PGA TOUR Gamez leads at Capital

Muddy conditions led to high scores at the FBR Capital Open.
POTOMAC, Md. (AP) -- Water and wind made the first round of the Capital Open one of the most difficult days of the year on the PGA Tour. Only leader Robert Gamez said it was easy.
The average was 73.09 Thursday on the par-71 TPC at Avenel course, the fourth-highest first-round score in relation to par this year. Erratic rounds were the rule, including Gamez' 5-under 66 that gave him a one-stroke lead over Rich Beem and Notah Begay in the FBR Capital Open.
"I really thought the course played pretty easy," said Gamez, who hit 15 of 18 greens in regulation. "It played long, but the greens are soft. You can fly the ball right at the hole."
Rough course
But even Gamez, looking for his first PGA Tour win in 13 years, had his rough spots, including a finish of three birdies and two bogeys in his final six holes. Finishing on the front nine, he took sole possession of first place with a 9-iron tee shot that gave him a 6-foot birdie putt at the par-3 ninth.
"I played a lot better than my score shows," Gamez said. "I left about three or four shots out there."
Nearly everyone else had a horror story or two -- or more -- on a day that included 13 triple bogeys and six rounds in the 80s. The course was waterlogged from nearly a month of rain, and persistent wind made the afternoon difficult even though the sun dried some of the mud.
"The conditions are extremely unpredictable," said Begay, whose afternoon round was the only bogey-free outing of the day. "With the swirling wind and trees, it really makes club selection very confusing."
Braving the elements
Because of the muddy conditions, the players were allowed to lift, clean and place their shots on the fairway. If they hadn't, according to 1999 champion Beem, the result would have been downright comical.
"It's sloppy out there," said Beem, who played in the morning. "Fortunately we have ball in hand today. If that wouldn't be the case, we would have had some that that would have gone completely sideways -- they would be questioning our ability."
Seven players, including 1999 British Open champion Paul Lawrie, were two shots back at 68. Troy Matteson, the first-team All-America from Georgia Tech, shot a 69 in his first PGA Tour round.
For real adventure, it was hard to beat the 75 by Phil Mickelson, whose recent driver problems hit a new nadir when his tee shot struck a house some 60 yards out of bounds to the right at the short par-4 13th.