LOS CABOS, Mexico – Cameron Percy is 49 and already sent in his application for PGA Tour Champions Q-School in December. But the Aussie, who is still seeking his first PGA Tour win, may want to put the senior circuit on hold for a bit after the way he played on Thursday in the first round of the World Wide Technology Championship.
Percy carded eight birdies and an eagle to shoot 10-under 62 at El Cardonal at Diamante and match his career low in 632 career rounds spanning the last 20 years. When play was suspended due to darkness with 10 players still on the course, Percy held a two-stroke lead over four other golfers.
“I’m 152 I think on the FedEx Cup, so finishing Top 150 at my age would be fantastic,” he said. “I want to at least do that, but if I can keep the ball rolling like I did today, I should be able to finish a lot higher than that, and then lead into Q-School with the Champions Tour. Yeah, I’m looking forward to that.”
Percy birdied three of his first five holes and then spun back a pitch shot from 70 yards for eagle at the par-5 sixth.
“For about an hour and a half it didn’t matter where I hit it, it went in,” Percy said.
He had it to 9-under through 13 but made a three-putt par at 14.
“I couldn’t make ‘em all,” said Percy, who matched the score he shot in Las Vegas in 2010.
He drained a 15-foot birdie at the last to cap off an impressive showing and already was licking his chops to tee off again in less than 12 hours as the first off at 6:25 a.m. local time on Friday.
“I’m going to get the good greens and I need to take advantage of it,” he said.
Percy’s happy day leads off our things to know from the opening round: