Greenbrier Classic 1st round: Muñoz, Love III surprise the field

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WV - JULY 06: Sebastian Munoz of Colombia tees off the 11th hole during round one of The Greenbrier Classic held at the Old White TPC on July 6, 2017 in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WV - JULY 06: Sebastian Munoz of Colombia tees off the 11th hole during round one of The Greenbrier Classic held at the Old White TPC on July 6, 2017 in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /
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Sebastian Muñoz flirted with 59 in the opening round of the Greenbrier Classic

The Greenbrier has already delivered some surprises. If you’re like a lot of golf fans, I know what you were thinking on Thursday night. You checked the Greenbrier Classic leaderboard, and saw a name at the top of the leaderboard you don’t really know. Just who is this Sebastian Muñoz guy, anyway?

A PGA TOUR rookie in 2017, Muñoz is a graduate of the Web.com Tour. Ranked 410th in the world, Greenbrier Classic 1st round: Muñoz won the Club Colombia Championship in February of 2016 to secure his promotion this year.

That was just the second Web.com Tour start for the University of North Texas alum. Even though he only made six of his next 21 cuts, he’s enjoyed some intermittent success on the big stage. Muñoz made his first cut at the Sanderson Farms Championship in October, and peaked with a T-27 finish at the Valero Texas Open.

As a matter of fact, this isn’t even the only time Muñoz has had his name at the top of a TOUR leaderboard.  Muñoz shared the lead after the first two rounds of the FedEx St. Jude Classic last month. As long as he can avoid the blowup he had in Memphis (an 11-over weekend to fall into a tie for 70th), Muñoz could move a long way toward securing next year’s card.

Love III back in contention, while Love IV struggles

Three weeks ago, Davis Love III went to Erin Hills for the U.S. Open, not as a player, but as a caddie.

Davis Love III Greenbrier Classic
(Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /

The bag he carried belonged to his son, Dru. Davis Love IV, known as “Dru” as in qua-dru-ple – missed the cut that week, but it was a perfect way for the father to be there for his son’s pro debut.

In his son’s second tournament, though, things are back to business as usual. Dru will spend Thursday night tied for 141st place at +4, but Love III has turned back the clock, two shots off the pace at -7.

Most of us spend our entire lives and never get a chance to beat our dad on the course. Dru kept that perspective very nicely after the round.

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Hey, all in the family, right?

Outside of a victory two years ago at the Wyndham Championship, it’s been some time since we’ve seen the 21-time TOUR winner grace the first page of a leader board. After leading the United States to a Ryder Cup victory last fall, Love III broke his collarbone in a snowboarding accident and missed a few months in recovery.

Not to get ahead of ourselves too much here, but if Love were to continue along this path, he would become the oldest PGA TOUR winner in history. That speaks for the spectacular longevity of one of the game’s all-time greats.

Next: Phil Mickelson Begins Post-Bones Era at Greenbrier

Muñoz and Love III, both at opposite ends of their careers, but both playing fantastic golf on a tough track. Keep an eye on these two Friday, as they look to make some noise this weekend at the Greenbrier Classic.