WATCH: Tour pro pulls off HUGE par save to stay in the mix at John Deere Classic
A PGA Tour pro stayed in the mix after a massive par save on Thursday at the John Deere Classic.
Grayson Murray had a roller-coaster day at TPC Deere Run for the first round of the John Deere Classic on Thursday.
Murray, 29, is making his ninth PGA Tour start of the season this week in Silvis, Illinois.
In his previous eight starts he's made two cuts and notched one top-25 finish - at the Puerto Rico Open in March.
Earlier this season, back in the fall of 2022, Murray was set to play in the PGA Tour's Butterfield Bermuda Championship.
However, he and his caddie where involved in a scooter accident which resulted in many stitches and a withdrawal from the event.
Seven months following the tournament, Murray incredibly won the Advent Health Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour.
The Korn Ferry Tour is the feeder circuit to the PGA Tour, and it's where Murray has spent the other half of his 2022-23 season.
Grayson Murray dropping it in for eagle
Taking over solo 2nd at 7-under @JDClassic pic.twitter.com/4nCvK9iNfW— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 6, 2023
His win on the tour back in mid-May marked his first professional win since the accident, and his first PGA Tour-sanctioned win since the Barbasol Championship back in 2017 - his lone PGA Tour victory.
Murray's results this season have been a mixed bag - he followed up his win with a missed cut in the next Korn Ferry Tour event, and then earned a tie for third the week after that.
However, on Thursday at TPC Deere Run Murray was dialled in, shooting a 7-under par 64 that was two-strokes back of Jonas Blixt.
At one point, though, it looked as though Murray would be the first-round leader with a bogey-free 5-under 31 at the turn.
On the par-5 2nd - his 11th hole of the round - Murray made an incredible eagle to move to 7-under. He followed it up with another birdie to get to 8-under par through 13.
But he ran into some trouble at the par-4 5th hole.
After landing in the right rough, Murray failed to clear the thick cut of grass and get it on the green.
Luckily, he hit a beautiful third shot from 75 feet that landed four feet of the hole. He tapped that in for a miraculous par save.
Here's his incredible save:
Up and down to save par and stay 1-shot off the lead @JDClassic pic.twitter.com/03yNO2oCer
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 6, 2023
He ultimately made one bogey at the par-4 9th to card a 7-under 64 and will be in the mix heading into Friday.
"I've been playing really good on the Korn Ferry Tour and got a win about a month ago and a third place out there," Murray told reporters after his round."I'm in a good position out there to lock up my card here soon, and I felt like coming out here with an opportunity to kind of double-dip, as you could say, and play a little more free knowing that my card is pretty much locked up out there.
Lead Image: PGA Tour/Twitter
