Russell Knox surges to the front in California

INVERNESS exile Russell Knox and Hunter Mahan were in a tie for the lead on six-under-
par after recording impressive opening rounds in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in California.

Knox was playing on the Monterey Peninsula course and his six-under 64 included eight birdies and two bogeys as he and American Mahan top the leaderboard by a single stroke.

A rookie on the PGA Tour last year, Knox failed to come through qualifiers for the last two events on the circuit but said: “I have been itching to go because I feel like my game has improved a lot.”