Deadspin | Freddie Jacobson, Soren Kjeldsen post 59 to begin Champions’ team event

Freddie Jacobson of Sweden and Soren Kjeldsen of Denmark teamed up for a 12-under-par 59 to set the tempo on the American Household Insurance coverage Championship, the PGA Tour Champions’ solely team event, on Friday in Madison, Wis.

Jacobson and Kjeldsen lead by a single stroke over two groups, Brian Homosexual and Slovakia’s Rory Sabbatini and Australians Richard Inexperienced and Mark Hensby. Germany’s Bernhard Langer and New Zealand’s Steven Alker made a push late within the day and completed at 10-under 61, tied with Aussies Cameron Percy and Greg Chalmers.

The three-day event at TPC Wisconsin launched the team format final yr. The primary and closing rounds shall be 4 ball (greatest ball), whereas Saturday’s second spherical shall be a scramble.

The Nordic leaders obtained off to a quick begin when Kjeldsen transformed an eagle on the par-5 second gap. They went on to card 10 birdies, Jacobson answerable for six of them.

“We kind of alternated properly, like one man made a putt after which the following man, and Freddie was kind of on fireplace center of the spherical,” Kjeldsen stated. “Yeah, we constructed up that momentum that you actually need on this format.”

Kjeldsen tied for second at this event final yr with a distinct enjoying accomplice, Alex Cejka of Germany.

Sabbatini, who turned 50 in April, is searching for his first win on the PGA Tour Champions. He and Homosexual beforehand performed collectively on the PGA Tour’s Zurich Traditional of New Orleans and completed third in that team event in 2019.

They began on the again 9, the place Homosexual transformed seven birdies by himself for a nine-hole rating of 28.

“Brian was clearly, as they are saying in Vegas, he was on a heater, so I stayed out of his method and let Seabiscuit run, and he did,” Sabbatini stated. “He fired 28 on the again 9, which was our entrance, by himself. I simply sat there and watched. It was form of enjoyable for me.”

Darren Clarke of Northern Eire gained the match final yr enjoying with Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn. Bjorn wasn’t out there this yr, so Clarke teamed up with Ben Crane. They opened with a 9-under 62 and are tied for sixth.

The team of Stewart Cink and Zach Johnson — who’ve mixed for 5 wins on tour this yr — settled for a 6-under 65 to open.

–Subject Stage Media