You never know how things will shake out on the golf course.
Just ask Sam Ryder, who somehow posted a masterful 9-under 63 during the first round of the Valero Texas Open.
His terrific score came one day after he withdrew from the Wednesday Pro-Am, as he felt soreness in his upper back and neck. He did not even touch a club on Wednesday, so he opted to rest and watch Netflix instead.
Ryder had an afternoon tee time on Thursday, but he wanted to get out to the course early, to see how he felt. He arrived at TPC San Antonio about three hours before his 12:40 p.m. starting time, and felt good enough to go. Certainly, the warm Texas weather helped loosen whatever tightness he felt on Wednesday.
“I was a little gun-shy early, and as I built up the speed, I got more confidence and trust in what I was doing,” Ryder said.
“Once I got on the course, you’re really not hitting — thankfully, I didn’t hit that many shots today, but you’re not hitting that many drivers, you know, so I was able to play.”
Ryder began with birdies on the first two holes, quickly jumping up to 2-under for the championship. He added another par-breaker on the par-5 8th, rolling in a 13-footer to get to 3-under.
But the former Stetson Hatter caught fire on the back nine, warming up like the hot Texas sun. He made six birdies on the back, all of which came on his last seven holes. Ryder stuck his third shot to a foot on the par-5 18th to post a 63 and grab a one-shot lead over Keith Mitchell.
“I figured it was going to be anything under par is always usually pretty good out here,” Ryder said.
“Didn’t go in with any intentions of trying to be more aggressive or anything like that, was just trying to put one foot in front of the next and have a solid round, hit fairways and as many greens as possible.”
Ryder’s putter is a big reason why he has the lead. He gained nearly six strokes on the greens on Thursday, rolling in 127 feet worth of putts. He only needed 21 putts too — a preposterous amount that doubles as the lowest of his PGA Tour career.
“I think putting for me is a lot about my setup, so just try to make sure everything, you know, everything’s lined up,” Ryder said of his putting.
“And then at that point I can just kind of free it up and just focus on the target and kind of just be more of an athlete. Yeah, nice to see some putts go in, build some confidence.”
Perhaps that confidence will continue to grow over the final 54 holes — but only if his sore back and neck do not flare up. If he can, an invite to Augusta National will await him, along with a pair of Texas cowboy boots that go to the winner.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.
