UNT grad Sebastian Munoz blazes to AT&T Byron Nelson lead with 12-below opening spherical

MCKINNEY – Sebastian Munoz entered this week’s AT&T Byron Nelson as the co-holder of the “best round of the PGA Tour this season” title, thanks to his 10-underneath spherical of 60 at the RSM Vintage in November.

Right after Thursday’s history-breaking opening round at TPC Craig Ranch, he no lengthier has to share that title.

Munoz, a University of North Texas graduate and former Convention United states of america Championship match winner, shot a 12-below round of 60 early on Thursday. The spherical gained him the TPC Craig Ranch study course record, tied him for the Nelson match document and set him by itself at the top for the finest round of the 2021-22 PGA Tour year.

“It’s a great sensation whenever every little thing is clicking, hitting the tee shots, ball is coming out in the window that you imagined, the putts,” Munoz stated. “When all the things is heading, it’s just continue to be out of the way and just sort of let it occur.”

The Colombian-born Munoz received off to a good start on Thursday early morning, but the spherical wasn’t anything resembling a record-breaking one particular in the early levels. Soon after a bogey at No. 8 thanks to an errant tee shot that compelled him to acquire an unplayable, Munoz was just -2 by way of eight holes. But starting up at the par-5 9th with an eagle, Munoz completed his spherical with a extend of 10 holes where by he played -10, which includes a study course-file 28 on the back 9.

Munoz truly had a prospect to sign up for the elusive 59 club when he stepped to the tee box at No. 18. With an eagle, the 2019 Sanderson Farms Championship would have become just the 12th player in PGA Tour background to card a round in the 50s (it would have been the 13th occasion, as Jim Furyk is on the checklist two times, like his Tour-history score of 58 in 2016).

Munoz’s method at 18 sprayed suitable, but he managed to get up and down for the birdie to clinch a -12 round. Munoz concluded the early morning with nine birdies, two eagles, a bogey and six pars. He admitted he was pondering “59″ on the final fairway, but said he just can’t depart upset with “just yet another 60.”

“I believe this was a very little a lot more outstanding,” Munoz stated. “I signify, it was par 72. I under no circumstances shot 12-underneath I’ve shot 10.

“Today, I do not know. I just kind of retained it likely and I just needed to get extra appears, more seems and much more possibilities, and I just variety of went nuts with it.”

The last player to shoot a round in the 50s on Tour stays Dallas’ Scottie Scheffler, who did so throughout the 2020 FedExCup playoffs at The Northern Have faith in.

UNT is about 30 miles from TPC Craig Ranch. Munoz mentioned he played the system two or three situations while in school, but not way too significantly.

Carlos Ortiz, Munoz’s Mean Environmentally friendly teammate, had a potent opening round, way too. He concluded the day with a bogey-free 66, good for -6 and a location on the initial web site of the leaderboard.

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