Gophers senior Angus Flanagan shot a 4-over par 75 in the opening round of the PGA Tour's Genesis Invitational at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif., on Thursday.
It was his second PGA Tour event and first with Minnesota coach Justin Smith as his caddie.
Flanagan, a native of Woking, England, began with pars on three of the first four holes but then followed with bogeys on three of the next four. He recorded a par on the par-4 ninth to make the turn with a 39, 4 shots over par.
He shot an even-par 36 on the back nine, highlighted by a birdie on the par-5 No. 1. Flanagan, who averaged 314.3 yards of driving distance, could have had a better score if more of his putts dropped. Six of his made putts were within 2 feet of the hole, three within a foot.
He also will look to improve upon 28.6% of fairways hit in regulation and 27.8% of greens.
His 75 was two strokes off the 73 he had in both rounds of the 3M Open last July.
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