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Six straight birdies lift Austin Smotherman into the early lead at Cognizant Classic

On Thursday, Austin Smotherman shot a 9-under 62 to take the early first-round lead at the Cognizant Classic at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens.
PGA National has been overseeded with rye, which players say softens the course and makes scoring easier, with Billy Horschel weighing in on Wednesday about preferring a firmer setup.
Smotherman fuelled his round by stringing six consecutive birdies on holes 7–12 and tapping in for a birdie on the par-5 18th, with 132 feet 2 inches of putts made.
Afternoon wind at PGA National increased the likelihood Smotherman's early advantage would hold as the Florida Swing continues with next week.
Historically at PGA National, recent winning totals were 12 under, 10 under, 14 under, 17 under, reflecting low scores in recent years.

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