With family in tow, this Beaufort pro started fast at Harbour Town

Mark Anderson left the scoring area Thursday and walked to meet his family by the putting green.

His kissed his 7-month-old son, Ian, and visited with his wife and mother while a volunteer patiently held a nylon rope blocking fans’ path before Anderson waved him off. Anderson is among his people this week — family and friends walking Harbour Town Golf Links to root on the Beaufort professional at the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing.

Anderson shot a 2-under-par 69 in Thursday’s first round and is four shots back after a banner day for scoring. He and his family are staying in Sea Pines at the same house Anderson has used each time he has played the event, since his first time as an amateur after winning the Players Am in Bluffton.

This is Anderson’s first time playing the event as a father. And while he said Ian’s birth hasn’t affected his golf game, it has changed the 31-year-old’s life.

“It’s just so much fun,” Anderson said. “I enjoy every day seeing Ian grow up. “It’s a lot of fun to be at home with them and just enjoy that.”

Anderson started on No. 10 and birdied his first two holes. He added a birdie on the par-5 15th to get to 3 under.

But he closed with a 1-over 37 on his final nine, including a bogey on the par-3 7th.

“I have to strategize a little bit around here,” Anderson said. “I tend to like to hit the driver a lot; this course takes it out of your hands.

It’s a good mental test for me, for sure.”

FIRST-TIME SMITTEN

In his first visit to Harbour Town, Ireland’s Shane Lowry cruised around in a 5-under-par 66, one shot off the lowest debut round in RBC Heritage history.

“The golf course is really good,” Lowry said. “Quite tight off the tee, you’ve got to get yourself in position. Then the greens are very small. It was really good today; I holed a few putts.”

And how. Lowry closed his round with a cross-country birdie at No.18, measured at 58 feet to the front-left pin position.

“I was just trying to get it down in two,” Lowry said. “Everyone knows how difficult 18 is. ... It was one of those that was going with quite a bit of pace on it, and the hole just seemed to gobble it up.”

Nor was it Lowry’s only long-distance success. Two other putts were measured at 21 and 20 feet.

Kirk Triplett, by the way, set the record for lowest RBC Heritage debut round when he fired a 65 during the 1991 edition. Steve Flesch matched it eight years later, and Lowry joined five others who debuted with 66s.

FIVE TO FINISH

On a day ripe for scoring, Webb Simpson found himself spinning his wheels as he went through his first 13 holes at even par. All the fireworks came at the finish, rallying with five consecutive birdies and a 66.

“I was playing good all day, but just wasn’t getting anything out of it,” said Simpson, who lost a playoff to Graeme McDowell four years ago. “You’re not thinking you’re going to get all five.”

Simpson struck from long distance to begin the run, rolling home a 26-footer at the par-5 fifth hole. An 8-footer followed at No. 6, and he was pure again from 14 feet at the par-3 seventh. The last two were almost kick-ins, both coming from just shy of 3 feet.

“These greens are pure right now,” Simpson said. “They’re fun to putt. ... They did a great job here, especially after the hurricane.”

UNUSUAL ANNIVERSARY

This week marks one year since Jason Bohn returned to the PGA Tour after a heart attack that nearly felled him on the course at the Honda Classic.

The 43-year-old pro made it count, firing a 4-under-par 67 in the first group to tee off at No. 10. He birdied four of his first six holes before cooling off, making just one more birdie the rest of the way.

“Well, it means I’ve been playing for a year now,” Bohn said when someone brought up the anniversary. “This place is always special. It’s special to me because my family comes and we have a little vacation at the same time.”

Fourteen months ago, Bohn left PGA National in an ambulance when he complained of chest pains after completing his second round at Honda. Doctors found a major artery was 99 percent blocked; without prompt action, he could have suffered the “widowmaker” attack.

On Thursday, Bohn’s afternoon was centered around riding bikes with his kids.

“I’ll sleep good tonight, that’s for sure,” he said.

This story was originally published April 13, 2017 at 6:32 PM with the headline "With family in tow, this Beaufort pro started fast at Harbour Town."