Kevin Roy Leads Puerto Rico Open After Career-Low 62 Round

RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico (AP) — Kevin Roy returned from an hourlong rain delay on Thursday to hole a bunker shot for his 10th of 11 birdies, finishing with a 10-under 62 to take a one-shot lead in the Puerto Rico Open.

This remarkable round marked a career-low for the 34-year-old Roy, who struggled as a rookie on the PGA Tour in the 2022-23 season, making just nine cuts in 31 starts. He reclaimed his PGA Tour card through the Korn Ferry Tour last year.

Chris Gotterup was also aiming for the lead when he reached the 18th hole at 10-under, but his drive went into a pond, resulting in his only bogey of the day at Grand Reserve Golf Club. Gotterup will begin his second round one stroke behind Roy.

Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen and Davis Riley both posted rounds of 64 under the favorable conditions at the event, which runs concurrently with the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. The rain delay hindered the completion of play for 18 players, with four golfers finishing their rounds at 6-under and still needing to play additional holes.

Roy reached 9-under through 15 holes when rain interrupted his play. After the break, he returned to finish the par-3 seventh hole. Using a 7-iron, he found the bunker and then executed a perfect sand shot that trickled into the hole, sealing a crucial birdie.

“That was silly, I’ll be the first to admit it. It was not the best hole to come out and start on again,” Roy said. “The lie was perfect. Obviously just trying to get it up and down, and it came out great with a little bit of spin and trickled in.”

Following a bogey on the next hole, Roy rebounded by closing with another birdie. “It was one of those rounds that just obviously everything was clicking,” he remarked.