Australia’s Matt Jones fired a bogey-free nine-under-par 61 on Thursday to match the course record at PGA National and grab the lead after the first round of the PGA Honda Classic.
The 40-year-old from Sydney tied the mark set by American Brian Harman in the second round of the 2012 event thanks to birdies on the last three holes on a windy day at Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
“It was a very good day,” Jones said. “I struck the ball well actually all day, and it was probably one of the better ball-striking days with my irons that I’ve had for a long, long time.”
Jones, a two-time Australian Open champion who captured his only US PGA Tour title at the 2014 Houston Open, fired the lowest round in his 14-year US tour career, breaking his prior best of 62 in the 2013 final round at Greensboro.
