Quincy native Guthrie birdies his way to top of leaderboard at Memorial Hospital Championship

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A taste of home served Luke Guthrie’s game well.

Playing a short distance from his hometown and not far from his college home, the Quincy native and University of Illinois graduate played a bogey-free round of golf Thursday in the Korn Ferry Tour’s Memorial Hospital Championship and shot an 8-under 63 to hold the solo lead after 18 holes.

Guthrie is one stroke ahead of four golfers who are tied at 7-under 64 heading into Friday’s second round at Panther Creek Country Club.

He is scheduled to tee off at 1:37 p.m. Friday.

“I got going early, and it’s definitely a course you can get a little confidence going and the hole starts looking a little big,” Guthrie told reporters after his round. “I was in rhythm on the front nine and was hitting a lot of good scoring clubs.”

Playing during the morning wave and starting on the front nine, Guthrie got off to a blazing start as he made birdies on Nos. 2, 3 and 4. He made two more back-to-back birdies on the par-5 sixth and par-4 seventh and made the turn after shooting a 5-under 30.

He made birdies on the par-4 10th and par-4 12th to move into a tie for the lead, and after saving par on the par-4 15th despite missing the green with his second shot, he took the lead by himself by making a birdie on the par-5 16th.

Guthrie, who has Quincy’s Tim Schrage caddying for him this week, tied for sixth in the field in greens in regulation by hitting 16 of 18 greens, and he tied for third and putts per greens in regulation at 1.5.

“If I get close enough and get the club in the hitting zone within a decent (range), I can shoot scores,” Guthrie said. “I know how to put the ball in the hole.”

Guthrie has made the cut in seven of 15 events this season and came into the week ranked 95th in the Korn Ferry Tour point standings. His best finish this season was a tie for fifth at the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic.

“That’s still the goal to just get my mechanics and my swing a little more steady and consistent every week and I’m confident in what I can do then,” Guthrie said.

He showed a small gallery of fans from Quincy, Champaign and central Illinois exactly what he can do.

“I’ve had a ton of support from Quincy, being a smaller town, through my whole career,” Guthrie said. “I’m very appreciative of it and proud of where I’m from.”

Guthrie was one stroke from matching his best professional round of 62. He has shot a 62 five times on the Korn Ferry Tour — the first round of the Cox Classic in 2012, the third round of the Albertsons Boise Open in 2012, the third round of the Digital Ally Open in 2017, the first round of the BMW Charity Pro-Am in 2018 and the second round of the REX Hospital Open in 2019.