“Swinging driver is the main issue” - Taylor Montgomery details shoulder injury journey after shooting 65 at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Taylor Montgomery shared details of his shoulder injury after starting with a solid round of 65 at the 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic. The American golfer tore his muscles before teeing off at the ongoing PGA Tour event.
Despite the injury, Taylor Montgomery managed an impressive 7-under round, jumping into second place on the leaderboard in a tie with Michael Kim. After the opening round, he discussed his injury in a media interview.
Montgomery revealed that swinging the driver was a major issue; it hurt whenever he hit the ball. Speaking of his injury, he said (via PGA Tour):
“I didn't know like how well like the shoulders would hold up and stuff. 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.”
Montgomery last played at The CJ Cup Byron Nelson event in May 2024 but withdrew after playing only one round. He shot 80 and returned home. Before that, he missed the cut at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and withdrew from the Valero Texas Open.
Taylor Montgomery has played in 13 PGA Tour events this season and has had a decent outing. He has made the cut in seven events and recorded three top-15 finishes. However, he has struggled in his last few outings, missing the cut in three of his last five starts. Despite these challenges, he finally bounced back at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
"I wasn't expecting to play as solid as I did"- Taylor Montgomery on his performance in Round 1 of the 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic
While struggling with injury, Montgomery did not expect to have a good start, especially after being absent from professional events for a few weeks. At the Detroit Golf Club for the ongoing Rocket Mortgage Classic, Montgomery started on the tenth hole with an amazing birdie on the par-4.
He went on to shoot six birdies on the front nine and carded just one on the back nine, scoring a 7-under 65. His bogey-free round secured him the second spot on the leaderboard, just one stroke behind leader Akshay Bhatia.
Following the first round of the 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic, Montgomery reflected on his performance, saying (via PGA Tour):
“I wasn't expecting to play as solid as I did. 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.”
Meanwhile, Akshay Bhatia shot a round of 64 to take the lead. He also played a bogey-free round with six birdies and an eagle on the par-5 17th hole. The tournament will conclude on Sunday, June 30.