Nelly Korda and Lexi Thompson start well, Charley Hoffman and Ryan Palmer set pace at QBE Shootout

Nelly Korda and Lexi Thompson are four shots off the red-hot pace set by Charley Hoffman and Ryan Palmer at the QBE Shootout.

Korda is playing alongside Denny McCarthy, while Thompson’s partner is Maverick McNealy in the end-of-season pairs event.

The two stars of the LPGA Tour played with credit, Thompson impressing with her wedge play and Korda hitting a string of excellent putts.

After the opening round of scramble format, which is where both players hit tee shots and then choose the best option for the second shot, and both players go again and so on and so forth until the ball is in the hole, Hoffman and Palmer hold the lead.

Scoring is always low in scramble, and Hoffman and Palmer did that with a round of 56.

First Round Leaderboard

• 1. Charley Hoffman & Ryan Palmer, 16-under
• T2. Corey Conners & KH Lee, 14-under
• T2. Max Homa & Kevin Kisner, 14-under
• T4. Keith Mitchell & JJ Spaun, 12-under
• T4. Tom Hoge & Sahith Theegala, 12-under
• T4. Harris English & Matt Kuchar, 12-under
• T4. Brian Harman & Sepp Straka, 12-under
• T4. Maverick McNealy & Lexi Thompson, 12-under
• T4. Nelly Korda & Denny McCarthy, 12-under
• T10. Trey Mullinax & Scott Stallings, 11-under
• T10. Jason Day & Billy Horschel, 11-under
• 12. Steve Stricker & Cameron Young, 10-under

In the history of the QBE Shootout, there have been 55s posted in the scramble format in the opening round – Palmer has one of them on his CV.

Palmer and Hoffman had a shot at it but both missed with 10-foot birdie putts on 18.

It was one of the few times they missed anything remotely makeable, as there were three eagles and 10 birdies as they set the early pace at Tiburon Golf Club.

Although jovial, there was a little bit of unhappiness in the Hoffman and Palmer camp that they were bottom of the PGA Tour’s Power rankings for the event.

In the opening round they set about making that look foolish, and will go into round two – a modified alternate shot – with a two-shot lead.

“He drove it well, he has been bombing the driver lately, I hit my irons well and we both putted well,” Palmer said. “When he missed a putt I was able to come in and make it and that was important.

“We hit a lot of close shots as well, and made some eagles, which is huge. You have to hit eagles in this format to get a jump-start.”

Corey Connors and KH Lee finished eagle, birdie to get within two shots of Hoffman and Palmer at 14-under.

McNealy and Thompson dovetailed superbly, with the pair making 12 birdies in a round of 60.

McCarthy rolled in an excellent putt for a birdie in 18 to get him and Korda to 12-under after the opening 18 holes and firmly into contention.

There was a wild moment on the 18th hole for Sahith Theegala, as his ball landed on another ball on the green and sent it flying off the putting surface.

Once order had been restored, Theegala rolled in his birdie to get him and his partner Tom Hoge to 12-under.

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