John Pak Leads the Charles Schwab Challenge After Being Inspired by the Knicks’ Defeat
PGA Tour rookie and avid New York Knicks fan John Pak channeled his frustration into a stellar performance on Thursday, firing an impressive 63 (-7) and taking the lead at the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial.
Pak, originally from New Jersey, found the necessary motivation in the recent defeat of the Knicks against the Indiana Pacers in the first game of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals. The Pacers overcame a 14-point deficit in the last three minutes, which ignited Pak’s passion.
“I’m a huge Knicks fan, and that was one of the worst losses I’ve ever seen,” commented Pak, who has achieved a top 25 in seven cuts out of 12 events this year. “I felt a lot of motivation this morning. I was a little upset about that.”
John Pak
Pak began his round on the 10th hole, a par 4, where he achieved an eagle after an approach of 147 yards. In addition, he added five birdies without making any bogey. The 26-year-old player, a graduate of the Korn Ferry Tour and a one-time winner on the PGA Tour Canada, is the fifth rookie to lead the first round in an individual event this year.
Currently, Pak holds a three-stroke lead over nine players, including J.J. Spaun, ranked 27th. Tommy Fleetwood and Brian Harman, winner of the 2023 Open Championship, are four strokes behind Pak.
When asked about his plans for Thursday night, Pak replied:
“Fortunately, the Knicks aren’t playing tonight, so I won’t be stressed about that. I didn’t sleep well after that loss last night. I’ll recover, do some stretching, and then maybe watch the Thunder game later tonight.”
John Pak
Among the 15 players within five strokes is Scottie Scheffler, world number 1 and Dallas resident, whose amateur playoff experience was much more positive than Pak’s.
Scheffler, after his victory at the PGA Championship, enjoyed the victory of the Dallas Stars over the Edmonton Oilers in the first game of the NHL Western Conference final.
“It was fun to go to the hockey game last night. I was able to get back home and get enough rest,” Scheffler said, who will have an early tee time on Friday.
Scottie Scheffler
Scheffler also got off to a brilliant start in his first round, making an eagle from off the green on the 1st hole and a 23-foot birdie on the 2nd hole. He is looking to complete a winning streak in PGA Tour events in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, after winning three weeks ago at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, where he led from start to finish with an eight-stroke victory, tying the tournament record with a score of 253.
“On a day when I didn’t hit many fairways on a golf course where you have to hit many fairways, I shot a good score,” Scheffler commented. “Anything under par here in these conditions is not a bad score. Obviously, I wish it was a little lower, but overall I feel good about where I’m at.”
Scottie Scheffler
Jordan Spieth, another local favorite, shot a round of 69 strokes with birdies on two of his last four holes on the course, famous for Ben Hogan.
Joel Dahmen made a hole-in-one on the 13th hole, 186 yards, when his tee shot stopped about 25 feet behind the hole, rolled back and went in. The first ace of his career, at age 37, was followed by seven bogeys, leading to a score of 74 strokes.
“Nine years out here, that’s a lot of par-3 attempts,” Dahmen said. “A lot of them looked good, and for it to finally go in was great.”
Joel Dahmen
