(Reuters) - Long-hitting PGA Tour rookie Justin Thomas birdied four of his last five holes to surge into an early one-shot lead in the opening round of the John Deere Classic in Silvis, Illinois on Thursday.
The 22-year-old American, shrugging off the disappointment of a poor finish to last week's Greenbrier Classic, putted superbly on a cool day at the TPC Deere Run to pile up 10 birdies and just two bogeys for a sparkling eight-under-par 63.
Charles Howell III opened with a seven-birdie 64 to end the round a stroke in front of fellow Americans Daniel Summerhays, Robert Garrigus and PGA Tour veteran Steve Stricker, a three-time winner of the John Deere Classic.