Max Kennedy’s PGA Tour debut is off to a flying start as the Royal Dublin man shot an opening 67 in the Puerto Rico Open at Gran Reserve Golf Club.
Kennedy is playing in the tournament on a sponsor’s exemption, having been forced to miss last year’s Myrtle Beach Classic for which he’d earned a place via victory in the General Hackler Championship while a student at the University of Louisville.
After a pair of opening pars, he reeled off three birdies in a row and then made up for a dropped shot on seven with another birdie on the ninth to make the turn at -3.
Two more birdies followed on 12 and 15, but after he’d completed a good par save from the greenside bunker on 16, the rain, which had been falling steadily, turned torrential and tournament officials were forced to suspend play.
Just over an hour later, he returned to face the treacherous tee shot on the par-3 17th which was playing as the most difficult hole on the course. A two-putt par there was an impressive way to resume, and he closed out the round with another regulation par on the last, signing for a five-under 67 that was enough to move him into a tie for seventh among the early starters.
The early pace was set by American Kevin Roy who birdied 11 of the 18 holes, with a dropped shot on eight – his 17th – the only blemish on his card.
Twice a runner-up on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2024, Roy earned his PGA Tour card by finishing 13th in the Order of Merit, and found his game very much in sync for the first 18 holes in Puerto Rico.
“Yeah, it was one of those rounds that just obviously everything was clicking,” Roy said. “Hit a lot of fairways, lot of greens, hit quite a few wedges in there close and finally saw some putts go in, which is always nice. I struggled with the putter last week in Palm Beach and did some work with it early on in the week, kind of tweaked just a little bit of posture and saw some go in, so it was great.”
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