LOS ANGELES — Coming off a three-week break, Matt Kuchar might not remember golf feeling this easy.
He opened with three straight birdies, all of the putts inside 3 feet. He made back-to-back birdies late in his first round at Riviera. He made seven birdies, the longest putt from 8 feet, on his way to a 7-under 64 for a one-shot lead over Sergio Garcia yesterday in the Northern Trust Open.
Garcia, making his PGA Tour debut after two tournaments in the Middle East, finished with two birdies over the last three holes, though he barely could see. Fog dropped in at Riviera over the final two hours after a day of warm sunshine, and Garcia barely could see the landing area in the fairway or the flags on the green.
No matter. He closed with an 8-iron to six feet on an elevated green at No. 9 for his seventh birdie.
Brandt Jobe, who is returning from a serious neck injury suffered last summer, put his experience to use on the course he played more times than he can remember while attending UCLA. He ran off four straight birdies late in his round, only to close with a bogey on the 18th to finish at 66.
Phil Mickelson shot a 71.