Brett Coletta and Vince India book-ended course records about seven hours apart on Wednesday and shared the lead in the King & Bear Classic.
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Brett Coletta and Vince India book-ended course records about seven hours apart on Wednesday and shared the lead in the Korn Ferry Tour King & Bear Classic.
Coletta, an Australian playing in the first group of the day to tee off No. 10 at the King & Bear course, birdied three of his first four holes and knocked in a 10-foot eagle putt at No. 18 after his approach shot slammed against the top of the flagstick, and finished with a 9-under-par 63.
India, a rare University of Iowa graduate at the upper levels of professional golf, teed off about two hours after Coletta finished and birdied five of his last seven holes to match the record previously held by Hugh Biaocchi in the 2002 Legends of Golf, Thongchai Jaidee in a 2003 PGA Tour second-stage qualifier, and Austin Hitt in a 2017 U.S. Amateur qualifier.
“I didn’t know it was a course record until [he was informed in scoring] so I’m pretty happy with that,” said Coletta, an Australian who also set his professional record for 18 holes. “It is nice to be in the first group out. … good pace of play out there for us. I got off to a real hot start and that followed through the whole round, really.”
Coletta missed only one fairway and hit all 18 greens. India missed only one fairway and two greens.
“I gave myself a lot of opportunities for birdie and was pretty committed to my target,” said India, who tied for 10th last week in the Korn Ferry Challenge at TPC Sawgrass. “Obviously that gave me a little confidence. I think my plan is going to minimize bogeys because you’re going to make birdies out here, four, five six a round. If you limit yourself to one bogey, or play bogey-free, you’ll make up a lot of ground on some people.”
On an unseasonably moderate June day in northeast Florida, with light wind throughout, Coletta and India finished two shots ahead of seven players at 7-under 65: Jared Wolfe, No. 6 on the Korn Ferry points list; Will Zalatoris, the 54-hole leader last week at Dye’s Valley; Ryan McCormick, who had to Monday qualify last week and then gained the King & Bear field by trying for 14th; Air Force Academy graduate Tom Whitney; former LSU players Zach Wright; Canadian Taylor Pendrith; and Justin Lower.
On a day when the course co-designed by Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus was ripe for the taking, 15 players are at 6-under, led by Davis Riley, second on the Korn Ferry points list, John Chin, seventh in points, and four-time PGA Tour winner Chris Kirk.
There are 23 players within three shots of the lead entering the second round.
The scoring average of 69.577 was the lowest first round on the Korn Ferry Tour this season.
“Obviously a fun day,” said Wolfe, who missed the cut last week at the Korn Ferry Challenge at TPC Sawgrass at 14-over. “The greens were receptive. They were drying out a little but the wind wasn’t really a factor until [he had six holes left].”
Coletta has been aching for some good fortune. He missed three cuts and withdrew in his only four starts this season before the Korn Ferry Tour was halted because of the coronavirus pandemic, and last year made only 8-of-22 cuts.
But when he does reach the weekend, good things often happen. If his eight made cuts last year as a Korn Ferry rookie, Coletta finished among the top-12 five times, with three top-10s.
“It is about taking your time and pacing yourself out there, because it is such a long season,” he said.
A little luck also helps. One example was at No. 18, when Coletta stepped on a 3-iron from 230 yards out. The ball came in hot and smacked into the top of the pin, then fell to within 10 feet.
He made the eagle putt, then turned and birdied four of his first seven holes on the front nine, his back.
India birdied four of five holes on the front, then birdied five of his last seven. His last two birdies were inside the leather on any weekend game, 6 inches at No. 17 and 1 foot at No. 18.
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