Las Vegas: Thursday's first-round notebook

text size
Increase Text Size
Decrease Text Size
Email This Story Print This Story RSS
Oct. 16, 2008
By John Bush, PGA TOUR Media Official

LAS VEGAS -- Zach Johnson and PGA TOUR rookie Marc Turnesa opened with matching bogey-free 10-under 62s on Thursday to share the lead at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. Former University of Nevada standout Michael Allen, Las Vegas resident Nick Watney, Matt Kuchar and Ken Duke are all one shot back.

Marc Turnesa
Martin/Getty Images
Before Thursday's 62, Marc Turnesa's previous best score on TOUR was a 65.
Turnesa through 18 holes
Stats Rd. 1 Total Rank
Eagles -- 0 N/A
Birdies 10 10 T1
Pars 8 8 T110
Bogeys -- 0 N/A
Double Bogeys -- 0 N/A
Other -- 0 N/A
Driving Accuracy 57 57.1 T87
Driving Distance 304.5 304.5 T81
Putts per round 24 24.0 2
Putts per GIR 1.400 1.400 1
Greens in REG 83 83.3 T33
Sand saves 100 100.0 T1

• Johnson and Turnesa's 62 falls just one shy of the TPC Summerlin record set by Davis Love III in 2001. It is Johnson's second 62 in his last three rounds. A week ago, he recorded a third-round 62 on his way to a two-stroke victory at the Valero Texas Open over Charlie Wi, Tim Wilkinson and Mark Wilson.

• This represents just the second first-round lead of Zach Johnson's PGA TOUR career. He posted a 64 during the opening round of the 2006 John Deere Classic on his way to a tie for 33rd.

• Turnesa's round shatters his previous-best score on the PGA TOUR, 65s set during the third round of the Wyndham Championship and the first round of the Viking Classic (his only previous first-round lead). Turnesa led all three rounds of the Viking Classic before falling in a playoff to Will MacKenzie. His previous best round in a PGA TOUR-sanctioned event was a second-round 63 on his way to winning the 2008 Miccosukee Championship on the Nationwide Tour.

• So far in 2008, the first-round leader/co-leader has won eight of 43 stroke-play events, including most recently Camilo Villegas at the BMW Championship.

• At the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, the first-round leader has won just three of 25 times, dating back to the first event in 1983. The list includes Fuzzy Zoeller (1983), Bill Glasson (1997) and Stuart Appleby (2003).

• Zach Johnson is seeking to become just the second player this season to win in back-to-back weeks. Vijay Singh performed the feat with wins at The Barclays and the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Kent Jones, playing in the first group of the day off of the 10th tee, holed out a 132-yard shot for eagle on the 420-yard hole. Currently No. 181 on the official money list, Jones opened with a 3-under 69.

• Defending champion George McNeill opened with a 5-under 67 in his attempt to join Jim Furyk (1998-99) as the only players to successfully defend a title at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

• McNeill is one of five past champions of this event are participating this week. The others include 1987 winner Paul Azinger (69), 1993 winner Davis Love III (68), 2001 champion Bob Estes (66) and 2006 victor Troy Matteson (70).

Ryuji Imada, currently No. 13 on the official money list, opened with a 5-under 67. The 2008 AT&T Classic winner already has amassed a career-high $2,971,690 in earnings this season, but is seeking to become the 13th player this year to surpass $3 million in earnings.

Martin Laird, who entered the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open on the bubble at No. 125, opened with a 5-under 67 and is tied for 30th.

• A total of 116 players out of the 132-man field posted par-or-better scores during the first round.

• Zach Johnson and Marc Turnesa's bogey-free 62s, as well as Michael Allen's mistake-free 63, were three of nine bogey-free rounds on Thursday.

• The par-3 eighth hole played the most difficult on Thursday with a 3.212 average, while the par-5 third hole was the easiest at 4.288.

Email This Story   Print This Story   RSS   Bookmark and Share
SHOP.PGATOUR.COM

Get the best deals on the best equipment all at the SHOP.PGATOUR.COM.

FANTASY

FANTASY
© 1995-2008 PGA TOUR, Inc. | Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. All Rights Reserved. PGA TOUR, Champions Tour, Nationwide Tour and the swinging golfer logo are registered trademarks.
TurnerPGATOUR.com is part of the Turner Sports and Entertainment Digital Network