Homa chasing Hall at Colonial

Proven PGA TOUR winner Max Homa is chasing rookie Harry Hall after the first round of the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club.

There is an element of predictability when it comes to the Charles Schwab Challenge because the PGA TOUR has been coming to Colonial Country Club for a long time.

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While nothing is ever set in stone in golf, there has been certain trends at this event when it comes to its winners. For example: the last four winners finished inside the top 12 for the week in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green, SG: Approach and SG: Putting.

Homa lurking

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With that in mind, it is less of a surprise to see Harry Hall obliterate the majority of the field in the opening round at Colonial Country Club as he was the only player inside the top 15 of all three stats on Thursday.

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The Englishman’s 8-under 62 needed just 22 putts, a usual strength of his, but also saw him gain over two shots on approach, one of his best rounds of the season. He leads by three to Harris English and is four clear of Tom Hoge, Adam Schenk, Robby Shelton and Andrew Putnam.

Amongst 15 players five back are proven winners Scottie Scheffler, Sam Burns, Max Homa and Billy Horschel.

Hall making his mark

On TOUR, Hall wears a handsome flat cap — a tribute to Jim Barnes, the great English pro who hailed from the Cornish town of Lelant. “Long Jim” later moved to the U.S. and won the PGA Championship twice, in 1916 and 1919; the U.S. Open in 1921; and the Open Championship in 1925. Barnes played out of West Cornwall Golf Club in England, where Hall did before college.

“That’s kind of why I wear it,” Hall said of his cap: khaki on Friday, with a sponsor logo on top.

It’s gone over well at Colonial, where Ben Hogan won five times.

“More Jim Barnes than Ben Hogan, but it’s nice to be in a familiar place where this hat was worn,” Hall said. “It probably is doing me some good luck this week.”

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