Preston Smith, PGA Tour
ARLINGTON, Texas – Anders Albertson posted a 9-under 62 on Thursday to take the first-round lead at the inaugural Veritex Bank Championship in Arlington, Texas. Albertson leads Max Greyserman by one stroke at Texas Rangers Golf Club entering the second round.
“I didn’t really think about a number [coming in],” said Albertson. “I played with Kris [Blanks] and Kevin [Dougherty] today and it’s a very fine line. If you get one foot off a slope and you slide down, you’re short-sided. Or if you catch the slope and come down you have a tap-in. It’s a very fine line between hitting a good shot and being in a very difficult position.”
Starting at the par-5 10th hole, Albertson made five birdies – countered by a lone bogey – to make the turn at 4-under. After a bogey at the first hole, Albertson made an ace at the par-3 second hole.
“Not too common…It was awesome,” laughed Albertson. “It was my second one ever and both have been in contention. Which is nice, I guess if you’re not going to have very many [aces], you better make them count.”
The Atlanta native tacked on two more birdies at the third and seventh holes before a closing eagle at the par-5 ninth to reach 9-under.
“There are a lot of different quadrants of the greens with the slopes here,” noted Albertson. “I think if you can hit some really good iron shots, you can have some good looks at birdie. We had a good plan coming in and I hit some good irons and fortunately I made those putts.”
Albertson entered the week 63rd in the Korn Ferry Tour points standings with four top-10s in 20 starts this year. He graduated to the PGA TOUR at the end of the 2018 season but returned to the Korn Ferry Tour at the start of 2020.
Coming off two top-10s in his last three starts, Max Greyserman carded an 8-under 63 to sit one shot back of Albertson.
“I feel like I’m playing solid this year,” said Greyserman, who lives in Boca Raton, Florida. “It was good to see Svenny [Adam Svensson] win in Georgia and Peter [Uihlein] win in Vegas, two guys that I’m friends with at home and two guys that I play with a lot. Just knowing that I can do it too, gaining some confidence, and if a bad shot happens just keep going.”
Four players are T3 after the first round at 7-under 64: Jonathan Randolph, Joey Garber, Theo Humphrey and Dan McCarthy.
Second-round tee times will run from 7:15 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. on Friday off of the first and 10th tees.
Click here for the original article on PGATour.com.
ABOUT KORN FERRY TOUR
Founded (1990), owned and operated by the PGA TOUR, the Korn Ferry Tour identifies and develops those players who are ready to compete and win on golf’s biggest stage. In 2013, the Korn Ferry Tour became The Path to the PGA TOUR with all 50 available PGA TOUR cards coming through the Tour and the season culminating at the Korn Ferry Tour Finals. This season marks the 31st year of competition on the Korn Ferry Tour. Three out of four PGA TOUR members are Korn Ferry Tour alumni. Tour alumni have won more than 500 PGA TOUR titles, including 24 major championships and eight PLAYERS Championships. To learn more about the PGA TOUR, the Korn Ferry Tour and to follow the season-long quest for a PGA TOUR card, visit PGATOUR.COM, or follow the Tour on social media via Instagram (@KornFerryTour), Twitter (@KornFerryTour) and Facebook (facebook.com/KornFerryTour).
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ABOUT VERITEX COMMUNITY BANK
Veritex Community Bank is dedicated to be the best bank in Texas. Veritex takes pride in being a community bank with local decisions. Specializing in business banking, commercial loans, small business lending, treasury management and mortgages. Veritex takes the time to get to know you and your specific needs and provide you the expert banking advice you seek.
What does it mean to be honest-to-goodness banking experts? It means you get exceptional customer service, smart banking choices and the peace of mind that comes with knowing Veritex is invested in you and your community. From over 40 banking centers in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, the greater Houston area, Louisville, KY and surrounding areas as well as a local home mortgage office in Dallas, Veritex is the community bank with a difference because they’re making a difference in the community.
ABOUT ANERA SPORTS, LLC.
Founded in 2018 by the past executive director of the Texas Golf Association and TGA Foundation, Rob Addington, Anera has quickly established a presence in the golf community. Anera provides event management services to some of the top amateur championships in the country and operates the business of several amateur golf associations including the Trans-Miss Golf Association and the Amateur Golf Alliance. Anera also provides consulting services to corporations, clubs and tournaments in the strategic planning, management and implementation of sports related initiatives. Anera has created and managed championships at some of the top ranked clubs in the country and is dedicated to providing a first class experience for all parties. Anera is headquartered in Dallas, TX.
