Jeremy Koling Sets Scorching Pace with Sizzling Hot Front Nine

The opening day of the 2017 Waco Annual Charity Open saw Jeremy Koling emerge as the early leader, thanks in large part to an incredibly hot start on the front nine. The 2016 USDGC champion carded a scorching 9-under par 27 on the first six holes, setting himself up for a dominant performance.

Koling's impressive display of golf was not without its challenges, however. His only blemish on the day came on hole 5, where he succumbed to a bogey after finding difficulty with the lengthy, 610-foot par 4. The hole proved to be one of the most testing of the day, with nearly half of the field struggling to navigate it.

Despite this setback, Koling continued his remarkable form, shooting under par on four consecutive holes from number 12 onwards. A highlight of his round came on hole 15, where he sank an impressive eagle shot from over 38 feet out. His hot putter proved to be a key factor in his success, as he went a staggering 17/17 from within the circle.

When asked about his performance, Koling attributed much of his success to the quality of his putting, stating that he had made some "really good putts" and even those with "awkward straddle putts and uncomfortable stance scenarios." He also expressed satisfaction with his tee shots throughout the day.

Ricky Wysocki found himself five strokes adrift after a solid 5-under par front nine, but managed to mount an impressive comeback on the back nine. On hole 16, he sank a clutch birdie putt from just outside circle 2 and 75 feet from the basket. This marked the beginning of a strong finish for Wysocki, who eventually carded a 12-under par 55 to take second place.

Nikko Locastro, on the other hand, faced an unfortunate start to his day when he was involved in a car accident en route to the course. Forced to miss the first four holes due to this incident, Locastro received a score of par plus four for each of those missing holes, bringing his starting total to 16-over par.

Despite these early setbacks, Locastro went on to shoot an impressive 8-under par over the remaining eight holes he played, recording six birdies and an eagle on hole 15. This brought his overall score for the day to a respectable 8-over par 75.

Other notable professionals competing in the event include Simon Lizotte (-8), Cam Todd (-8), Paul Ulibarri (-7), and Philo Brathwaite (-6). They will all look to close the gap on Koling and Wysocki when they take to the course for round two.

The lead card, consisting of Koling, Wysocki, James Conrad, and Dave Feldberg, will tee off at 3:30 PM this afternoon to begin their quest for victory.

This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/big-jerm-big-round