Last year’s European No. 1 Lee Westwood called for new regulations for club-face grooves to be strictly policed after carding a four-under 68 in the first round of the Qatar Masters on Thursday.
Westwood ended the day in a share of second place and just a stroke behind fellow Britons Oliver Wilson and Bradley Dredge.
Westwood turned around a shock second round score of 78 last Friday to miss the halfway cut in the Abu Dhabi Championship with an effort in Doha that included five birdies and just one bogey.
While the Englishman was delighted with his performance, he said golf’s ruling bodies should consider introducing a Formula One like scenario after a round by testing the legality of the clubs.
New rules were introduced on Jan. 1 by golf’s two ruling bodies, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrew (R&A) and the US Golf Association (USGA), banning U-shaped grooves in favor of V-grooves.
■SAN DIEGO OPEN
REUTERS, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
American Scott Piercy, with his approach play in top order, made the most of ideal scoring conditions to surge one stroke clear in the San Diego Open first round on Thursday.
Piercy fired a sizzling eight-under-par 64 on the North Course at Torrey Pines, one of two layouts hosting the fourth PGA Tour event of the year.
Piercy ended the round one ahead of compatriots Ben Crane, Chris Tidland and Tour rookie Matt Every, plus Ryuji Imada of Japan, who all played on the North layout.
American Tom Pernice Jr opened with a bogey-free 66 on the North while Australian Robert Allenby, who started out on the more difficult and much longer South Course, was among a group of nine bunched on 67.
Favorite and three-time champion Phil Mickelson began on the South with a two-under 70.
■NEW ZEALAND OPEN
AP, QUEENSTOWN, NEW ZEALAND
American Robert Gates shot a 5-under 67 yesterday to take a one-stroke lead over Australia’s Andrew Dodt after the second round of the New Zealand Open.
American D.J. Brigman (69) was three strokes back at 9 under.
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