Sports India

Corey Pavin set a PGA Tour record for nine holes on his way to a blistering nine-under-par 61 in the first round of the Milwaukee Open in Wisconsin on Thursday.

The 46-year-old American covered the front nine at the Brown Deer Park Golf Course in eight-under 26, breaking the previous low by a stroke.

Compatriots Mike Souchak (in 1955), Andy North (1975), Billy Mayfair (2001) and Robert Gamez (2004) had jointly shared the old record.

Souchak’s effort was eight under and North’s seven under while Mayfair and Gamez both produced nine-under scores.

Former U.S. Open champion Pavin birdied the first six holes at Brown Deer Park.

He picked up further shots at the eighth and ninth to cap a sizzling outward nine.

A 14-times winner on the PGA Tour whose last victory came at the 1996 Colonial tournament, Pavin collected only one birdie after the turn, at the par-four 16th, to set the tournament pace.

India’s Arjun Atwal was alone in second place after firing a seven-birdie 64 with Americans Skip Kendall and Cameron Beckman a further stroke back in a share of third.

South Korea’s K.J. Choi opened with 67 while Australia’s Nick O’Hern returned a 71.

Left-hander O’Hern, the world number 28, is the highest-ranked player in the field with most of the game’s biggest names taking a break after last week’s British Open.

American Ben Crane, who completed a wire-to-wire victory by two shots at Brown Deer Park last year, was among the late starters.

(Writing by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles)