Rose sets pace at Colonial

Keith Mitchell watches his tee shot on the third hole during the first round of the Charles Schwab Challenge. - Agencies

Fort Worth - The Englishman waltzed into the first-round clubhouse lead with a bogey-free seven-under-par 63 that left him one shot clear of Venezuela's Jhonattan Vegas

By Reuters

Published: Thu 11 Jun 2020, 10:07 PM

Last updated: Fri 12 Jun 2020, 12:14 AM

The PGA Tour quietly returned to action for the first time in three months amid the COVID-19 pandemic as the world's best golfers competed at a spectator-free Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas on Thursday.
Everyone in a field featuring the top five golfers in the world rankings underwent mandatory testing prior to teeing off at the Charles Schwab Challenge where the PGA Tour ended its longest unscheduled break from competition since World War Two.

Golf is back on the tee and live on Twitter. ?

Watch @JustinThomas34, @RickieFowler, @JordanSpieth, @BKoepka, @McIlroyRory and @JonRahmPGA start their first round @CSChallengeFW. https://t.co/Xrts0bVB6Y
- PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 11, 2020

"Just being out here is successful, to be honest with you, getting started," said American Ryan Palmer, who hit the day's opening tee shot.
"I don't see anything holding us back moving forward. I think today was the biggest day, just getting this first day off."

Despite an unusually deep field that was reminiscent of a major championship as players were eager to shake off the rust of a forced shutdown, the action was subdued with no spectators to applaud the awe-inspiring shots.
Englishman Justin Rose showed no signs of the long layoff as he waltzed into the first-round clubhouse lead with a bogey-free seven-under-par 63 that left him one shot clear of Venezuela's Jhonattan Vegas.
"It felt strange to be honest," Vegas, whose lone bogey came at his penultimate hole, said about playing without fans.
"Obviously, hit a lot of good shots, and not hearing those claps, it felt odd. But like I said, it's something we're going to have to get used to for a little while."
Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka, who make up the top three in the world rankings, were a late threesome playing two groups behind the trio of Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth.