Friday, July 20, 2012
Associated Press
MADISON, Miss.
Jason Bohn knows what kind of mindset is needed to compete in the Mississippi heat: patience.
“It’s too hot to be frustrated,” Bohn said. “You can’t expend any of your energy because you’re trying to save it all.”
Bohn shot an 8-under 64 to take an early lead at the PGA Tour’s True South Classic before heavy rain halted the first round in the afternoon.
Luke Guthrie, a 22-year-old in just his third professional tournament, opened with a 65. He finished last week’s John Deere Classic tied for fifth.
After a week of rain, Annandale Golf Club’s fairways were soft with areas of standing water. The PGA allowed players to lift, clean and place balls in the fairway, helping scores stay low.
“There was very little roll [in the fairways], but that makes the fairways wider,” Bohn said. “You can play more aggressively off the tee — use drivers where you might use a 3-wood.”
With many of the big names playing in the British Open this week, an unfamiliar collection of players was at the top of the leaderboard. J.J. Killeen, Steve Lowery, Ryuji Imada, Jason Gore and Willie Wood shared a tie for third, two shots behind Bohn.
Killeen, Imada and Gore have yet to win on the Tour, while both Lowery and Wood have won at Annandale.
Guthrie has had some early success on the Tour, starting his career with a top-20 finish at the St. Jude Classic before another impressive showing at the John Deere.
“I’ve got some good momentum going,” Guthrie said. “I hit some solid putts.”
Bohn’s good start gives him some encouragement that his recent slump could be coming to an end.
“I kept telling myself I’m going to play some good rounds,” Bohn said. “I’ve just got to take the bad rounds that I play and make them not so bad.”
Bohn didn’t make many mistakes on Thursday, though he did lose his grip on a drive at No. 18, leaving a difficult shot out of a fairway bunker. He recovered for a birdie.