By Canadian Press

Canadian Ben Silverman within striking distance of lead at Honda Classic

Feb 28, 2019 | 2:36 PM

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Canada’s Ben Silverman was tied for second after the morning wave during the first round of the PGA Tour’s Honda Classic.

The native of Thornhill, Ont., shot a 4-under 66 to put him two shots back of two-time RBC Canadian Open champion Jhonattan Vegas of Venezuela.

The 31-year-old Silverman, who got into the tournament early this week as an alternate, was tied with American Zach Johnson and Ernie Els of South Africa.

“Me and my caddie have a great strategy for this week for kind of moving forward,” Silverman told reporters.

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“We’ve picked a style of swing that is comfortable for me, and we just move my targets for wind, and I think that helped hit more fairways, and when I missed greens, I was missing because we had a better club in hand and I had a slightly easier up-and-down where I could bump it into a low spot. I was never short-sided.”

Silverman, who started on hole No. 10, bogeyed his first hole before reeling off four birdies on his front nine. He had two birdies and a bogey on his final nine holes.

A Florida Atlantic University product, Silverman has been living in the state for 13 years.

“It’s really comfortable. It’s like a second home. I’ve been here since ’06, and I’m 31, so it’s almost half my life I’ve been down here really, so I’m used to the weather, I’m used to the Bermuda (grass), the style of course, and I’ve played this course a ton of times — mini-tour events plus Q-school.”

Silverman, who secured his PGA Tour card for the second year in a row at the final event of the Web.com Tour season last year, has made the cut in five of eight events on the top circuit this year. But his best finish is just a tie for 39th.

“I’m slowly getting more comfortable out here,” he said. “I know the courses now, so I’m working more on my game in the practice area and less on practice rounds, and I think it’s going to pay off moving forward.”

Monday qualifier Drew Nesbitt of Shanty Bay, Ont., shot a 1-over 71, Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., had a 72 and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., carded a 76.

Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., and Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., had afternoon tee times.

The Canadian Press