Farmers Insurance Open: Round 1 notebook

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SAN DIEGO -- Scott Piercy birdied two of his last three holes to shoot 8-under 64 on the North Course at Torrey Pines and lead the Farmers Insurance Open by one stroke. Four players -- Ben Crane, Chris Tidland, Ryuji Imada and Matt Every -- all posted 7-under 65s on the North Course to be tied for second. Tom Pernice, a sponsor exemption this week, is sixth at 6 under. Nine players are at 5 under, including Robert Allenby, the only player in the top-15 who played the South Course in his opening round.

• Since 1996, only two players have held the first-round lead while starting on the South Course at Torrey Pines -- Troy Matteson (2008) and Davis Love III (2000).

• Piercy is making his 51stcareer start on the PGA TOUR and had never held the first-round lead until Thursday.

• Last year, in his rookie year, Piercy led both the Turning Stone Resort Championship and the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open through 54 holes, finishing T12 and T14 respectively.

• Piercy, a San Diego State graduate, is making just his second start at the Farmers Insurance Open after missing the cut last year with a pair of 75s. He finished No. 90 on the TOUR money list in his rookie season last year.

• Piercy, with 22 putts, had the fewest number of putts of any player in the field.

• Crane is making his sixth career start at the Farmers Insurance Open with his previous-best finish coming last year, a T7. Apart from 2006, when he withdrew after the first round, Crane has made the cut in each appearance at Torrey Pines.

• Crane's 65 represent's his tournament low on either course at Torrey Pines. Crane's previous low round was 68 in round two of the 2003 event.

• Allenby (67/SC) posted his best opening round in six starts at the Farmers Insurance Open bettering his previous-best 68 in 1999 by one stroke.

• Tidland earned his way back to the TOUR in 2010 by finishing sixth on the 2009 Nationwide Tour money list. Tidland is making his 63rd career start on TOUR and has posted just one top-10 finish, a T6 at the 2007 AT&T Classic.

• This is Tidland's fourth start at the Farmers Insurance Open (2007/MC, 2002/MC, 2001/T27) and he has posted sub-par rounds the opening round each time.

• In six starts at the Farmers Insurance Open Ryuji Imada is a total of 26 under in the opening round. Here is a look at his first-round scores -- 2010/65, 2009/70, 2008/69, 2007/68, 2006/66, 2005/68.

• In just his 23rd round on the TOUR, Every birdied his final three holes on the North Course to post his career low, a 7-under 65. His previous best was 66 in round two of the 2007 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. He is a rookie on the TOUR this year after finishing No. 10 on the 2009 Nationwide Tour money list.

• Defending champion Nick Watney posted a 1-under 71 on the North Course and is tied for 57th.

• Two-time Farmers Insurance Open runner-up Luke Donald (70/SC) is making his seventh career start at this event. In his six previous starts he has never finished outside the top 25 (T7-2009, T24-2006, T2-2005, T2-2004, T7-2003, T18-2002).

• Two of the three TOUR winners in 2010 are playing this week -- Bill Haas (70/T40), who won the Bob Hope Classic last week and Ryan Palmer (68/T16), winner of the Sony Open in Hawaii.

• Phil Mickelson, making his first start in 2010 after two wins to close the 2009 season (THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola, World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions), posted 2-under 70 on the South Course and is tied for 40th.

• Mickelson is making his 20thconsecutive start in the Farmers Insurance Open.

• Gunner Wiebe, son of two-time TOUR winner Mark Wiebe, who currently plays on the Champions Tour, outlasted Tim Mickelson, his University of San Diego golf coach and brother of TOUR star Phil, in a one-spot amateur qualifier to get into the 2010 Farmers Insurance Open. Wiebe posted a first-round 73 on the South Course and is T107. The elder Wiebe made 15 starts in the San Diego event during his career and finished second at this event in 1989 behind winner Greg Twiggs.

• Wiebe is one of two amateurs in the field. Estanisiao Guerrero, a Tiajuana native who was one of four Monday qualifiers, shot 74 on the North Course.

• The Kodak Challenge hole this week is No. 14, a 437-yard par 4, which was the ninth most-difficult hole on the South Course on Thursday. Kevin Streelman (75), the Kodak Challenge winner in 2009, has quite a history at Torrey Pines. In 2008 he played with Tiger Woods in the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open and later that year was tied for the lead after the opening round of the U. S. Open.

• During Thursday's round 10 birdies, 56 pars and 11 bogies were recorded at the 14th hole.

• Farmers will donate $100 dollars for every birdie made, $1,000 dollars for every eagle made, and $100,000 dollars for every hole-in-one made during weekend tournament play on behalf of Farmers Insurance and the Century Club. Proceeds will go to "Birdies for Babies" and anyone can donate online, or via text message. Log onto farmersinsuranceopen.com and click on the "Birdies for Babies" button, or text "baby" to 20222 to donate $5 dollars to the March of Dimes. Farmers will match any donation made on-line, via text, or at the tournament up to $100,000 dollars.

• The most difficult holes at each course were No. 12 (SC) and No. 6 (NC), while the easiest holes at each course were No. 6 (SC) and No. 1 (NC).

• John Senden withdrew before the opening round and was replaced in the field by Tim Herron.