Quartet share Seattle Classic lead

In the last tune-up before the final major of the season, there are a number of players who seem to be at the top of their game.

Tom Kite, Jim Thorpe, Brad Bryant and Morris Hatalsky are tied for the lead and 19 players are within three strokes of the top spot after Friday’s first round of the $1.6m (€1.3m) Boeing Greater Seattle Classic.

Kite, Thorpe, Bryant and Hatalsky each signed for rounds of six-under-par 66 and are one shot in front of a group of seven.

“From number 11 on I hit the ball really well,” Thorpe said. “I felt my iron game was very good today and I hit a lot of fairways today.”

Hale Irwin, Peter Jacobsen, Craig Stadler, Andy Bean, John Harris, Bruce Lietzke and James Mason are all one stroke back at five-under 67.

The par-72 Jack Nicklaus-designed course at the TPC at Snoqualmie Ridge yielded plenty of low scores Friday, as a group of six are at four-under and another group of six are three shots off the pace.

Bryant and Hatalsky each fired six birdies on the back nine. Thorpe closed with two birdies over the final four holes, and an eagle on the par-five 18th gave him a share of the lead.

“I started the front side struggling with my swing after the first hole,” Hatalsky said. “I made a good putt at number 10 and from then on hit a lot of good shots and made some putts.”

Bogeys on numbers three and 17 kept Kite from the outright lead despite carding eight birdies.

“I’m happy with how I played. I just had a few unforced errors,” Kite said.

Overall 23 players shot rounds in the 60s and 42 of the 78 players in the field shot under-par, including 69-year-old Gary Player who nearly matched his age with a two-under 70.

“This course is generous, especially off the tee. Jack’s courses are like that, not as many bunkers come into play as you’d think,” Kite said. “The course will give up some low scores. the par-fives are reachable and 14 is a drivable hole.”