Max Greyserman hadn’t played much golf over the five weeks before arriving in Asheville for the first round of the Biltmore Championship on Sept. 17.
After competing in the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Aug. 9, Greyserman made space for about a week of practice in New Jersey, but most of those five weeks were spent with his wife, Alyssa and infant son, and celebrating a friend’s wedding in Italy.
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“Maybe that’s key: don’t practice,” Greyserman joked after the first round. “Just have a good time and just show up here.”
Greyserman said his relaxed attitude was a key factor in shooting a 7-under-par 64 for a share of the lead with Eric Cole, even while facing an unusual course at the Cliffs at Walnut Cove, home of the first PGA Tour event in Asheville since 1942.
The course has its quirks, namely five par-3 holes and four par-5 holes. It also sits at an elevation of 2,398 feet in the Blue Ridge Mountains, meaning the ball will carry further than it would closer to sea level.
Greyserman started slow, with a bogey on the second hole, and had to make fast adjustments despite his limited preparation.
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“It’s definitely weird,” he said. “I played courses like that before, but I would say it’s pretty rare. I would say I’ve neverplayed a course like that at elevation. … So you’re kind of wearing out that 5-iron, 4-iron part of the bag. … It’s basically just mid-irons and wedges. There is no kind of in-between.”
He hit his stride later on the front nine, shooting birdies on three straight holes before the turn. Another birdie on 14 brought him into a four-way tie with Ben Keholes, Chris Kirk and Mackenzie Hughes. Keholes, Kirk, Hughes, Jackson Suber and Peter Malnati finished one-shot behind.
“So didn’t get off to a great start. Just got it going in the middle of the round and kept the momentum going,” Greyserman said. “I think it was just patience, kind of waiting for my opportunities. Hit a lot good shots, so just got to keep doing what I’m doing.”
Greyserman almost lost a share of the lead when his second shot on No. 17 ricocheted to the edge of the bunker. But he recovered for a birdie with the next two strokes and went into his next round with a share of the lead.
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He was able to stay grounded, present and focused on finishing the round strong, something he credits to work with a sports psychologist and reading about mental health and philosophy.
He put those lessons to the test on an unfamiliar course and entered the tournament with a sense of freedom. Because he hadn’t played on the course before, there aren’t ghosts of bad rounds past to haunt Greyserman or any of his competitors in Asheville and he let loose in a strong opening round.
“You’re playing a great round and start thinking about where you are on the leaderboard. That’s literally meaningless. All that matters is the shot you have in front of you,” he said. “Focusing on conversation with my caddie instead of ‘Why did that putt not go in?’ or ‘Why did that shot go here?’ “
“Because what’s past is past and what’s future is the future, so just got to stay in the present.”
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Stephen Thompson covers Tennessee Volunteers men’s basketball. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X @stephenethom.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: How Max Greyserman cut back practice for a share of lead at Biltmore Championship
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