The first round of PGA TOUR golf in three months did not disappoint and we have a solid leaderboard heading into Day 2 at Colonial.
That being said, it was clear that some players had difficulty shaking off the rust after the three-month layoff.
Here's a couple of guys I'm looking to either fade or follow in their matchups on Round 2:
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Sepp Straka
Tee Time: 8:01 a.m. ET
Straka played to a really solid 66 on Thursday and is a listed as a +240 underdog in a 3-ball with Matthew Fitzpatrick and Denny McCarthy at DraftKings.
Straka gained strokes in all four areas in Round 1 and was the only one in that grouping to really put together a quality round as Fitzpatrick and McCarthy were propped up by their putting (both were inside the top 15 with the flat stick on Thursday) and lost nearly six strokes between them with their ball-striking.
That's the standard for McCarthy, who usually relies heavily on his putter, but Fitzpatrick tends to be a little more steady all-around.
This is just a spot it might be worth backing the underdog who came out ready to play from the get go.
Marc Leishman
Tee Time: 1:44 p.m. ET
Leishman put together quite the unique round. He stayed under par despite posting three 6's. He hit is first tee shot into the dreaded unknown and really struggled with his short game, but I'll back him to bounce back for a good second round.
Leishman's irons were on fire before the layoff and he didn't miss a beat with them today. He gained nearly 3.5 strokes with his approach, which is the fourth-best mark in the field after Round 1.
Leishman is in a grouping with Patrick Reed and the Aussie is listed at +110 against Reed at bet365. I'd back Leishman to do well in Round 2 and like him against Reed at any plus-number.
Corey Conners
Tee Time: 2:06 p.m. ET
Conners, who normally struggles with the putter, gained nearly 3.5 strokes on the green in the opening round. He trailed only Justin Thomas for the first 18 holes, while he actually lost strokes with his usually-stellar approach game.
Conners is in a grouping with Louis Oosthuizen in Round 2 and I'd lean towards Oosthuizen as a slight favorite in that matchup if you can find it.
Conners could get those irons dialed in after an off round, but that putting display is unlikely to return the rest of the event.
