American pair lead first day of Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit

By Phil Casey and Cormac Pearson, PA

American duo Peter Kuest and Taylor Moore are in pole position on the first day of the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit, with Englishman Aaron Rai tied in second place.

It was a strong day all around for the players at the top of the pile, with the two Americans hitting eight under par while seven are tied in second place, just one stroke behind the lead at the Detroit Country Club.

The hole of the day came from American Dylan Wu who landed an albatross on the 14th hole, needing just two strokes on a par five.

Wu finished the day one stroke behind the leaders.

Aaron Rai had an impressive day out with six birdies and an eagle.

Earlier, Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg produced a near-perfect audition in front of Europe captain Luke Donald to boost his chances of making a remarkable Ryder Cup debut in Rome.

Aberg only joined the paid ranks earlier this month but was already on Donald’s radar after a stellar amateur career and appearances in professional events which have seen him ranked the 11th-best available European player, according to analytics site DataGolf.

And the 23-year-old made the most of playing alongside Donald, carding an opening 65 containing an eagle and seven birdies and marred only by bogeys on the last two holes.

“It stings a little bit to finish the way I did,” said Aberg, who is eligible for the Ryder Cup as an affiliate member of the DP World Tour.

“I think right now it’s a little bit disappointing, but when I get some perspective on it I think I’ll be pretty OK with that round.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to play a few of these events before so I’ve been exposed to this a little bit, but I think just going back-to-back weeks is a little bit different from what I’ve done before. It’s just going to take a little time.”

Six players will qualify automatically for the European team to face the United States at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club from September 29 to October 1, with Donald having six wild cards at his disposal.