The Ryder Cup may be in the rearview mirror, but now the name Ryder is on top of a PGA Tour leaderboard.
Sam Ryder shot a bogey-free, 7-under-par 65 to open the Sanderson Farms Championship and is part of a four-way tie for the lead Thursday at the Country Club of Jackson (Miss.).
Eric Cole, Danny Walker and South African Garrick Higgo are also at 65 after the first round. They have a two-shot lead over a large tie for fifth at 5-under 67 that includes Max Homa and defending champion Kevin Yu of Taiwan.
Amateur Michael La Sasso, the NCAA individual champion from Ole Miss, originally finished with a 6-under-par 66. However, he was assessed a two-stroke penalty on the sixth hole for improving his lie, turning that into a 4-under 68.
The course finishes with four consecutive par-4 holes,