MEXICO CITY (AFP) — South Africa’s Erik van Rooyen grabbed two eagles in an eight-under-par 63 on Thursday to take a one-stroke first-round lead in the US PGA Tour’s Mexico Open.
Van Rooyen, who added five birdies with just one bogey, gave himself a seven-footer for eagle at the par-five sixth in Puerto Vallarta. His eagle at the 12th was more spectacular — a chip-in from 70 feet.
“Twelve’s a funky one because we played it into the wind in the practice round and you obviously can’t get there for two. So today was downwind, smash three-wood and just a beautiful little pitch,” he said.
“It’s something I’ve been working really hard on and to see that go in, it feels good.”
After his only bogey at 15, van Rooyen birdied the par-five 18th to finish one stroke in front of Finland’s Sami Valimaki.
