Friday, July 23, 2004
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MILWAUKEE -- Two shots off the lead after the opening round of the U.S. Bank Championship wasn't enough to get onto the first page of the leaderboard.
For just the second time at a PGA Tour event, there was an eight-way tie for first place after the opening round. Another 10 golfers are one shot back at the tournament formerly known as the Greater Milwaukee Open.
"A lot of people, a lot of golf [left]," said Danny Briggs, whose 5-under 65 tied him with Todd Fischer, Bo Van Pelt, Brett Quigley, Patrick Sheehan, Brian Kortan, Robert Gamez and Olin Browne for the first-round lead.
The 2000 Honda Classic had the only other eight-way tie for first after one round, according to the PGA Tour, which began keeping such statistics in 1970.
The top 70 golfers, plus ties, after today's second round will make the cut.
Among those at 66 were Paul Azinger, who called this "a mini-U.S. Open," and Jerry Kelly, who described it best when he said the rough he encountered on No. 15 was "a bird's nest in a hawk's nest."
Gamez was in the rough twice, on the par-3 14th, where he chipped in from 30 feet for birdie, and again on No. 18, where he missed a birdie putt that would have given him the outright lead.
"It's a very fair course," Gamez said. "You just have to hit the fairways and get it on the green."
Even that might not be good enough, Kelly suggested.
The nasty rough will hound even accurate hitters because some balls will roll off the greens if placement and spin aren't just right, he said.
"That's just as bad as missing from the fairway because you cannot control your ball from a foot off the green," Kelly said. "You've got to take a hack at that thing and who knows how it's going to come out?"
Defending champion Kenny Perry, still feeling the effects of playing in the British Open last weekend, shot a 1-under 69.
Irish Open
DROGHEDA, Ireland -- Nick O'Hern and Peter Lonard shot 8-under 64s and shared the first-round lead at the Irish Open at Baltray.
Stephen Gallacher, Simon Wakefield and Brett Rumford were all at 66.
Darren Clarke and Padraig Harrington each had a 70.
Evian Masters
EVIAN, France -- Karen Stupples shot a 6-under 66 and held a one-shot lead over Laura Davies and Annika Sorenstam after the second round of the Evian Masters.
Stupples was at 10 under following a round which included seven birdies and one bogey.
Sorenstam finished with a 69 while Davies, the leader after the first round, eagled 18 for a 71.
Michelle Wie shot her second straight 71 and was tied for 26th.
U.S. Women's Open champion Meg Mallon shot a 69 and was six shots off the lead at 140.
Defending champion Juli Inkster had a 73 and was tied for 28th at 1-over 143.
Senior British Open
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland -- Eduardo Romero, who turned 50 five days ago, had a 5-under 69 and shared the first-round lead at the Senior British Open with Don Pooley, John Chillas and Jim Rhodes.
At 70 were Ian Mosey and Carl Mason.
Defending champion Tom Watson had a 75 despite an eagle on the second hole at the Royal Portrush links.