Dawie van der Walt resumed his PGA Tour career on Thursday with a four-under-par 68 in the opening round of the first event of the 2021-22 season in the Fortinet Championship in Napa, California.
Van der Walt regained his PGA Tour card via the Korn Ferry Tour’s play-offs at the beginning of September, and he celebrated with six birdies and two bogeys on the Silverado Spa and Resort North course. That put him in a share of 10th behind leader Chez Revie who fired a seven-under-par 65. Revie had a one-stroke lead over American countryman Cameron Tringale and Canadian Adam Hadwin.
Van der Walt made birdies on three and four before making bogey on the par-five fifth. He picked up shot again on seven and nine, turning in three-under, and two more birdies came on 12 and 13. He dropped a shot on 15 and parred his way home.
The other South African in the field is Dylan Frittelli, and he ground his way to a two-over-par 74. He made birdie on five, and then made triple-bogey six on the par-three seventh. He dropped another shot on the 13th, before regaining one stroke with a birdie on the par-four 16th.
