Out of the early wave, World No. 25 Jason Kokrak settled in with a 4-under-par 32-35=67 in R1 of The Genesis Invitational to sit T3 on the live leaderboard, one short of pacesetters Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth.
The 36-year-old, who checked in off a T45 at the Saudi Int’l two weeks ago, owns one top 10 in 10 previous visits, a T2 six tries ago in 2016, where he was in the final threesome on Sunday and was also the 36-hole leader (68-64-70-68). In and around that, is five other finishes between 20th- and 37th- place, including last year’s T32, where he also began with 67 (67-68-74-74). On six (of 14) fairways and 11 greens in regulation, the Canadian-born American lost 0.550 strokes off-the-tee, but gained 0.653 on approach, 0.504 around, and 3.213 on-the-green, currently No. 1 in SG: Putting from the early starters. He squared two bogeys at 12 and 14, outpaced by six bridies at 6, 7, 9 (fringe-shot from 12'6"), 10, 11 and 17, four conventionally from between 12 and 40 feet.