PGA Tour: home movies and Olympic bronze help CT Pan to solid start at Farmers Insurance Open
- Taiwanese golfer credits confidence boost and watching old footage of himself putting after shooting 5-under 67 in first round
- Former FedEx Cup champion early leader at PGA Tour event after blistering 63
CT Pan reaped the rewards of watching old footage of himself, as he putted his way to a solid 5-under 67 at the Farmers Insurance Open to lead Asia’s charge for more silverware on the PGA Tour.
With former FedEx Cup champion Billy Horschel leading the star-studded field after a blistering 63 in the first round, Pan’s impressive start included six birdies and one bogey which left him in tied ninth place.
A return to Torrey Pines brings back good memories for the Taiwanese golfer, who finished in a tie for second there in 2017.
Korea’s Sungjae Im, a two-time Tour winner, finished 2-under, with compatriot Si Woo Kim, India’s Anirban Lahiri and Taiwan’s Kevin Yu a shot further back in the tournament which sees players competing one round each on the North Course and South Course at Torrey Pines, before playing the South Course for the final two rounds.
Hideki Matsuyama, who won the Sony Open in Hawaii two weeks ago, opened with a 72.
“Five-under is a good result for me,” Pan said. “My putting was really good, especially on the front nine. I have been practising my putting recently and hope to see more satisfying results in the next few days.”
The 29-year-old is looking to bounce back from two lacklustre seasons, but although a historic bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics last summer has provided a spark, Pan revealed that using a longer driver and watching old videos of himself putting have created a positive difference.