III shot 55 in the opening round in 2019, and Hoffman joked saying they needed to match that number again this year.
A 56 will do, though.
QBE: Saturday tee times, how to watch
Keith Mitchell and J.J. Spaun look on during the first round of the QBE Shootout at Tiburon Golf Club on Dec. 09, 2022 in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
Early on, Keith Mitchell and J.J. Spaun were just trying not to make bogey. That’s not something either of them wanted to happen in the scramble format, but it was a lot easier to laugh about after their 12-under 60, good enough for T-4.
“We thought we were going to make two sixes in a scramble at one point,” Mitchell said. “Thankfully J.J. hit a couple good chips and a really good putt to keep us from really … I mean we could have lost the tournament just in those couple holes.”
Added Spaun: “It was a very slow…
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