American Steve Marino fired a opening round five-under 65 to grab the early lead at the US$6 million AT&T National on Thursday.
Marino had a bogey-free round, rolling in birdies on three of his first four holes. He also made birdie on holes 13 and 18 at the Congressional Country Club course.
“The course is playing a little bit easier than last year,” Marino said. “I think the rough is probably half as tall as it was last year. So it gives you some leeway. If you miss the fairway sometimes you can hit it on the green, or at least advance it somewhere up around the green where you can get it up-and-down.”
Marino holds a one-stroke lead over Bob Estes, Jeff Overton, Frank Lickliter and Rod Pampling, who all shot a four-under 66. Seven other players are two strokes back at three-under 67.
Australian Stuart Appleby, who has five top 10 finishes this season, is among the group at three-under after completing a bogey-free round.
“I like the way I’m playing and I’m feeling comfortable out there,” Appleby said. “I’ve got some good stuff going on. The course was playing reasonably easy. Not easy as in you’ll make a pile of birdies, but it was in front of us. The course is firming up so the ball was bouncing a little bit, but it’s not getting any easier.”
Defending champ K.J. Choi of South Korea carded a two-under 68 in his first round and is in a tie for 13th place with eight others.
“It’s a good number, two-under-par today,” Choi said. “I wasn’t nervous and I enjoyed the round, and I had a good group and the crowd was great.”
The highest-ranked player in the field at No. 7, Steve Sticker made three bogeys and two birdies, shooting a 71. He finished second to Choi at this event last year.
The event is hosted by Tiger Woods, who underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee three weeks ago.
■EUROPEAN OPEN
AFP, LONDON
England’s Ross Fisher stormed into a first round lead in the European Open on Thursday with a dramatic nine-under course record of 63 at the London Club — and then admitted he had almost withdrawn from the event before it had started.
Fisher, three days after coming joint third in the British Open qualifier at Sunningdale, southwest London, finished his round in spectacular style with six straight birdies.
In the process he broke the course record set by Seve Ballesteros when the Spanish great played in the official opening in 1984.
But asked if he had considered pulling out, Fisher replied: “I sort of had a thought about it. I was feeling pretty tired, but how do you pull out of an event when you live only 40 minutes away? It’s pretty difficult to sit at home and watch it on TV, knowing that you are playing well. So I thought, ‘Let’s see how we go.’ Have a few days off and if I feel fine, I’ll play.”
“Today was the first time I’ve seen the course,” he said. “I had a day off on Tuesday and went to Wimbledon with my wife.”
The 27-year-old’s round was the lowest of his European Tour career and featured 10 birdies in total.
Fisher ended the day two ahead of veteran South African David Frost and Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell.
Defending champion Colin Montgomerie, meanwhile, closed on two-under and British Open champion Padraig Harrington started with a level par 72.
McDowell, bidding for a Ryder Cup place, said: “I’m feeling mentally and physically fit and I’m not spending much time on the range. You pinpoint what you need to work on, get rest and stay off the Guinness on the weeks off. The race is only just beginning now, we’re into the meat and bones of the season.”
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