Kirk Leads by One Shot... 'Big Chance to Win for the First Time in 2 Years, 10 Months'

World Wide Technology Championship Round 1: 9-under-par
Dunlap and Blair tied for second; Hirata tied for seventh

Chris Kirk of the United States is back in contention for a title after a long wait.

Kirk fired a 9-under 63 in the first round of the World Wide Technology Championship, the sixth event of the PGA Tour Fall Series, at El Cardonal at Diamante (par 72) in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, on Nov. 6 (Korea time), taking the top spot on the leaderboard. Nick Dunlap and Zac Blair, both of the United States, are tied for second at 8-under 64, one stroke behind. Some players were unable to finish their rounds before sunset.

Chris Kirk took the lead after the first round of the World Wide Technology Championship. Reuters-Yonhap News

Kirk put on a flawless performance, making nine birdies without a bogey. After birdies on holes 1, 3, 5 and 7, he birdied the par-4 12th, followed by three consecutive birdies on holes 14 through 16, before shaving another stroke off his score on the par-5 18th to take the lead. He laid the groundwork for his seventh career victory, 2 years and 10 months after winning The Sentry in January 2024.

Mathieu Pavon of France, Harry Hall of England, Taylor Montgomery of the United States and Kensei Hirata of Japan were tied for seventh at 7-under 65, two strokes back. Ryan Gerard of the United States was tied for ninth at 6-under 66. Patrick Rodgers and Jackson Koivun, both of the United States, were tied for 29th at 4-under 68 and 70th at 2-under 70, respectively. The tournament has a total purse of $6 million.

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