Taylor Montgomery shoots unexpected 65, details emotional shoulder injury recovery in Detroit

Taylor Montgomery wasn't sure if he should play. He estimated he’s played only four rounds of golf over the last two months.

You wouldn’t know by watching his first round at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Aiming to turn the tide on his injury-plagued start to the season, Montgomery opened with a 7-under 65 at Detroit Golf Club.

“I wasn't expecting to play as solid as I did," Montgomery said. "I had no idea what I was getting into, ... I haven't worked hard at all on my game because I haven't been able to. Come out and shoot 7-under. ... Like how is that possible? Like it's so weird.”

That unknown was sparked by injury. Montgomery has spent most of his golfing life healthy. He has to go back to the seventh grade to remember a time when he went three days without picking up a club. That all changed in the last few months. Montgomery revealed Thursday that he tore muscles in both shoulders earlier this spring.

“I didn't know like how well like the shoulders would hold up and stuff,” he said. “Swinging driver is the main issue. Like when I was swinging a driver, my right shoulder's the worst one, but it's the left one that hurts bad when I swing.”

The Las Vegas, Nevada, native kept the details close to his chest in recent months, but his results told the story of a golfer struggling with something. He finished 11th at THE PLAYERS Championship in March but only made five starts since – which resulted in three missed cuts and two withdrawals. He shot 81 in the first round of the Valero Texas Open before pulling out. The next month, he shot 80 at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson and withdrew. He withdrew from the PGA Championship before it began. He entered this week 99th in the FedExCup standings.

Montgomery, 29, has spent the last two months laying low, going through physical therapy and resting, hoping the shoulder could heal without surgery. Through a choked-up voice Thursday night, he expressed relief and gratitude for being able to compete this week. He has felt pain-free for the last week-and-a-half, which gave him enough confidence to give it a go in Detroit. It paid off.

“I was more nervous today than I have been on the golf course in forever just because I felt so unprepared,” he said. “I'm glad the putter felt the same.”

Montgomery went out in 6-under 30 on Thursday, notching six birdies and zero bogeys. It was his approach play that propelled him to the fast start. All six birdies came inside 10 feet.

Montgomery remained steady with eight pars and one birdie on his back nine. He holed critical, momentum-saving pars on the sixth and eighth, displaying his tremendous short game with up-and-downs from thick rough around the Donald Ross-designed greens. On the day, he was 4-for-4 in converting scrambling opportunities.

Montgomery added a lone birdie at the par-5 seventh that moved him to 7-under, one back of leader Akshay Bhatia.

It was an unexpected, emotional return to pro golf for Montgomery. The goal remains the same regardless of the situation for the PGA TOUR sophomore: Grab his first win.

One round in, he’s off to a good start.