Davis Thompson took a two-stroke lead over world quantity 4 Jon Rahm and 4 others at La Quinta, California, on Thursday.
The 23-year-old American shot a career-low 10-under 62 within the first spherical of The American Express after he birdied three of the primary 4 holes after which eagled each par-5s on the entrance 9, numbers 5 and 6.
He made the flip in eight-under 28, the bottom front-nine rating at La Quinta, placing him two away from Spain’s Rahm, Americans Tyler Duncan, Taylor Montgomery and Sam Burns, and Matti Schmid of Germany.
Rahm shot 64 at La Quinta, one in all three programs getting used for the primary three rounds.
The subject additionally contains 5 of the highest seven gamers on this planet and 10 of the highest 20.
Sixth-ranked Xander Schauffele, of the US, was in a bunch of 9 at seven-under 65 after additionally eagling the fifth.
Second-ranked Scottie Scheffler and Patrick Cantlay every shot 68, whereas Will Zalatoris had a three-under 69 on the Nicklaus Tournament Course.
Earlier this month, Rahm had overturned a seven-shot deficit to assert his eighth PGA Tour title in Hawaii.
Rahm gained The American Express – then named the CareerBuilder Challenge – in 2018, but in addition hit the headlines 12 months in the past for expressing his emotions on the straightforward situations on the Nicklaus Tournament Course, one in all three used for the match.
“Piece of shit, f****** set-up, putting contest week, Jesus Christ,” Rahm was filmed saying strolling off one of many greens in a video posted on social media.
Ahead of his return to the venue, the previous US Open champion admitted to media that his feedback from final yr “might come bite me in the ass”.
“Although it was more venting off on the golf course,” he added.
“I think for me it’s obviously a great event and it’s got a lot of history. I’ve loved it every time I’ve come here, despite what I said on the golf course last year. That’s just a player letting out some frustration.”
