Garrett Willis of the US, playing on a sponsors exemption, gained a two-stroke lead after the first round of the Tampa Bay Championship at the Innisbrook golf club and resort on Thursday.
Willis produced a six-under round of 65, with just a bogey on the par-four third, to have a two-shot advantage over six players, including Retief Goosen and Jim Furyk.
The 36-year-old, whose only win on the PGA Tour came more than nine years ago in Tucson, took advantage of lighter winds for the early starters, making 30 on the back nine.
“I was fortunate to get off early before the wind really started kicking up ... when there is wind here then it is very difficult. So I was happy to get done when I did,” he said.
Two-time US Open winner Goosen from South Africa and Swede Carl Pettersson were the two international players tied in second, along with Furyk, Jonathan Byrd, Jeff Maggert and Rickie Fowler of the US.
Ireland’s Padraig Harrington, who dashed back to Tampa after attending a St Patrick’s Day party at the White House on Wednesday, shot a two-under 69, helped by a birdie on the tough par-four 18th, which features 10 bunkers.
Last year’s British Open winner Stewart Cink had a nightmare start and faces a fight to avoid missing the cut after firing seven-over after eight holes, having made 17 putts and hitting just three greens in the gusty winds.
Spain’s Sergio Garcia and Britain’s Ian Poulter both finished on two-over, while Fiji’s Vijay Singh withdrew before the start because of a back injury and was replaced by Maggert.
■TROPHEE HASSAN II
AFP, RABAT, MOROCCO
England’s Nick Dougherty held a one-shot lead after the first round of the Trophee Hassan II on Thursday.
The 27-year-old Liverpudlian shot a 66 on the par-73 Red course, helped by an eagle and five birdies.
He leads Ireland’s Peter Lawrie, Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher, Italy’s Francesco Molinari, India’s S.S.P. Chowrasia, Argentina’s Ricardo Gonzalez and Paraguay’s Fabrizio Zanotti.
All of that group bar Chowrasia were playing on the much shorter and supposedly easier par-72 Blue course.
Dubliner Paul McGinley, playing his first tournament since a sixth knee operation in November, managed only a three-over 76 on the Red.
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