Mediate’s best score in 4 years nets lead

Rocco Mediate fired an
8-under 64 for a one-stroke lead after the first round.

GRAND BLANC, Mich. (AP) — Rocco Mediate’s back is healthy and so is his game.

Mediate shot his lowest score on the PGA Tour in four years, opening the Buick Open on Thursday with an 8-under 64 for a one-stroke lead.

“This has been one of the best years of my life coming out of this injury,” he said. “I’m ecstatic.”

Brett Quigley, Woody Austin and Brian Bateman shot 65s and Jim Furyk was among a group of four another stroke back, in a tournament up for grabs without Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh in the field for the first time since 2001.

The stars have combined to win four of the previous five Buick Opens, reaching 24 under to win the previous two.

“It doesn’t matter if Tiger or Vijay are here,” Austin said.

“Each of the years they won, they didn’t blow the field away. I don’t believe either one of them has broken Robert Wrenn’s record [26 under]. Somebody shoots low every year.”

Better back

Mediate likes his chances because his right hip joint is not making his back miserable anymore.

“I can move again,” he said.

Mediate credited Cindi Hilfman, a physical therapist in Los Angeles, for turning his life and career around since they connected in February.

“Since I had back surgery in ’94, it’s been on and off again,” he said. “The last three years I was dead.”

Simply breathing was painful for him and walking was impossible at times.

The five-time PGA Tour winner had only one top-10 finish last year, ending the season a career-low 206th on the money list.

Mediate was ranked 176 and 114 the previous two years after finishing between 22nd and 37 from 1999-2003.

“My game didn’t go away because my ability went away,” he said. “It’s because my body went bye-bye.”

Mediate wasn’t the only one to dominate one of the easiest courses on the Tour. The day after a downpour, Warwick Hills was even more vulnerable especially with temperatures in the low 70s and only moderate wind.

He missed just two greens in regulation — despite hitting just nine of 14 fairways — and made 27 putts in a bogey-free day.