Justin Lower, coming off a runner-up finish last week in Mexico, opened with three birdies in five holes and seized control with three straight birdies starting at No. 12 with a 6-foot putt. He was at 12-under 130, two shots ahead of Robby Shelton (64) and Ryan Moore (65)
Collin Morikawa grabbed his sixth PGA TOUR title at the Zozo Championship but it was his first since the 2021 Open Championship and first worldwide victory since the 2021 DP World Tour Championship. The win came in his 99th start at the age of 26 years, 8 months, 16 days.
The Indian-American Sahith Theegala, a big favourite with crowds, who qualified for the 2022 Tour Championship as a rookie, shot 68 to get to 13-under as Patrick Rodgers (64) and Ben Martin (65) shared the lead at 14-under.