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Gibson hot on the heels of PGA leaders

AAP
Australia's Rhein Gibson is two shots behind the leaders after the first round of the PGA Challenge.
Camera IconAustralia's Rhein Gibson is two shots behind the leaders after the first round of the PGA Challenge.

Australia's Rhein Gibson is in the mix after the opening round of the PGA's Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit.

The Victorian shot a five-under 67 on Thursday to be two shots behind American leaders Doc Redman, Scott Stallings and Kevin Kisner.

Gibson is tied for 11th after marking six birdies with a lone bogey on the par-four 13th.

But he recovered quickly to birdie the 14th and 17th to join a group of 14 headlined by five-times PGA Tour winner Rickie Fowler.

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Former world No.1 Jason Day is the next best Australian.

The Queenslander is three behind Gibson after mixing five birdies with three bogeys.

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Cameron Davis, Aaron Baddeley and Cameron Percy are a shot further back on 71.

Redman, runner-up at last year's Mortgage Classic and still chasing a first PGA Tour win, made a quiet start at the Detroit Golf Club, picking up a single birdie on his outward nine.

But after making his only bogey of the round at the 10th, the 22-year-old caught fire by carding birdies the rest of the way.

Redman said he wasn't intimidated by playing alongside the world's best despite his age.

"I've got a lot of experience and I feel very comfortable around the guys and around the courses," he said.

"I'm just navigating my way around the PGA Tour."

Stallings made a birdie-bogey start before notching seven birdies.

Kisner completed a blemish-free round, with five of his seven birdies coming on the front nine.

Lurking one back on six-under 66 were Americans Peter Malnati and Chase Seiffert, and Argentine Emiliano Grillo.

World No.6 Webb Simpson, the highest-ranked player in the field, returned a four-under 68 to sit three off the pace.

Simpson won last month's RBC Heritage in Hilton Head, South Carolina but pulled out of the Travellers Championship after his daughter, who later tested negative, showed symptoms of COVID-19.

The fourth PGA Tour event since the season returned from its coronavirus shutdown, the Classic is being played without fans.

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