CROMWELL, Conn. _ Cheers were heard across TPC River Highlands when Jerry Kelly curled in an eagle putt at the par-4 15th, and they were more sustained because of his connection to Connecticut.
"When you've got people really rooting for you; you know I'm not that name that has people constantly yelling everywhere that I go _ it would be nice _ but the people here are really behind me," said the former University of Hartford player after the first round of the Travelers Championship. "I'm an emotional player, and I think that as a positive emotion. A lot of guys will put more on themselves because of it. I kind of take on their good vibes and run with it."
Kelly did that to join Vaughn Taylor and Andrew Loupe for the lead at 6-under par 64 after the first round of the Travelers Championship on Thursday. The highlight of his round was a 45-foot, 7-inch eagle putt for a 2 at 15. The 64 also was the lowest score he has posted in his 57 rounds at TPC River Highlands.
The leaders were one shot ahead of 2012 champion Marc Leishman, Ben Martin and Jon Rahm at 65.
For Kelly, this is his 19th appearance in the Travelers Championship. His top finish was a tie for fourth in 2005. He would love to add the 2016 trophy to his collection.
He says he'll join the Champions Tour after he turns 50 on Nov. 23. But don't rule out a return to the Travelers Championship. "This is definitely one of the tournaments that has an emotional pull for me and something that if they want me here, I'm here to show up for them," he said.
Maybe next year that'll be as the reigning champion. But Kelly, Taylor and everyone else in the field agree with what Loupe said about such title talk because it's "just the end of the first quarter."
The top page of the first-round leaderboard was stocked. Daniel Berger and Carlos Ortiz were at 66. Defending champion Bubba Watson, Zach Johnson and Brooks Koepka were among those in a 15-player tie for ninth at 67.
Loupe does not have as impressive a resume as Watson, Johnson and Koepka. After missing six consecutive cuts, Loupe, a 2011 LSU graduate, made a major stride not to make it seven in a row.
His 64 included a 41-foot, 10-inch birdie at the par-3 11th and one of 1-10 at the par-4 18th.
Loupe, looking for his first tour victory in his 62nd start, knows of TPC River Highlands tournament history. There have been 17 players who've won for the first time on tour in the Travelers Championship, dating to the Insurance City Open. The last was Ken Duke in 2013.
"You can draw confidence from that," said Loupe, whose 108th on the FedEx Cup points list. "But it's a long time from now; three more days. You can dream about winning, but I'm not really going to be thinking about it too much
Loupe's other birdies were at Nos. 3, 6, 12 and 13. His only bogey was at the par-3 16th when it took him three shots to get in from the fringe.
Taylor, 40, recorded five consecutive birdies on Nos. 12-16. Stellar irons resulted in very makable putts, which he made: 4 feet, 10 inches at 12, 1-10 at 13, 4-4 at 14, 5-7 at 15 and 8-6 at 16. "You know, just get on a run sometimes and just kind of ride," he said.
He did that at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, which he won in February to end an 11-year gap, as the No. 447 player in the World Golf Rankings. He said that was the high point of his career.
Taylor was uplifted again by his 64 on Thursday.
So was Kelly. In contrast to Taylor and Loupe, who played in the morning session, in which the average score was 69.68, Kelly played in the afternoon when the average score was 70.47.
Kelly started on the back nine and was 4 under. After making birdie 2 at 11 and a birdie 3 at 12, he drove the short par-4 15. With the pin on front left side, he rolled in the putt for eagle. "The old guy just trying to get it to the green and it stayed up on the right side," he said. "I've never been able to put the pin down there, so I was kind of thinking I was putting down a cliff. I hit it harder than I wanted to and it just got there, so I'm glad I gave it that little extra."
He bogeyed 16 and birdied 18, 5 and ended his round with a 14-foot birdie putt at 9.
Kelly, whose last tour victory was the 2009 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, credited a swing change implemented about three weeks ago for aiding his game. This came after he had missed four consecutive cuts. Using an altered swing, he was encouraged by a tie for 26th in his last start, the RBC Canadian Open.
But he likes his swing and game. Playing in Connecticut helps, too. "I get great feelings here; It's kind of like playing at home," he said.
He admitted, though, it's difficult to play well for four straight rounds. "So whether (winning) happens or not, that's up to the golf gods, but I feel pretty confident right now," he said.
