Professional golfer Taylor Moore just set a new personal standard at TPC Craig Ranch. His opening-round 62 secured the lead while a surging Brooks Koepka sits just one stroke back.

Koepka and Sweden's Jesper Svensson sit tied for second place. Moore had not played many events recently, which made his strong round even more surprising.

"Obviously pretty stoked," Moore said after his round. "I've only played a couple times in the last few weeks, so it was good to get in a rhythm early. 2-under after three, I got into a good rhythm. I was really excited."

Moore started on the 10th hole, making four birdies on the back nine before adding five more on the front nine. That included a 14-foot putt at the par-5 ninth to complete the bogey-free card.

"I think my distance control coming into the greens," Moore said. "I was really pleased with the iron shots I hit."

Moore’s approach play stayed consistent throughout the round, including shots to 5 feet on the par-4 10th and 4 feet on the par-4 second, along with birdie chances on both back-nine par-3s.

He has made 8 of 10 cuts this season and sits 73rd in the FedEx Cup standings after finishing 100th in 2025. His best result this year was a tie for second at the Cognizant Classic in February.

The patience, he said, has been the thing holding everything together. "I think I've been pretty pleased and really just trying to stay patient," Moore said. "You know how it is, got to put four rounds together. So just really building toward that."

Brooks Koepka's Putter and What A Win Would Actually Mean for Him

The biggest change was his putting. Using a new Scotty Cameron Fastback 1.5, his fourth putter of the 2026 season, Koepka ranked fourth in Strokes Gained: Putting during Round 1.

"Finally, I felt good with the putter," Koepka said. "I felt good the last few days with it when I was working in my studio."

A win this week would earn Koepka a spot in the Memorial through the "Aon Swing 5" or "Aon Next 10" pathways as he tries to improve on his current 69th-place position in the FedEx Cup standings after returning from LIV with limited playing privileges.

"I feel like I'm knocking on the door, and I'm very, very close," Koepka said. "I would love to have a chance on Sunday."

Round 2 begins on Friday at TPC Craig Ranch, with Taylor Moore in the lead and Koepka close behind.

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Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Pulkit Prabhav